The Why Files: Operation Podcast

Episode 616: The Devil's Bible and the Nazi Hole to Hell

Date: November 3, 2025 | Host: AJ ("A"), with Hecklefish ("B")

Overview

In this captivating episode, The Why Files explores two legendary European mysteries: the creation of the "Devil's Bible" (Codex Gigas) and the enigmatic "Hole to Hell" beneath Houska Castle in Bohemia. Through storytelling that blends legend, history, and investigative analysis, the episode delves into the origins of these tales, their dramatic retellings, and what the evidence actually supports. The hosts also examine the Nazi regime’s rumored obsession with occult phenomena, particularly their secret excavations at Houska Castle during WWII. At its heart, the episode investigates how myths arise from real fears and the enduring power of hope in humanity’s darkest hours.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legend of the Devil's Bible (Codex Gigas)

[01:29–06:21; 07:43–15:10]

• The Legend:

  • In the 13th century, a monk named Herman the Recluse was sentenced to immurement (being walled alive) for grave sins. Desperate, he offered to create a comprehensive manuscript containing all the world’s knowledge in a single night to avoid his fate.
  • Failing to make progress, Herman allegedly pled to Satan for help, sacrificing his soul. Through this unholy bargain, he completed the massive Codex Gigas overnight, including a notorious full-page illustration of the devil on page 577.

    “If you can hear me, I’ll give you anything. My soul, my eternal life. Anything. Please let me live.” — (A, 03:33)

• The Manuscript’s Contents:

  • The actual Codex is astonishing: 620 pages, 36 inches tall, 20 inches wide, weighing 165 pounds.
  • Included texts: the Old and New Testaments, Josephus’ "Antiquities of the Jews," Isidore of Seville’s encyclopedic "Etymologies," regional histories, medical treatises, and grimoires for magic, exorcism, spirit warding, and summoning demons.

• The Devil’s Portrait:

  • The centerpiece: a full-page illustration of Satan, green-faced with red horns, "trapped between two towers," opposite a heavenly city—symbolizing the struggle between good and evil.

    “Worst centerfold ever.” — (B, 04:32)

2. The Hole to Hell and Houska Castle

[15:10–25:50]

• Local Folklore and Medieval Fears:

  • Houska Castle, built on an isolated limestone cliff with strange, inward-facing fortifications, is said to seal a bottomless pit—alleged to be a literal gateway to Hell.
  • Myths describe demonic happenings—livestock mutilations, disappearances, unholy creatures. Priests attempted spiritual warfare aided by Herman’s Codex as an "operational manual" for exorcism and self-defense.

• Historical Experiments:

  • In the 1270s, Duke Ottokar II lowered prisoners into the pit (as documented). Survivors emerged aged and mad, describing monstrous visions.

    “His hair was completely white. He aged 50 years in minutes... babbling about frogs the size of men, shadows with eyes, and a massive entity staring up from below.” — (B, 12:10)

• Castle as a Prison:

  • The fortress’s inward defenses suggest it was designed to contain threats within, not repel external attackers, matching its use as a prison.

3. Nazi Occult Obsession and the Castle in WWII

[15:10–25:50]

• Nazi Experiments at Houska:

  • In 1940, under Himmler’s orders (SS obsession with the occult), Nazi forces excavated the chapel floor seeking the pit.
  • Using prisoners as test subjects, they recreated the medieval experiments: rapid aging, insanity, disturbing visions.

    “At 200ft, the screaming started. They hauled him up fast… his black hair had turned white. He looked like he was 80 years old. And he was manic, laughing and rambling. As the sedative took effect, he whispered, ‘they’re waiting. So many teeth.’” — (B, 22:56)

• End of Occupation:

  • Facing Allied advances, Nazis poured concrete into the pit, capped it with a titanium plate, and surrounded the castle with landmines, sealing whatever lay beneath—and ensuring no one would investigate further.

4. What’s Real and What’s Legend?

[25:50–28:36]

• Historical Record vs. Folklore:
  • The Codex Gigas is authentic, now preserved in Sweden’s National Library; it took decades (20–30 years) to create, not a single night.
  • The legend of Herman’s pact with the devil emerged later, inspired by the manuscript’s size, consistency, and eerie artwork.
  • Some pages of demonology (“missing ten pages”) were cut out centuries ago—content still unknown.
  • Houska Castle and the pit exist; prisoners were experimented on by Ottokar II, but the pit is likely a deep cave, not supernatural.
  • Himmler amassed occult books and did occupy the castle; however, connections to the Codex Gigas or supernatural Nazi experiments remain unproven.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pressures of medieval life:

  “Medieval people lived in constant fear. Plague, war, famine… When they couldn’t explain suffering, they named it demons, monsters, evil crawling from the ground… If there were a manual for fighting evil, then evil could be fought. And if evil could be fought, it could be defeated.” — (B, 28:15)

• On the Codex’s meaning:

  “The Codex isn’t about making a deal with the devil, it’s about… It’s about fighting him. The Codex is about hope.” — (B, 29:16)

• On legend versus history:

  “The Codex and Houska Castle exist. Both are steeped in legend, but… both are testaments to human courage and determination in the face of evil. And both were created to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. And both were created to give people hope. Now, that’s not legend, that’s history. And it’s history worth remembering.” — (B, 29:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|-----------| | Intro & Legend of Herman the Recluse | 01:29–06:21 | | Dawn Discovery & Contents of Codex | 07:43–11:15 | | Magic, Exorcisms & Satan’s Portrait | 11:15–13:20 | | Background on Houska Castle/Hole to Hell | 13:20–16:50 | | Medieval / Ottokar II’s Experiments | 16:50–19:00 | | Nazi Occupation & Occult Experiments | 19:00–25:50 | | Debunking Myths / What’s True | 25:50–28:36 | | Episode Conclusion & Takeaways | 28:36–29:55 |

Conclusion & Takeaways

The episode masterfully blends myth and documented history, showing how the terrors of the medieval world gave rise to enduring legends such as the Devil’s Bible and the Hole to Hell. Both real artifacts—Codex Gigas and Houska Castle—are steeped in myth, but ultimately stand as monuments to human resilience, faith, and the longing for hope in dark times. The hosts draw a poignant line between these stories and modern fears, reminding listeners that even the most extraordinary legends often have human roots.

Episode Highlight:
“The Codex isn’t about making a deal with the devil… It’s about hope. Herman spent 30 years creating a manuscript that gave people hope in the face of unknown terror. Whether the demons were real doesn’t matter. The fear was real. Herman didn’t need supernatural help to create something extraordinary. He had something more powerful. Faith.” (B, 29:16)

For listeners fascinated by the interplay of myth and history, this episode is a riveting, well-researched journey into Europe’s darker legends—and how these tales still haunt the imagination today.