Bayardo's Leap
Preserved but no longer current.
Three stones, about thirty yards apart, near Sleaford. It is said that Rinaldo was riding on his favourite steed, when the demon of the place sprang up behind him; but Bayardo in terror took three tremendous leaps and unhorsed the fiend.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bayardo's Leap” mean?
Three stones, about thirty yards apart, near Sleaford. It is said that Rinaldo was riding on his favourite steed, when the demon of the place sprang up behind him; but Bayardo in terror took three tremendous leaps and unhorsed the fiend.
Is “Bayardo's Leap” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.