Baikal is a miracle of nature, it is the deepest freshwater lake in the world. The lake has the shape of a crescent and is not only the most beautiful place on earth, but also the most sacred and mysterious. Baikal is a place of energy and magnetic anomalies. Locals in ancient times believed that the lake has no bottom, and if you plunge into its water, you can emerge on the other side of the universe. The peoples who lived in these parts made up legends and legends about Lake Baikal. And now people are composing literary works dedicated to the mysterious lake. For example, the riddle about Baikal for children of M. Sergeyev "And what is it":
And what is it?
So blue
Cold as an ice floe
Transparent like glass?
Maybe it's heaven
Pine hooked
The rocks rolled
And glass on the ground?
And what is it, So golden
Shining like a mirror
Blinding eyes?
Maybe it's the sun
Lay down to sleep under the rocks
It lies tired
Closing your eyes?
And what is it?
All the time at rest, Maybe it's a cloud
Stuck among the rocks?
And this is not a cloud, And this is not heaven
And this is not the sun, A BAIKAL lake!
There are many holy and cult places of natural origin, which are associated with the beliefs of the local population, where they performed sacrifices and worshiped nature. The lake is covered with a huge number of mysteries, secrets, traditions and legends, which will be discussed in the article.
Baikal mirages
Local residents many times witnessed a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon. Going out on boats for fishing, they saw fairly realistic pictures that depicted something that could not be at all. The most common visions: castles, islands, ancient ships.
Scientists explain this phenomenon by the fact that the deep waters of Lake Baikal never warm up, and the air above them is warm in summer, which creates a resonance. Layers of air, different in density, refract the sun's rays, which is why pictures form.
Baikal ice
Scientists are presented with many mysteries by the Baikal ice. For example, specialists of the limnological station in the 1930s discovered unusual forms of ice cover. This is a real mystery of Lake Baikal, hills are formed here, ice hills in the form of a cone, the height of which reaches 6-7 meters, while they are absolutely hollow inside. Hills are located both separately and in the form of mountain ranges.
Mysterious funnel
Another mystery of Lake Baikal is a terrible funnel, which forms completely spontaneously near the island of Olkhon, about 30 kilometers southeast of it. Locals call it a damn funnel. Several times a year at full calm a column of rotating water is formed here.
There are two versions by which scientists explain this riddle of Lake Baikal. One is based on the assumption of the existence of a bottom failure, which quickly fills with water, which leads to the formation of a whirlpool on the surface.
According to another theory, at the site of the formation of the funnel, two water currents collide. Their strength and direction depend on the time of year. Such a collision of oncoming currents can indeed lead to the formation of powerful whirlpools on the water surface.
Witches circles
3 kilometers from the island, on the way to Shara-Nur Lake, you can meet an interesting and mysterious phenomenon, which is included in the list of incredible riddles of Lake Baikal - Olkhon circles. They occur on their own in fields that have never been plowed. Scientists did not find signs of trampling or other human impact. Mysterious circles are perfectly even circles. Locals call them witch circles, because they believe that they are formed as a result of a round dance of witches and sorcerers. Scientists just shrug, but they can’t explain this phenomenon. It has been thoroughly established that such circles are not related to soil features and groundwater.
Rings on ice
On spring Baikal ice, dark rings are visible on satellite images, the diameter of which reaches 5-8 kilometers. For the first time such a phenomenon was noticed in front of Cape Krestovsky in pictures in 1999. Scientists suggest that the formation of circles is associated with emissions of natural gas from the bottom of the lake. In summer, bubbles rise to the surface of the water in these places.
Dragon Fang
Cape Khoboy is a mystery and secret of Baikal, it is the northernmost cape of the island of Olkhon. It is a columnar rock that looks like a canine.
From the sea side, the cape resembles a profile of a female head with a bust. Locals call the rock "diva." There is a Buryat legend that it is a petrified Buryat. The girl came to ask the spirits to give her the same palace as her husband, whom they gave him for special merits. Spirits answered her: “As long as there is envy and anger on Earth, you will remain a stone, ” and turned it into a rock.
The legend of the mythical dragon, who once flew over the lake and dropped his fang, is associated with Cape Khoboy. He fell to the ground, leaving a peculiar mark. Scientists believe that folk tradition is closely connected with the memories of the fall of the cosmic body, which occurred many thousands of years ago.
Cape Ryty
There are many legends associated with this place. The cape is located opposite the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, in the center of the lake. In ancient times, people were forbidden to go here. Even shamans did not risk visiting certain sites.
Scientists are trying to solve such a strange riddle of Lake Baikal as the anomalous zone in which people die or go missing and unexplained and inexplicable phenomena occur with machinery and equipment. For example, in 1907, officers of the Russian army tried to cross the lake at this place. When they approached the cape, a severe hurricane began, their balloons were thrown from side to side. Some people died from hitting rocks, the survivors were afraid to cross the lake and forever abandoned this venture.
For local residents, this place is considered sacred and forbidden to visit. They believe that there was a city here in ancient times, by the way, this is indicated by an artificial stone wall. For unknown reasons, people were taboo on visiting this territory, this ban is still valid. In addition, you can’t cut trees, kill animals, collect herbs and berries.
Shaman stone
At the source of the Angara River is a cliff protruding in the center of the pond. Since ancient times, it was called the “Shaman Stone” and endowed this place with miraculous power. According to ancient beliefs, this place was considered the home of the owner of the Angara. Here people held important shamanistic rituals, prayed, and made vows.
Rock shaman
One of the most interesting mysteries and secrets of Lake Baikal is the Shamanka rock. It is composed of white marble, granite and quartz. The people call the rock "stone temple." Vladimir Obruchev, a well-known Russian researcher, during the first exploration of Lake Baikal noted that this place causes superstitious horror among local residents. No one but a shaman ever came close to a rock. Women were categorically not even allowed to come close to the reserved place.
A cave runs right through the rock; it has become a place of worship. Buryats are sure that the owner of Lake Baikal lives here.
Cape Bogatyr
Of great interest to shamans is Cape Bogatyr. Its ancient name, Fiery, is due to the fact that the first travelers who approached the island at the end of the 16th century suddenly saw a huge pillar of fire that shot up from the waters of Lake Baikal into the sky. The same phenomenon was noted later by local residents. This mystery of Lake Baikal is easily explained by shamans. The fact is that at Cape Bogatyr, rituals are carried out that are associated with the spell of the elements. Until the beginning of the last century, it was customary for elders and leaders of local peoples to bring newborn boys here. It was believed that, having got here, the future leader gains special spiritual and physical strength.
Luminous water
The glow of Baikal water was discovered by scientists back in 1982. Numerous research results have shown that any water emits light. For example, distilled glows weakly, tap water quickly fades. But Baikal water can glow for a month or more. The research results showed that the luminescence of water with depth becomes less intense, and the brightness decreases from November to January.
"Genghis Khan's table"
A legendary and interesting place associated with the name of the great commander. This is a huge boulder on which, according to legend, ancient letters were painted. It is ovoid in shape from below, flat from above. This is a particularly revered place among the Buryats. Shamanistic and Buddhist ceremonies are often performed here.
Shara Nur Lake
Not far from Baikal, in a dense forest, is the lake Shara-Nur (translated from Buryat means "yellow lake"). It got its name for the muddy yellowish waters saturated with hydrogen sulfide. Nowadays, it attracts a huge number of people suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system and joints. But in ancient times, local residents were very afraid to swim in the lake, they believed that a giant and evil yellow snake inhabited it. Local legend says that once there lived a hero who greatly angered Erkin's evil and harsh spirit, not marrying his sister to him. As a punishment, the spirit turned the hero into a snake, instructing him to eat carrion and humanity. That is why, according to local residents, the bodies of drowned people are never found in the lake.
Scientists claim that the lake is connected to Lake Baikal by a network of underground tunnels through which the bodies of drowned people leave along with water. But the locals insist on their own. Fishermen today claim that they sometimes hear a growl that comes from the muddy waters of Shara-Nur Lake.
