Stone giants and flying heads. Start in science Stone giants

There are places with extraordinary and very powerful energy. One such place is the Man-Pupu-Ner plateau in the Northern Urals. A phenomenon such as the pillars of weathering on the Manpupuner plateau, other than a miracle of nature, cannot be called visiting Manpupuner, those who were not there must be!

Getting to this place is very difficult, and endurance, patience and the ability to overcome all the hardships and hardships of the expeditionary regime of passing the route are really necessary here. But truly, as a reward, appears before the magnificent pillars of the Mansi people who have reached Manpupuner ...
   What was seen is impressive, and no photos and videos can convey the lively power of the giants ...
   This is where you begin to believe in real power (and maybe even feel it) coming from this place. It is no accident that this place is considered one of the places of the Force.

This natural monument has deservedly become the finalist and winner of the All-Russian contest "7 Wonders of Russia." Just imagine: on a relatively flat highlands there are seven stone pillars, whose height reaches 42 meters, which is equal to the height of a 17-story building!

Some of them are even narrower at the base and look like an inverted bottle. How could this be born? Scientifically, these pillars are the result of the weathering of soft rocks. Once, 200-300 million years ago, there were full-fledged mountains here, but over time, soft limestone rocks washed out the rain and wind, leaving them solid in the form of pillars. Thanks to this, we can admire the weathering pillars on the Manpupiner plateau.

However, this is just our scientific version of the origin of Manpupuner. The Voguls of the local population of the Urals have other points of view. There are at least three legends explaining the origin of the Little Boob (this is what Manpupuner translates from Mansi).

According to one legend, behind the Younger Brothers, i.e. six giants of the Samoyeds were driven by the Vogul while they were trying to leave the Stone Belt. The giants were almost catching up with vogul, when suddenly, a shaman with a white face Yalpingner appeared in front of them. He raised his hand up and managed to cast one spell, after which all the giants petrified. Unfortunately, Yalpingner himself was also petrified. Since then, they have been opposed to each other.

Another legend says that seven giant shamans followed Riphean to destroy the Voguls and Mansi. When they climbed Koip, they saw the sacred mountain of the Voguls Yalpyngner (the holiest place for Voguls) and understood the greatness and power of the Vogul gods. They were petrified with horror, only the leader of the giants, the main shaman, managed to raise his hand to cover his eyes from Yalpingner. But this did not save him, he also turned into stone.

Finally, we left the most romantic legend about the origin of Manpupuner. According to the myth, there lived one tribe of Ugra (Voguls, Mansi, and other related tribes were called by the common name of Ugra). It was so rich and happy that legends circulated about it far beyond the Stone Belt. The tribe lived under the auspices of Yalpingner, and their leader was the mighty and wise Kuuschai. The leader had a daughter, the beautiful Ayum. There was nobody more beautiful than her in the world. Torev (the bear) found out about her beauty that he lived on the other side of the Ural Mountains. And so, once, Torev came to Kuuschai and demanded from him Ayum as his wife, for which Ayyum herself refused. Torev was very angry, called his giant brothers and decided to destroy the Ugra, and force Ayum to marry him. Approaching the stone city where Ayum was, the giant brothers began to besiege him. A great battle ensued and power was on the side of the giants. Then Ayum asked the good spirits of Yalpingner to convey the news of the attack on the city to her brother Pigrychum, who was on the hunt at that time. But Pigrychum was far away. The giants broke into the city, destroyed the crystal palace, the fragments of which scattered across the Riphean mountains (since then they have found rock crystal). The tribe of the Ugra Voguls was forced to take flight. And now, when the giants had almost caught up with Ayum and her fellow tribesmen, Pigrychum suddenly appeared with a golden shield and a shining sword, which he was given the spirits of Yalpingner. Pigrychum sent a ray of light reflected from his shield into Torev’s eyes and he was petrified. His brothers were petrified in the same way. So there was Manpupuner.

People never settled here, only a few hunters wandered in search of prey, the northern reindeer herders chased their herds, and even the Mansi shamans came to these sacred places to recharge with witching power.

It is believed that the Numi Torum - the main Mansi god who created people and gave them land - threw his belt here to make the earth stable. This belt holds it and does not allow to drown in the ocean. Such is the sacred mission of the Ural Mountains - belt stone.

Those who see the Northern Urals for the first time are amazed at its wild, primitive beauty. Several peaks, separated by valleys, have kept their secrets for many millions of years. They seem to be silent witnesses of time, and time itself here slows down. No traces of civilization, only mountains and sky.

On the western slope of the Belt Stone, Ydzhit Iz (Bolshoi Kamen), as the ancient Komi called Ural, Pechora originates from a tiny brook very close to the sacred place of the Voguls - Mount Manpupuner. “Small Mountain of Idols” is the translation of this complex name from the Mansi language. Komi call them Doodles, and tourists often call Pupi.

This plateau rises in the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky reserve in the Komi Republic and is under the protection of UNESCO. You can get to Manpupuner with the permission of the reserve administration by helicopter or on foot through wild forests, streams, small rivers and swamps.

This place became famous after being among the seven wonders of Russia in 2008. Since that time, tourists have come here. Those who come to the plateau on foot, with some degree of contempt, are fans of air transport. They believe that only the one who got to the Doodles, overcoming difficulties, is worthy to see them.

Our starting point is the northern village of Troitsko-Pechorsk. From Syktyvkar (the capital of the Komi Republic) a little more than 400 km. Further along the dirt road we drive to Ust-Ilych - the place where the Ilych River flows into Pechora. Here begins a waterway with a length of 200 km. The journey takes two days with overnight stays at the Izpyred and Ust-Lyaga cordons.

The most difficult part of the path is a forest trail. It starts right behind Ust-Lyaga. The path to the plateau is not easy, it requires physical endurance. Pillars from here - 36 km. There are several equipped parking lots where you can relax and eat. There are many swamps along the way, so the best shoes for the transition are rubber boots.

Manpupuner opens up to the eyes of travelers unexpectedly. The forest suddenly thins: the curved birch trees, cedars and stones on the multi-colored slope no longer block the view, the wind rises to disperse the hordes of mosquitoes, and these giants suddenly grow on the mountain slope. Huge pillars stand guard over their possessions, blocking the path of unwanted guests.

Nature herself worked on the creation of giants. The remains are the weathering pillars, which were formed due to the long work of the wind and a sharp temperature difference: the weaker rock was destroyed, and the stronger, over which the elements were not in power, has survived to this day. The height of these pillars is from 32 to 40 m, they are almost like 15-story houses, and the people next to them seem to be tiny creatures.

Stretched out in a row, these six giants stand nearby, and the seventh is a little off. Mysterious figures amaze with bizarre shapes. Imagination immediately draws images of monsters with the head of a camel or horse, which guard their ancient secrets here. They really resemble huge giants that towering menacingly on a flat top, led by their leader, a stern shaman. He seemed to raise his hand, trying to stop the travelers who violated their eternal rest.

There is a beautiful Mansi legend about the pillars: once the Samoyed giants (Nenets) decided to destroy the Voguls. They drove the ancestors of the Mansi from these lands with a terrible step. But, having climbed a plateau, they retreated and froze in fear, seeing Yalping-Ner in front of them - a mountain sacred to all Voguls. Their leader dropped his tambourine, which immediately turned into the top of Coit (drum). Petrified and giants, frozen forever.

Another legend about the beautiful Aim that escaped from her pursuers - the giant brothers. Trying to protect the girl, her brother Pigrychum turned a brilliant shield so that sunlight hit the giants in the eyes and blinded them. Then one giant dropped his tambourine and petrified with his six brothers.

The Komi people have their own legends about stone heroes. They say that they lived for a long time and wanted to turn the land, putting it on the edge. But one of the main gods of the Komi Yen did not let them do this and turned the giants into stone. Stone idols are on guard of their possessions. Therefore, in these parts there is always a deep grave silence.

The silence is really such that it seems almost implausible. But once the wind changes direction, a rumble arises, as if the giants were talking to each other, unhappy that they were again disturbed.

• Huge, Giant, Neutral
• Armor Class:  17 (natural armor)
• Hits:  126 (11 d12 + 55)
• Speed: 40 ft.
• Saving Throws:  Fishing +5 TEL +8 MDR +4
• Skills:  Mindfulness +4 Athletics +12
• Feelings:  Dark vision 60 ft.Passive mindfulness 14
• Languages:  Velikiy
• Danger:  7 - 2900 op.
• A source: « Monster manual»

• Abilities

  Stone camouflage.  The Giant takes advantage of the Dexterity (Stealth) check when trying to hide in rocky terrain.

• Actions

  Multi-attack.  The giant makes two club attacks.

  The club.  Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., One target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) flash damage.

  A rock.  Long-range weapon attack: +9 to hit, distance 60/240 ft., One target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) flash damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed in a Constitution 17 save that is reduced to DC 17, otherwise it will be knocked down.

• Reactions

  Catching stones.  If a stone or a similar object is thrown at a giant, the giant can, if it makes a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, catch a projectile and not receive crushing damage from it.

• Description

  Stone giants are reclusive, quiet and peaceful, until they are disturbed. Their granite gray skin, haggard features and black, sunken eyes give the stone giants a harsh expression. They love solitude, hiding their lives and art from the world.

  The inhabitants of the stone world.  Secluded caves serve as the home of the stone giants. Cave nets are cities, rock tunnels are roads, and underground streams are waterways. Mountain ranges are their continents, with vast expanses of land between them, like the oceans that stone giants rarely cross.

  In their dark, quiet caves, stone giants silently work on skillful carvings, measuring time with the echo of water dripping into underground ponds. In the deepest rooms of the stone giants' settlements, far from the noise of bats and cave bears allied with the giants, there are holy places where silence and darkness are perfect. The stone incorporates the most sacred qualities in these cave cathedrals, and their pillars and columns are covered with such beautiful carvings that they will shame the legendary dwarven stone carvers.

  Carvers and prophets.  Among the stone giants, the craft is considered the greatest asset. They create intricate murals on cave walls, paint these murals and engage in other forms of art. They consider stone carving to be their greatest skill.

  Stone giants seek to identify forms of rough stone that they believe reveal a sense inspired by their god Scoreus the Stonebone. Giants appoint the best carvers as their leaders, shamans and prophets. The holy hands of such a giant during the work become the hands of God.

  Graceful athletes.  Despite their large size and musculature, stone giants are flexible and graceful. Skillful throwers of stones occupy a high position in the order of the giants, testing and showing their ability to throw and catch huge boulders. Such giants occupy advanced ranks when tribes need to defend their home or attack enemies. However, even in battle, the main thing is skill. Cobble-throwing with a stone giant is a manifestation not only of brute force, but of stunning balance and athleticism.

  Dreamers in the open.  Stone giants perceive the world outside their underground dwellings as a kingdom of dreams, where nothing is truly true and real. On the surface, they behave as humanoids can behave in their dreams, without giving a special account of their actions and never completely trusting what they see or hear. The promise given above the earth does not have to be kept. An insult can be inflicted without apology. Killing prey or a sentient creature does not cause guilt in the open-air dream world.

  Some giants, lacking the grace of athletes or artistic skill, live in the backyards of society, serving the tribe as border guards or wandering hunters. When intruders penetrate too deep into the mountainous territory of the clan of stone giants, these guards meet them with flying cobblestones and a shower of broken stone. Survivors after this tell stories about the cruelty of the stone giants, and did not understand how little these brigands living in a dream world resemble their quiet artistic family.

• • Material taken from pdf version of the translation "Monster Manual"  from the studio

People never settled here, only a few hunters wandered in search of prey, the northern reindeer herders chased their herds, and even the Mansi shamans came to these sacred places to recharge with witching power.

It is believed that the Numi Torum - the main Mansi god who created people and gave them land - threw his belt here to make the earth stable. This belt holds it and does not allow to drown in the ocean. Such is the sacred mission of the Ural Mountains - belt stone.

Those who see the Northern Urals for the first time are amazed at its wild, primitive beauty. Several peaks, separated by valleys, have kept their secrets for many millions of years. They seem to be silent witnesses of time, and time itself here slows down. No traces of civilization, only mountains and sky.

On the western slope of the Belt Stone, Ydzhit Iz (Bolshoi Kamen), as the ancient Komi called Ural, Pechora originates from a tiny brook very close to the sacred place of the Voguls - Mount Manpupuner. “Small Mountain of Idols” is the translation of this complex name from the Mansi language. Komi call them Doodles, and tourists often call Pupi.

This plateau rises in the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky reserve in the Komi Republic and is under the protection of UNESCO. You can get to Manpupuner with the permission of the reserve administration by helicopter or on foot through wild forests, streams, small rivers and swamps.

This place became famous after being among the seven wonders of Russia in 2008. Since that time, tourists have come here. Those who come to the plateau on foot, with some degree of contempt, are fans of air transport. They believe that only the one who got to the Doodles, overcoming difficulties, is worthy to see them.

Our starting point is the northern village of Troitsko-Pechorsk. From Syktyvkar (the capital of the Komi Republic) a little more than 400 km. Further along the dirt road we drive to Ust-Ilych - the place where the Ilych River flows into Pechora. Here begins a waterway with a length of 200 km. The journey takes two days with overnight stays at the Izpyred and Ust-Lyaga cordons.

The most difficult part of the path is a forest trail. It starts right behind Ust-Lyaga. The path to the plateau is not easy, it requires physical endurance. Pillars from here - 36 km. There are several equipped parking lots where you can relax and eat. There are many swamps along the way, so the best shoes for the transition are rubber boots.

Manpupuner opens up to the eyes of travelers unexpectedly. The forest suddenly thins: the curved birch trees, cedars and stones on the multi-colored slope no longer block the view, the wind rises to disperse the hordes of mosquitoes, and these giants suddenly grow on the mountain slope. Huge pillars stand guard over their possessions, blocking the path of unwanted guests.

Nature herself worked on the creation of giants. The remains are the weathering pillars, which were formed due to the long work of the wind and a sharp temperature difference: the weaker rock was destroyed, and the stronger, over which the elements were not in power, has survived to this day. The height of these pillars is from 32 to 40 m, they are almost like 15-story houses, and the people next to them seem to be tiny creatures.

Stretched out in a row, these six giants stand nearby, and the seventh is a little off. Mysterious figures amaze with bizarre shapes. Imagination immediately draws images of monsters with the head of a camel or horse, which guard their ancient secrets here. They really resemble huge giants that towering menacingly on a flat top, led by their leader, a stern shaman. He seemed to raise his hand, trying to stop the travelers who violated their eternal rest.

There is a beautiful Mansi legend about the pillars: once the Samoyed giants (Nenets) decided to destroy the Voguls. They drove the ancestors of the Mansi from these lands with a terrible step. But, having climbed a plateau, they retreated and froze in fear, seeing Yalping-Ner in front of them - a mountain sacred to all Voguls. Their leader dropped his tambourine, which immediately turned into the top of Coit (drum). Petrified and giants, frozen forever.

Another legend about the beautiful Aim that escaped from her pursuers - the giant brothers. Trying to protect the girl, her brother Pigrychum turned a brilliant shield so that sunlight hit the giants in the eyes and blinded them. Then one giant dropped his tambourine and petrified with his six brothers.

The Komi people have their own legends about stone heroes. They say that they lived for a long time and wanted to turn the land, putting it on the edge. But one of the main gods of the Komi Yen did not let them do this and turned the giants into stone. Stone idols are on guard of their possessions. Therefore, in these parts there is always a deep grave silence.

The silence is really such that it seems almost implausible. But once the wind changes direction, a rumble arises, as if the giants were talking to each other, unhappy that they were again disturbed.

There are many places on our planet whose origin is not fully explained by man. Around such objects, many legends and legends are born that explain what can hardly be explained rationally. Kigilyakhs, or Kisilyakhs, are some of these objects.

They are tall pillars formed of rocks, which are usually located on the tops of rocks during weathering. It is not surprising that the tall pillars, resembling the frozen figures of giants, became the heroes of many legends of Yakutia, where they are located.

HISTORY OF EDUCATION OF KIGILIAKH

The largest number of kigilyakh pillars is located in northern Yakutia, the most impressive stone figures are located on the Novosibirsk islands, and most tourists come here. It is interesting that from the Yakut “kisily” it literally translates as “a place where there are people”, since the word “kis” itself is “a person”. It is known that the Yakut Kisilyakhs appeared about 120 million years ago. Around this time, the Verkhoyansk and Chersky ridges formed as a result of the collision of the North American continental plate on the Eurasian. It was after the formation of folds on these ranges that the kigilyakhs began to form. True, they owe their origin to weathering, which in the conditions of frosty weather and location (tops of rocks) forms stone pillars. The material that kigilyakhs are made of is solid rocks, mainly granite.

There is another version of the origin of these rocks, it, as usual, is associated with otherworldly forces. Legend has it that once the earth was not covered with snow and permafrost, then people lived mainly in the mountains. But over time, the climate also changed, the dwelling in the rocks became unusable, as a strong cooling began. At the moment when life became completely impossible, people decided to move south, to go down from the mountains. But during the transition of the Kisilyakhsky range, many of them, unable to withstand the cold, froze. Over time, they turned into stone pillars, which, covered with more and more new layers of stone, reached their true size.

LOCATION

Kigilyakhs are quite common around the world, they are in Kazakhstan - the Koytas massif is known, there are mountain ranges in Transbaikalia. In different countries, stone pillars are called differently, somewhere - "stone monks", due to the fact that they resemble frozen praying clergy. In Russia, the most famous kigilyakhs are in Yakutia, where tourists interested in magic stones gather annually. The most famous stone locations are the Kisilyakhsky Range, the Bear and Lyakhovsky Islands. In general, the word "kigil" itself was used by geologists around the world relatively recently, this happened after the discovery of the Lyakhovsky Islands, when Cape Kigilyakh and the peninsula of the same name were discovered and named. Two islands that are part of the Lyakhovsky group - Four-Column and Stolbovoy - are located mainly in the Laptev Sea. Another well-known “habitat” of the Kigilyakhs is Mount Kisilyakh-Tas, it is located 100 kilometers from the shores of the East Siberian Sea, on the banks of the Alazey River flowing along the tundra. It is on this mountain that the kigilyahs form the so-called ridge, since a ridge of pillars stretches along the entire top of the mountain. It is also important to be able to distinguish kigilyakhs from Nunataks (from the Eskimo “Nun” and “so”, which literally means “lonely peak”). These various stone pillars are very similar, nunataki are rocks that stand alone, or rocky peaks that form on the surface of a glacier. It is precisely in this that their main difference from the Kigilyakhs is that nunataki are formed not only as a result of weathering, rocks that are destroyed by the glacier also influence their appearance. But if the ice around disappears and the nunatak remains standing on a bare rocky surface, you can hardly distinguish this stone pillar from a kigilyakh. Perhaps only geologists can pinpoint the cause of stone pillars.

KISILYAHSKY RIDGE

The Kisilyakh Range is one of the most picturesque habitats of the Kigilyakhs, it is located on the watershed of the Adychi and Yana rivers. In addition, in the Chersky mountain system, this ridge is one of the smallest. Its length is about 80 meters, and the highest peak reaches a mark of 1548 meters. The ridge consists of many different rocks, which allows it to be considered complexly formed, it includes: shales, sandstones of the Jurassic, mudstones and other minerals, scientists believe that all these granitoids are related to the Cretaceous age.

It is these sedimentary rocks that form the kigilyakhs, some of which can reach a height of 30 meters. They are located on the main ridge of the ridge and, in addition, stretch along the entire watershed. Interestingly, it is on the Kisilyakhsky ridge that the kigilyahs sometimes form impassable walls or labyrinths with small passages between the pillars. The lower the kigil, the lower it is, but at the same time, perfectly even pillars are located on the top, and below they take on interesting and bizarre shapes. Kigilyakhs are given the same strange names that say what the pillar looks like. In general, many tourists consider it their duty to somehow unusual to name the kigils they love. Therefore, if you read the travel notes of different travelers who have visited one place, you will not find the same names of stone pillars. Each will give them names at their discretion, focusing on what the stone reminded him of. The Kisilyakh ridge is covered with many cracks and crevices, and its northern side is completely covered with lichens and mosses. Many researchers note another feature of the kigilyakhs - the presence of legs. The well-known geologist G. Maidel in his research wrote that the leg at the stone pillars is the base of a person’s height, and it is slightly thinner than the kigil itself. At the same time, the exact age of the stones remains unknown: how many scientists, so many guesses.

EXPEDITIONS FOR THE STUDY OF KISYLAKH

Many scientists at different times made expeditions to the islands of Yakutia in order to find out the true origin of the kigilyakhs. So, in the years 1921-1923 F.P. Wrangel conducted an expedition, during which his group explored the Bear Islands, which are located in the East Siberian Sea. The group of these islands included the Chetyrehstolbovoy island, it was on it that Wrangel first discovered the kigilyakhs, in his notes on the campaign he sought to find out their reasons for their formation. “We can conclude that the three now separated stones made up once one large cliff: gradually breaking up and collapsing due to the force of frost or other physical problems, it lost its primitive appearance,” he wrote, first noting weathering as the main factor in the formation of new kigilyakhs.

And in 1935, geologist S. Obruchev arrived on the same island with a new expedition, who also explored the kigilyakhs. In his memoirs, he described not only the theory of the formation of stones, but also told the story of their discovery. According to him, the Bear Islands were discovered back in 1702 and were first visited in 1720. Another fact noted by him is interesting: the pillars were very quickly destroyed. Obruchev wrote that if in 1720 there were four pillars, then already in 1935 only three were found, and the fourth turned into a stone placer and lay at the foot of the others. At the same time, the geologist notes that only 200 years are enough for all the kigilyakhs on Chetyrehstolbovoy to be destroyed. But Obruchev’s research was not taken seriously, as he made too many inaccuracies in his notes. So, in the same 1935, another expedition visited the island - researcher Vorobyov, who discovered and described all four kigilyakhs. However, at the moment it is known that the pillars located on the Kisilyakhsky ridge are covered with vertical cracks and therefore quite unstable. But, despite the existing danger of collapse, local residents from ancient times consider the kigilyakhs to be the best vacation spot. Sitting with them, according to popular beliefs, you can gain spiritual strength and calm. And in 1986, at the foot of the Kisilyakhsky ridge, archaeologists discovered more than 68 sites of ancient people and burial. These findings suggest that the mountainous area of \u200b\u200bYakutia in ancient times was quite densely populated. And perhaps the locals are right in believing that the kigilyakhs carry the forces of ancient ancestors.

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