There are places with extraordinary and very powerful energy. One of these places is the Man-Pupu-Ner plateau in the Northern Urals. Such a phenomenon as the pillars of weathering on the Manpupuner plateau, otherwise you cannot call Manpupuner a miracle of nature and visit Manpupuner, those who have not been there should definitely!
Getting to this place is very difficult, and here you really need endurance, patience and the ability to overcome all the hardships and hardships of the expeditionary mode of the route. But truly, as a reward, the majestic pillars of the sacred place of the Mansi people that have reached Manpupuner appear ...
What he saw is impressive, and no photographs and videos can convey the living power of the giants ...
This is where you begin to believe in real power (and maybe even feel it) emanating from this place. It is no coincidence that this place is considered one of the places of Power.
This natural monument deservedly became a finalist and winner of the All-Russian competition "7 Wonders of Russia". Just imagine: on a relatively flat highland there are seven stone pillars, the height of which reaches 42 meters, which is equal in height to a 17-storey building!
Some of them are even tapered at the base and look like an inverted bottle. How could this come to light? Scientifically, these pillars are the result of the weathering activity of soft rocks. Once, 200-300 million years ago, full-fledged mountains stood here, but over time, rain and wind washed away the soft limestone rocks, leaving solid ones in the form of pillars. Thanks to this, we can admire the weathering pillars on the Manpupyner plateau.
However, this is just our, scientific, version of the origin of Manpupuner. The Voguls local population The Urals have other points of view. There are at least three legends explaining the origin of the Small Boobies (this is how Manpupuner sounds in the Mansi language).
According to one of the legends, for the Younger Brothers, i.e. The Voguls were chasing six giants of the Samoyed, while they were trying to go beyond the Stone Belt. The giants had almost caught up with the Vogul, when suddenly a shaman with a white face, Jalpingner, appeared in front of them. He raised his hand and managed to utter one spell, after which all the giants turned to stone. Unfortunately, Jalpingner himself was also petrified. Since then, they have stood against each other.
Another legend says that seven giant shamans followed Riphea to destroy the Voguls and Mansi. When they climbed the Coype, they saw sacred mountain Voguls Yalpingner (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 chief shaman, managed to raise his hand to cover his eyes from Yalpingner. But this did not save him, he also turned to stone.
Finally, we left the most romantic legend about the origin of Manpupuner. As the myth says, there lived one tribe of Ugras (Voguls, Mansi and other tribes related to them were called by the common name of Ugra). It was so rich and happy that it was legendary 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 no one more beautiful than her in the world. Torev (bear), who lived on the other side, found out about her beauty Ural mountains... And then, one day, Torev came to Kuuschay and demanded Ayum as his wife from him, to which Ayum herself refused. Torev was very angry, called his giant brothers and decided to destroy the Ugras and take Ayum as his wife by force. Approaching stone city where Ayum was, the giant brothers began to besiege him. A great battle ensued and the 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 Pygrychum, who was on a hunt at that time. But Pygrychum was far away. The giants burst into the city, destroyed the crystal palace, the fragments of which scattered over the Riphean mountains (since then, rock crystal has been found here). The tribe of Ugra-Voguls was forced to flee. And so, when the giants had almost caught up with Ayum and her fellow tribesmen, Pygrychum suddenly appeared with a golden shield and a shining sword, which were given to him by the spirits of Yalpingner. Pigrychum sent a beam of light reflected from his shield into Torev's eyes and he turned to stone. Likewise, his brothers were petrified. This is how Manpupuner came into being.
People never settled here, only a few hunters wandered in search of prey, reindeer herders drove their herds, and even Mansi shamans came to these sacred places to recharge their magic power.
It is believed that Numi-Torum - the main Mansi god who created people and gave them the earth - threw his belt here to make the earth stable. This belt holds her and prevents her from drowning in the ocean. This is the sacred mission of the Ural Mountains - the belt stone.
Those who see the Northern Urals for the first time are amazed by its wild, primeval 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 slows down here. No traces of civilization, just mountains and sky.
On the western slope of the Belt Stone, Ydzhit Iz (Bolshoy Kamen), as the ancient Komi called the Urals, Pechora originates from a tiny stream very close to sacred place Vogulov - Mount Manpupuner. "Small mountain of idols" - this is how this complex name is translated from the Mansi language. Komi call them Dummies, and tourists often call them Pupas.
This plateau rises on the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky nature 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 included in the list of the seven wonders of Russia in 2008. Since that time, tourists have been drawn here. Those who come to the plateau on foot treat amateurs with some degree of contempt. air transport... They believe that only the one who got to the Dummies, overcoming difficulties, is worthy to contemplate 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 a dirt road we go to Ust-Ilych - the place where the Ilych river flows into the Pechora. A 200 km waterway begins here. The road takes two days with overnight stays at Izpyred and Ust-Lyaga cordons.
The most difficult part of the path is the forest trail. It starts right behind Ust-Lyaga. The path to the plateau is not easy, it requires physical endurance. The pillars are 36 km away. There are several equipped parking lots where you can rest and refresh. There are many swamps along the way, so rubber boots are the best footwear for the trek.
Manpupuner opens up unexpectedly to the eyes of travelers. The forest somehow suddenly thinns: crooked birches, cedars and stones on the multi-colored slope no longer obstruct the view, the wind rises, scattering hordes of mosquitoes, and these giants suddenly grow on the side of the mountain. Huge pillars stand guard over their possessions, blocking the path of unwanted guests.
Nature itself has worked to create giants. The remnants are pillars of weathering, which were formed due to the prolonged work of the wind and a sharp drop in temperature: the weaker rock was destroyed, and the stronger one, over which the elements were not in control, has survived to this day. The height of these pillars is from 32 to 40 m, they are almost like 15-storey buildings, and people next to them seem to be tiny creatures.
Stretched out in a line, these six giants are standing nearby, and the seventh - a little further away. Mysterious figures amaze with bizarre shapes. Imagination immediately draws images of monsters with the head of a camel or a horse, which guard their ancient secrets here. They really resemble huge giants who ominously rise on a flat top, led by their leader - a stern shaman. He seemed to raise his hand, trying to stop the travelers, who disturbed their eternal peace.
There is a beautiful Mansi legend about the pillars: once the giants-Samoyeds (Nenets) conceived to destroy the Voguls. They drove the ancestors of the Mansi from these lands with a formidable gait. But, having risen to the plateau, they retreated and froze in fear, seeing in front of them Yalping-Ner - a mountain sacred to all Voguls. Their leader dropped his tambourine, which immediately turned into the top of the Koit (drum). The giants also petrified, frozen forever.
Another legend about the beautiful Aim, who fled from her pursuers - the giant brothers. Trying to protect the girl, her brother Pygrychum turned the shiny shield so that sunlight hit the giants in the eyes and blinded them. Then one giant dropped his tambourine and turned to stone together with six of his 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 earth over, putting it on its 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 stand guard over their domains. Therefore, in these parts there is always a deep, burial silence.
The silence and truth here is such that it seems almost implausible. But as soon as the wind changes direction, a roar arises, as if the giants are talking among themselves, dissatisfied with the fact that they were again disturbed.
There are many places on our planet, the origin of which cannot be fully explained by man.
Around such objects, many legends and tales are born, explaining what is difficult to rationalize.
Kigilyakhs, or kisilyakhs, are one of such objects. They are tall pillars formed from rocks, which are usually located on the tops of rocks during weathering.
It is not surprising that tall pillars, reminiscent of the frozen figures of giants, have become heroes of many legends in Yakutia, where they are located.
The history of the formation of the Kigilyakhs
The largest number of pillars-kigilyakhs is located in northern Yakutia, the most impressive stone figures are located on the Novosibirsk Islands, this is where most of the tourists come.
It is interesting that from the Yakut “kisilyakh” 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 arose about 120 million years ago. Around this time, the Verkhoyansk and Chersky ridges were formed as a result of the collision of the North American continental plate with the Eurasian one.
It was after the formation of folds that the kigilyakhs began to form on these ridges.
True, they owe their origin to weathering, which, in frosty weather and location (tops of rocks), forms stone pillars.
The material of which the kigilyakhs are composed are hard 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 yet covered with snow and permafrost, people then lived mainly in mountainous areas.
But over time, the climate also changed, the dwelling in the rocks became unusable, as a strong cold snap began.
At the moment when life became completely impossible, people decided to move to the south, descend from the mountains. But during the crossing of the Kisilyakhsky ridge, many of them, unable to withstand the cold, froze.
Over time, they turned into stone pillars, which, being covered with more and more layers of stone, reached their present size.
Location
Kigilyakhs are quite common all over the world, they are in Kazakhstan - the Koitas massif is known, there are mountain ranges in Transbaikalia.
V different countries stone pillars are called differently, somewhere - "stone monks", due to the fact that they resemble frozen praying priests.
In Russia, the most famous kigilyakhs are located in Yakutia, where tourists interested in magic stones come annually.
The most famous places where the stones are found are the Kisilyakhsky ridge, Medvezhy and Lyakhovsky islands.
In general, the very word "kigilyakh" began to be used by geologists all over the world relatively recently, this happened after the discovery of the Lyakhov Islands, when the Cape Kigilyakh and the peninsula of the same name were discovered and named.
Two islands belonging to the Lyakhovsky group - Chetyrekhstolbovoy and Stolbovoy - are located mainly in the Laptev Sea.
One more famous place"Habitat" of the Kigilyakhs is Mount Kisilyakh-Tas, it is located 100 kilometers from the coast East Siberian Sea, on the banks of the Alazeya River flowing through the tundra.
It is on this mountain that the kigilyakhs form the so-called ridge, since the ridge of pillars stretches along the entire top of the mountain.
It is also important to be able to distinguish kigilyahs from nunataks (from the Eskimo “nuna” and “so”, which literally means “lonely peak”). These various stone pillars are very similar, nunataks are rocks that stand alone, or rocky peaks that form on the surface of a glacier.
This is their main difference from the kigilyakhs - nunataks are formed not only as a result of weathering, their appearance is also influenced by rocks destroyed by the glacier.
But if the ice disappears around and the nunatak remains on the bare rocky surface, you can hardly distinguish this stone pillar from the kigilakh. Perhaps only geological scientists can accurately determine the cause of the formation of stone pillars.
Kisilyakhsky ridge
The Kisilyakhsky ridge is one of the most scenic spots habitat of the Kigilyakhs, it is located on the watershed of the Adycha and Yana rivers. Besides, in mountain system Chersky, this ridge is one of the smallest. Its length is about 80 meters, and the most high peak reaches 1548 meters.
The ridge consists of many different rocks, which allows us to consider it complex, it includes: clay shales, Jurassic sandstones, mudstones and other minerals, scientists believe that all these granitoids belong to the Cretaceous period in age.
It is these sedimentary rocks that form the kigilyakhs, some of which can reach 30 meters in height. They are located on the main ridge of the ridge and, in addition, stretch along the entire watershed.
It is interesting that it is on the Kisilyakhsky ridge that the kigilyakhs sometimes form impassable walls or labyrinths with small passages between the pillars.
The lower the kigilah is, the lower it is, but at the same time ideally even pillars are located on the top, and below they acquire interesting and bizarre shapes.
Kigilyaham are assigned the same strange names that tell you what the pillar looks like. In general, many tourists consider it their duty to name their favorite kigilyah in some unusual way.
Therefore, if you read the travel notes of different travelers who have visited the same place, you will not find the same names for stone pillars. Each will give them names at their discretion, focusing on what the stone reminded him of.
The Kisilyakhsky 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 kigilyakh - the presence of a leg.
The famous geologist G. Maydel wrote in his research that the foot of the stone pillars is a base as tall as a person, while it is slightly thinner than the kigilah itself. At the same time, the exact age of the stones remains unknown: how many scientists, so many guesses.
Expeditions to study the Kisilyakhs
Many scientists in different time made expeditions to the islands of Yakutia in order to find out the true origin of the kigilyakhs. So, in 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 island of Chetyrekhstolbovoy, it was on this island that Wrangel first discovered the kigilyakhs, in his notes on the campaign he tried to find out their reasons for their formation.
“It can be concluded that three now separated stones once made up one large cliff: gradually cleaving and crumbling from the force of frost or other physical problems, it lost its primitive appearance,” he wrote, first noting the weathering as main factor the formation of new kigilyakhs.
And in 1935 on the same island from new expedition the geologist S. Obruchev arrived, who also explored the kigilyakhi. 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 collapsed very quickly.
Obruchev wrote that if in 1720 there were four pillars, then in 1935 only three were found, and the fourth turned into a stone placer and lay at the foot of the rest.
At the same time, the geologist notes that only 200 years are enough for all the kigilyakhs on Chetyrekhpolbovoy 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 - the explorer Vorobyov, who discovered and described all four kigilyakhs.
However on this moment It is known that the pillars located on the Kisilyakh ridge are covered with vertical cracks and therefore are rather unstable.
But, despite the existing danger of collapse, locals kigilyakhs have been considered since ancient times the best place recreation. Sitting with them, according to legends, you can gain mental strength and tranquility.
And in 1986, at the foot of the Kisilyakhsky ridge, archaeologists discovered more than 68 sites of ancient people and a burial. These findings indicate that the mountainous area of Yakutia in ancient times was densely populated.
And perhaps the locals are right, believing that the kigilyakhs carry the forces of ancient ancestors.
Dec 3, 2014 Lydia
All that day we made our way through the forest to the north under a gray sky, from which fine snow grains began to fall in the evening. By this time, all the large villages were behind us, but here and there - as the news spread - from village to village to the most remote, almost inaccessible outposts - columns of smoke still rose up, containing questions and answers.
But these messages achieved the opposite of the desired result, for thick puffs of smoke discovered the whereabouts of our enemies, and Hayonwata read the signals and told us about the almost complete destruction of the City of the Serpent and the general confidence that we had gone down in connection with the disappearance of a large number of fishing boats. along the river to the south.
This delusion turned out to be salutary for us, since the fortresses located on the northern border of Tlapallan did not carry the night watch vigilantly enough. We passed them so close that we saw the extinguishing coals of a signal fire, near which there was not a soul, and slipped into the wild lands of the Chichamecs - we, fifty and five warriors, walking in a column one by one and making no more noise than would produce the same number of foxes. And - let there be a little of us! - with us was Merlin, who alone was worth a whole army!
By the morning - after a twenty-four-hour walk without food or sleep, with only short stops - we, feeling relatively safe, began to think about a halt and a thorough rest. But Hayonwata, tireless as always, led us forward and, seeing that our aged seer did not protest, we continued to walk with a slight feeling of shame, although all our muscles, weakened during the time of imprisonment, ached and ached.
At dawn, our detachment went to the shore of a small lake, in the middle of which was an island overgrown with forest. Here, under the leadership of our leader, we built rafts and loaded all our weapons and equipment onto them.
We transported these things to the island, and Hayonwata and ten of his warriors returned to the forest and spent a long time there, destroying our tracks and leaving false ones. Then they returned to the shore of the lake and, having previously destroyed their last tracks, entered the icy water - and soon joined us, half-dead from the cold.
But until the onset of darkness, we did not dare to make a fire. And then we were only warmed by a tiny tongue of flame in a shelter made of boulders, from where not a ray of light came through. Moreover, for this fire, certain types of wood were carefully selected that do not give smoke, the smell of which could carry to the opposite shore. So, without supper, we went to bed, and the next morning we found that all the traces that remained after us were now reliably visible: for a thick snow cover lay on our huts, and the snow fell until the evening.
Frosts followed the snowfall. The whole lake was frozen with the exception of a hole twenty feet long on one side of the lake, where a spring was gurgling in the black water. The fish was excellently caught here. And in the forest there were hares and fat birds with lush plumage, which, with the onset of darkness, could be collected with bare hands.
Nevertheless, there was not enough food for everyone, and if not for a happy meeting at our very shelter with a handsome deer, accompanied by all his retinue (he reached the island on the ice, fleeing wolves), we would have to look for food in another place - possibly risking your life.
Twice we saw Tlapallan scouts in horned helmets, and once we saw a group of warriors heading south with fresh scalps and captive Chichamecs.
Our food supplies had not yet run out, and Merlin and Hayonwata decided to continue their journey - and we moved further into the depths of Chichameca, overcoming snowy expanses on flat oval boats that tie to each leg and prevent getting stuck in the snow. These boats, woven from willow branches, are almost weightless, but learning to walk on them cost us a lot of work, stretched muscles and many curses.
In winter, due to the difficulty of the transitions, the tribes rarely wage big wars. Therefore, we considered this time the most favorable for attempts to establish peaceful relations.
One fine day we met a small detachment of Tlapalliks, and when he settled down for a halt, they shot all the soldiers from behind the trees. We did not suffer any losses and freed several captured women, who immediately pounced on the dead bodies of enemies with curses and would certainly disfigure them if we had not intervened. True, Merlin ordered us to cut off the heads of those killed and take them with us.
This meeting was a happy one for us, for the women freed were from the Hills Folk, the native tribe of the Hayonwata, and some of them remembered his mother, Tiohero. Therefore, they willingly took us to their relatives, saving us two days' journey. Having befriended these people, we became part of the tribe for a time and hibernated in reliable log buildings in a village surrounded by a solid picket fence - albeit not as reliable as the Tlapallan fences.
Every day we trained our friends in archery, and these tall inhabitants of the forests became skilled archers, which favorably affected their hunting activities and increased the likelihood of survival in a fierce struggle with Nature and the numerous enemies that constantly vexed the tribe.
As spring approached, Merlin became more withdrawn and prone to solitude.
The elder smoked and preserved the heads of the slain Tlapalliks and now studied the stars at night, and in the daylight he was doing something in the house allotted to him for personal use, from where from time to time he could hear various nasty smells, poured suffocating smoke and flew out sheaves of multicolored sparks.
Merlin often talked with Hayonwata and the leader of the tribe: he got acquainted with local legends, superstitions and fears - and hatched some plans.
We were attached with all our hearts to the People of the Hills and felt at first its deep reverence, and later - friendliness and gaiety, although we had not yet had time to get to know the natural ferocity that manifests itself in battle.
One early spring we decided it was time to do it. The men began to paint bodies for the war. Adolescents and youths followed the example of adults, and the leaders of different clans sent news from other villages to the main village of the Onondag that the people were ready for war.
But Merlin thwarted these plans, and shortly after a long secret meeting, to which the elder was admitted, a detachment of soldiers - well armed, but without war paint - left the village and headed for the nearest village of primordial enemies.
I was among the Onondagi along with ten armed Romans.
After a few days' journey, with great precautions, we approached the largest village of the Flint Holders. Stopping far enough from her so as not to detect our presence, we tore off the bark from a large birch and made a horn out of it, which was longer than a person's height. Then at dusk we crept to the very edge of the cleared space, in the middle of which the village lay, fixed the horn on a tripod and waited for complete darkness to come.
When thick darkness descended into the clearing, two of the most agile youths among us grabbed the four smoky heads of the Tlapalliks by their long hair and rushed swiftly towards the village. There they threw these heads over the palisade, each of which was grinning in the most terrible way with wrinkled shrunken lips, and silently returned back.
Immediately after that, an alarming murmur was heard from the village, which grew into a loud rumble when our trumpet roared in the night.
Flying Heads gather in forests and mountains in order to exterminate the once powerful Ongai people. Taron and the Dream-Sendler asked me to rise from sleep and disperse the enemies like a raven from your cornfields. But I can't cope with so many!
Ganeagaono! Keep listening. I rebelled among their talkative council. And, breaking their teeth on my stone limbs, the enemies fled away. They come together to devour you, tribe after tribe, one by one - for the mighty people of the Ongai, capable of repelling their attack, no longer exist.
Flint Owners! Hearken! Take a look at these Flying Heads: I have struck down the enemies who have come here to hunt down your weakness and eavesdrop on your rooftops as you plot to kill your own brothers! As the sun rises, send your messengers with the belts of peace to the Hills Folk. Set up a day of peace council. I will warn other tribes too. You will meet all of them at the Onondag!
The deafening roar ceased. Merlin gave me a long pipe and brought a smoldering ember to its upper end, from where a powerful fountain of sparks instantly erupted. I stepped out from behind the trees with wide strides - a groan of horror, like the groan of the wind among the bare branches, swept over the crowd gathered at the picket fence - and a ball of fire shot high into the air from the chimney, throwing blood-red reflections at me.
The strong men whined mournfully in awe. Dressed in full battle armor and well over six feet tall, I must have looked much taller than an ordinary mortal in this false light.
For a few moments I stood in a rain of sparks of fire, and then gave a full Roman salute, turned when the chimney spat out a stream of green flame - and in this ghostly light I slowly retreated back into the forest.
We immediately extinguished the fiery pipe.
Merlin hugged me in a fit of joy.
- Perfectly! Perfectly! He muttered. - Do you hear these screams of horror? Oh, if only with other tribes everything turned out just as well!
Hayonwata was already giving out short orders and, led by him, we returned back to our forest village.
Other expeditions returned one after another. They all proved to be successful. The other four tribes were also in panic, and as the sun rose, messengers from the Flint Holders we had warned appeared in the Onondag village. A little later, messengers from the People of the Great Hills arrived, and even later, couriers from the Granite People and the Dirty Lands People. The Onondagi, well prepared in advance, met these breathless messengers of the world with a magnificently played out horror from the night visit, which supposedly took place at their place. Messengers hurried back with the announcement of the day of the secret council - and less than a week later all the tribes met at the lake, which everyone wanted to own, and the surroundings of which had been a theater of military operations since the split of the Ongai people.
And there they met, a great crowd of people - and countless columns of smoke rose on the slopes of the nearby hills; met, experiencing mutual fear of an imaginary enemy, although the only real and dangerous enemy was not enough for them to unite into one people.
We Romans, in full military gear, stepped out of hiding, led by Merlin in ceremonial robes and a stately headdress found in the sea, whose long green feathers hung low along the old man's back.
At the sight of this sight, a disturbing murmur ran through the crowd in front of us. However, despite the fright caused by the clash of our weapons (for at first glance we could really be mistaken for the true sons of the rocky mountains), the Redskins quickly mastered themselves and regained their usual grandeur and dignity - after all, these people are proud of their skill maintain composure even in cases where they are experiencing severe physical suffering.
And so, the faces of the red-skinned people became completely impassive, and nothing in their expression spoke of fear or even amazement experienced at our unexpected appearance. But the hands, nervously clenched on the handles of axes and knives, and gloomy looks clearly indicated that the attention of this crowd is fraught with danger and beautiful valley Tendara could become a battlefield once again.
We headed towards the Onondag tribe and stopped fifty paces from it. Merlin stepped forward, and Hayonwata came out to meet him with a long, feathered pipe, fired and steaming.
They began to perform a solemn ritual, during which we felt how many penetrating eyes fixed on us were gradually recognizing in us beings much more earthly than it seemed at first glance.
We were all seized by anxiety. Finally, Merlin spoke loudly:
- People of the Ongayev! Order your women to put out the campfires!
The Redskins looked blankly at the elder, and he repeated:
- Now. Until the last coal.
Several teenagers got out of the crowd and hurried to the shore of the lake. Numerous plumes of smoke scattered and disappeared.
“Just as you put out many scattered fires on earth, each of which was set up by a separate family from the once powerful people of the Ongai, so I, the great Tarenyawagon, will extinguish the Great Fire. Look!
He raised his hands to the sky, and a groan of sorrow swept over the crowd. A black shadow crawled over the edge of the sun!
Before the fear of the Redskins turned into a desire to kill us to save the sun, Merlin raised his voice:
- Ongay people! I see a lot of people in front of me. They all look at each other with hatred and suspicion. However, they are all brothers. They have the same skin color and the same division into clans and communities. They speak the same language, love the same food, and play the same games. These people are brothers!
My sons! Can brothers kill each other when the roof of a house is on fire over their heads, set on fire by an enemy torch? Can brothers be at enmity when their father, mother and young children are captured or are already suffering under the whip of ruthless enslavers?
Behind the door of each dwelling, an enemy lies in wait for you, more insidious than a tree cat, more furious than a bear, and more dangerous than a pack of hungry wolves. Alone, a person is helpless: a separate tribe can repel an attack and run away. But if all the brothers unite, they can drive the enemy away from their doors!
By this time, a black shadow had obscured almost all of the sun, except for a thin arc. However, no one murmured or tried to escape.
- The people of Granite! Peoples of the Great Hills and Dirty Lands! Take a look around! Owners of the Flint, listen! Your enemies are not the Flying Heads or the tribes gathered here. A brother stands next to each of you, ready to fight for you and cover you in battle. He will help you and stand up for you if you respond in kind. Throw away the old black thoughts, and let them dissolve in the darkness that has enveloped us now!
The sun has already disappeared completely.
- Let one darkness consume another. Shake hands with your neighbor and publicly call him brother.
The most disturbing moment has come. Merlin had a few seconds left to complete an elaborate plan, which was now on the verge of collapse, for the Redskins continued to stand motionless, wary of looking at each other. Everything had to end before the sun appeared - otherwise people would understand that the extinction of the luminary is just a natural celestial phenomenon.
Finally, the aged, feeble leader of the Nudavaons stumbled over to the equally ancient leader of the Onondags and took his hand.
The crowd roared, and waves of fraternization began to spread rapidly through it. Hayonwata's signal shell drowned out the noise of many voices, and Merlin spoke again.
- My children! Don't forget your feelings today. Old sorrows and grievances that have not been healed by time will return to you, and new disagreements will arise among you. Neglect them or allow with the help of councilors. You have one powerful enemy. Tlapallan!
A deafening, furious cry interrupted the elder. Pale and worried, he waited for the restoration of order, counting the seconds remaining at his disposal.
- Keep listening, my children! Honor the old people, do not leave them in the forests to be devoured by wild animals anymore. Take care of them like your children. Are you not better than the Maya, who see in the old man only a body destined for a painful death for the glory of a bloody deity?
Be kind to each other and merciless to your only enemy. Thus you will find peace and be magnified. Thus, you form a union in which you will know power and strength - and having united, plant a tree with four roots, whose branches extend to the north, south, east and west. And you will rest in peace and friendship under the shade of this tree, unless your enemies manage to cut it down!
In the shade of its branches, in this valley, you must build a sacred Long House, in which everyone can live. And the mighty tree of Union will rise above the House - a symbol of your unity and your eternal Guardian!
I am lighting a new fire for your hearth.
The elder knocked a red-hot ember out of the ceremonial pipe to the ground. There was a hiss, and a scarlet snake of fire ran across the grass, a cloud of white smoke rose, something crashed like a thunderous rumble, and a few feet from the center of the open space where the seer and the trumpeter stood, tongues of red flame shot up.
And at that very moment, the bright edge of the sun peeped out of the darkness!
- Light the torches and return to your wake-waums - and henceforth honor this place as the Council Bonfire Site. And from now on you will not be called Ongai, but Hodenosauni, the People of the Long House.
I said everything.
Merlin returned to our squadron. In a well-coordinated formation, we went to the shelter, previously built for us by the friendly Onondagas, and managed to notice how people with torches, strips of cloth and reeds surrounded the sacred fire in a tight wall, protecting it from the wind.
However, do not think that after the elder's speech, all the unkind feelings accumulated over the years disappeared in one day.
But this speech marked the beginning of a long council, which sounded both mutual accusations and bitter reproaches - but always, preventing these clashes from escalating into serious conflicts, Merlin intervened in the conversation, and the dispute faded away before its participants had time to understand how everyone difficulties became so easily solvable.
The council lasted four days. Formally, Merlin was ranked among the Flint Folk and held a high position on the tribal councils. Hayonwata was also awarded the title of Royanek (councilor) and, if I had wished, I would also have been honored with a high rank.
But I did not need barbaric servility, and, of course, Merlin accepted signs of flattery against his will - for fear that otherwise his hymen of the spring campaign would be upset. For the old man passionately dreamed of going to the southwest in search of the Land of the Dead.
Finally, the council ended with a result that everyone was happy with. The five nations — weak singly against the superior power of Tlapallan — have now united into a great forest power.
The mighty young giant stretched his muscles and thirsted for war, wanting to test his strength, but his brain (fifty chosen by the people of the Royaneks) ordered him to wait for an opportune moment and in the meantime to gain strength.
So, during the spring, the People of the Long House learned how to use the bow and became skilled archers, dangerous to the enemy. And at the end of that season, we decided to launch a raid on Miners' Road and, on occasion, strike at the border fortresses of Tlapallana.
People never settled here, only a few hunters wandered in search of prey, reindeer herders drove their herds, and even Mansi shamans came to these sacred places to recharge their magic power.
It is believed that Numi-Torum - the main Mansi god who created people and gave them the earth - threw his belt here to make the earth stable. This belt holds her and prevents her from drowning in the ocean. This is the sacred mission of the Ural Mountains - the belt stone.
Those who see the Northern Urals for the first time are amazed by its wild, primeval 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 slows down here. No traces of civilization, just mountains and sky.
On the western slope of the Belt Stone, Ydzhit Iz (Bolshoi Kamen), as the ancient Komi called the Urals, Pechora originates from a tiny stream very close to the sacred place of the Voguls - Mount Manpupuner. "Small mountain of idols" - this is how this complex name is translated from the Mansi language. Komi call them Dummies, and tourists often call them Pupas.
This plateau rises on the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky nature 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 included in the list of the seven wonders of Russia in 2008. Since that time, tourists have been drawn here. Those who come to the plateau on foot treat air transport enthusiasts with some degree of contempt. They believe that only the one who got to the Dummies, overcoming difficulties, is worthy to contemplate 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 a dirt road we go to Ust-Ilych - the place where the Ilych river flows into the Pechora. A 200 km waterway begins here. The road takes two days with overnight stays at Izpyred and Ust-Lyaga cordons.
The most difficult part of the path is the forest trail. It starts right behind Ust-Lyaga. The path to the plateau is not easy, it requires physical endurance. The pillars are 36 km away. There are several equipped parking lots where you can rest and refresh. There are many swamps along the way, so rubber boots are the best footwear for the trek.
Manpupuner opens up unexpectedly to the eyes of travelers. The forest somehow suddenly thinns: crooked birches, cedars and stones on the multi-colored slope no longer obstruct the view, the wind rises, scattering hordes of mosquitoes, and these giants suddenly grow on the side of the mountain. Huge pillars stand guard over their possessions, blocking the path of unwanted guests.
Nature itself has worked to create giants. The remnants are pillars of weathering, which were formed due to the prolonged work of the wind and a sharp drop in temperature: the weaker rock was destroyed, and the stronger one, over which the elements were not in control, has survived to this day. The height of these pillars is from 32 to 40 m, they are almost like 15-storey buildings, and people next to them seem to be tiny creatures.
Stretched out in a line, these six giants are standing nearby, and the seventh - a little further away. Mysterious figures amaze with bizarre shapes. Imagination immediately draws images of monsters with the head of a camel or a horse, which guard their ancient secrets here. They really resemble huge giants who ominously rise on a flat top, led by their leader - a stern shaman. He seemed to raise his hand, trying to stop the travelers, who disturbed their eternal peace.
There is a beautiful Mansi legend about the pillars: once the giants-Samoyeds (Nenets) conceived to destroy the Voguls. They drove the ancestors of the Mansi from these lands with a formidable gait. But, having risen to the plateau, they retreated and froze in fear, seeing in front of them Yalping-Ner - a mountain sacred to all Voguls. Their leader dropped his tambourine, which immediately turned into the top of the Koit (drum). The giants also petrified, frozen forever.
Another legend about the beautiful Aim, who fled from her pursuers - the giant brothers. Trying to protect the girl, her brother Pygrychum turned the shiny shield so that sunlight hit the giants in the eyes and blinded them. Then one giant dropped his tambourine and turned to stone together with six of his 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 earth over, putting it on its 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 stand guard over their domains. Therefore, in these parts there is always a deep, burial silence.
The silence and truth here is such that it seems almost implausible. But as soon as the wind changes direction, a roar arises, as if the giants are talking among themselves, dissatisfied with the fact that they were again disturbed.
