Today we want to talk about an amazing phenomenon - “falling” rocks and stones. This miracle of nature can be observed in different parts of the world, including Transcaucasia, which is close to us. In the gorge, near the volcano (now extinct) Aragats, near the monastery Arich, a rock rises, which, with gusts of wind, sways from side to side.
Another similar miracle is in Colchis - Kvakantsaliia rock. This is a huge block, shaped like a cube. She has a huge weight - about eleven tons. It is worth touching her finger, as this colossus starts to move - it sways from side to side with an amplitude of several centimeters, while a slight knock is heard.
The secret of this phenomenon is quite simple - the whole point is to find points of support, in relation to the center of gravity of the block. But numerous popular beliefs surround such mountains and rocks with a halo of mystery.
In fact, this is a rather rare natural phenomenon, therefore it is not surprising that the peoples living in the vicinity of these rocks make legends about them and tell various mysterious stories.
Davasco Stone in Tandil
Probably, it is he who is the “record holder” among the swinging stones in terms of popularity and the number of tourists coming to look at him. This 270-ton block became the main attraction of the Argentinean town. Thousands of tourists come to see it.
The stone of Davasco received its name in honor of the legendary hero. Researchers cannot put forward more plausible theories of the origin of the name.
The Davasco stone is a huge boulder that balances relative to its own fulcrum on the steep edge of the cliff.
Origin
Typically, boulders such as Davasco stone are the result of melting glaciers. Piedra Movediza, which means “moving stone” in Spanish, was first described by travelers from Europe in the 19th century. Since then, it has become a decoy for thousands of tourists who come to the town to see the amazing miracle of nature.
There is a version that the name of the town of Tandil comes from two Araucan words: tan (falling, moving) and ill (rock, stone).
Unexpected fall
On February 29, 1912, something incredible happened in the city of Tandil. For unknown reasons, the stone of Davasco fell, tearing itself from its "settled" place. At the same time, it split into several parts.
Possible reasons
Scientists in this case did not come to a common opinion. Some believe that the cause of the accident could be blasting in nearby mines. According to experts, even, at first glance, the innocent custom of the town residents could prove to the guests that the stone really sways (its movements were not visible to the naked eye) could provoke a fall. To prove this, they placed glass bottles under the stone, which burst when it swayed.
Some scientists have expressed a different, in our opinion, a more plausible opinion. It consists in the fact that in fact the stone never stood firmly in one place, but kept moving under the force of gravity, as if sliding down into the abyss. Such slow motion could last for thousands of years, until the stone reached a point where its balance was finally disturbed.
The Legend of Mini
As already mentioned, the stone of Davasco (Argentina) is covered with many legends. The most interesting we want to introduce you.
In ancient times, the leader of the Tandil tribe grossly violated an old custom. This caused a wave of anger of the townspeople and ended in an uprising of the people. He was led by the beautiful wife of the leader - Mini. The uprising was brutally crushed. The terrible leader ordered all the captured rebels to be taken to the mountain and tied to the largest stone. In addition, the unfortunate should be brutally tortured, and then left to die on a rock.
When Mini died, there was a deafening roar in the mountains through which the cruel leader heard the words of his wife executed by him: "This mountain will swing forever, reminding you of my beating heart." A beautiful legend, isn't it? But she is not the only one existing.
The legend of the moon and the sun
Stone Davasco knows another, no less interesting story. In the distant, distant times, which people no longer remember, a married couple lived in the sky - the Sun and the Moon. The sun was very powerful. It could not only warm everything around itself, but also incinerate all living things.
The embodiment of calm and wisdom was the moon. To provide themselves a place for walking, they created our Earth, planted herbs, beautiful flowers and trees. But very little time passed, and the couple became bored. Then they decided to create fun chirping birds, marine life, which can be watched for hours, a variety of animals.
Having dealt with all earthly affairs, the Sun and the Moon began to gather on the way back to heaven, but to look after the life they created on Earth, they left their beloved child - Man. And they promised that the sun would warm it during the day, and the moon would illuminate its path at night.
Man happily lived on Earth, in a world with all the creatures that inhabit it, revered his parents. Once he noticed that the Sun was eclipsed by something terrible. It turned out to be a flying cougar, daring to attack the luminary. She tormented him with sharp, scary claws. The man began to shoot Puma from the bow, but the arrows could not hit her. In the end, one of them fell into the predator, and she fell to the ground.
The Moon ascended and began to throw huge stones at Puma, until she disappeared under a whole mountain. The last boulder hit the tip of the arrow sticking out from under the stones, and remained there forever. Since then, whenever the Sun rises, the huge rock of Davasco begins to tremble. According to local residents, he trembles with fear of the buried in the mountain Puma.
The legend of davasco
If you believe another legend that the old-timers of Tandil love very much, then the very first people settled in these places thanks to the beloved son of the Sun - Davasco. He brought here the first settlers, taught them cattle breeding and agriculture.
After some time, the son of the Sun left the people, but promised to return. To be remembered, Davasco left a huge stone on top of the mountain. He mounted it on the very edge of a steep cliff, but the enchantment that he had cast on the boulder prevented him from falling into the abyss.
Relic Recovery
Ninety-five years after the stone fell (2007), the inhabitants of the city decided to restore the historical symbol. But they did not get out of the abyss and glue the original. In place of the "natural" boulder is its exact copy made of plastic. She is much lighter. Its weight is about nine tons, and it is firmly fixed on a rock. The “new” Davasco stone, the photo of which you can see in our article, is still attractive to tourists. Only he no longer sways from gusts of wind ... In the vicinity of the cliff, a national park is now laid out.
Excursions
A daily shuttle bus runs from Bueros Aires to Tandil in the daytime. You can look at the stone of Davasco for eight dollars.
Lumps swaying in the wind are at different ends of the Earth. The Davasco stone is not the only, but very bright example. A similar boulder is located on the island of Fayal (Azores archipelago). In India, the city of Hyderabad has a heap of huge blocks of gneiss and granite, some of which can be shaken by hand.