The mystery of the mysterious "witch circles" haunts scientists for a long time. For centuries, researchers have been trying to understand how natural structures can form geometric shapes of the correct shape. A group of Austrian scientists have proposed another version of the solution to this biological mystery.
"Witch's circles" are circles formed by plants. In the European part of the planet, including Russia, the circles are most often formed by mushrooms. In Africa, these are round bald patches on the grass or rings of grass with bare soil inside. The diameter of such circles reaches 15 meters. They are usually located at approximately the same distance from each other and form an even distribution on a larger scale.
Researchers have put forward various hypotheses for the emergence of these natural geometric shapes, but have not yet settled on any of them. A group of biologists led by Stefan Götzin investigated such structures in one of the regions of Australia. There the circles were evenly spaced in hexagons on a scale of less than 50 meters. In their research, scientists used remote sensing, as well as mathematical and spatial modeling.
"Witch's Circle" in Namibia.
Photo: Vernon Swanepoel / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
Research has shown a link between biomass and precipitation. According to scientists, these natural forms accurately repeat the movement of water in arid ecosystems. Precipitation falls into the glades and flows, stimulating plant growth. Australian scientists believe that this is what leads to the formation of structures. Moreover, this process does not depend on the type of plant and type of soil, they noted.
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In 2013, American scientists studied "witch circles" in Namibia, where this phenomenon is especially widespread. The research was led by biologist Walter Chinkel, who studied this natural phenomenon for several years. Studying the circles from a satellite, the biologist found out that they behave like living beings. That is, circles are born, develop, move, and then die. After death, "witch circles" are overgrown with grass.
Photo: Vernon Swanepoel / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
Chinkel found that the average life of the circles is 41 years. There are those who die at 24 years old, there are those who live up to 75 years old. The scientist came to the conclusion that the life of natural circles is comparable in duration to that of a human. At the same time, the biologist saw nothing mystical in this. He believes that the circles are formed due to the battle of plants for natural resources. Where nutrients are scarce, a witch circle is formed. It is gradually expanding, losing resources. The drier the area, the larger the circles that grow there.
Scientist Michael Kramer of the University of Cape Town supports a similar hypothesis. Kramer also believes that the circles are formed due to the competitive struggle of plants. However, unlike Tschinkel, Kramer believes that natural resources are stored in the center of the circle. Rival plants are unable to overcome each other, as a result of which the space remains free.
"Witch's circle" of mushrooms.
Photo: PK / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
German scientist Norbert Jürgens does not share the view of competition. He believes that the "witch circles" formed termites, which store moisture there. The insects gnawed at the roots of the grasses, which contributed to the appearance of bald spots. The researcher assures that he personally saw Psammotermes allocerus termites living inside the mysterious circles. However, Chinkel did not see termites there, although he dug quite deep.
Mystical hypotheses
Meanwhile, the inhabitants of areas rich in these natural phenomena give them a mystical color. Since ancient times, "witch circles" are shrouded in myths and legends. According to Western European beliefs, elves or forest spirits gather at night and arrange round dances, inviting mere mortals. Those who agreed were found dead in the morning inside the "witch's circle". Those who refused, too, had a hard time. The elves took revenge on them and sent them calamities and diseases.
Dance of the elves.
Photo: Patrick Gray / flickr.com / Public Domain
Most often, these natural circles are associated with a gathering of witches, which is why they got their name. It is believed that witches dance in circles here, and then from this place they fly out to their games on Walpurgis Night. According to other beliefs, devils whip butter in circles, so there is no need to graze cows there so as not to spoil the milk.
In Russia, people believed that with the help of mushroom circles, one could find out where the treasure was buried. To do this, it was necessary to find a gap-grass and rub his eyes with it. Rip-grass needed flowering for this, and it bloomed only on the night of Ivan Kupala. Since the grass faded very quickly, no one had time to read the three prayers necessary for this occasion. Therefore, no one has yet found treasures in the "witch circles".
