“Glorious sea - sacred Baikal!..” - these words from a famous folk song perfectly characterize the attitude of the indigenous and newcomer peoples of Siberia to the planet's largest freshwater lake
Many legends are associated with Baikal, accumulated by indigenous peoples over the millennia of their proximity to the unique lake. In particular, there is a legend that Baikal is connected by a kind of sacred tunnel with the Sea of Okhotsk, which is almost one and a half thousand kilometers from Lake Baikal. The peoples living along the shores of the lake believe that the souls of their dead relatives live in its waters. And if you swim far from the coast, then sometimes their disembodied faces can be observed soaring above the water surface. Closely connected with this legend is the belief that in no case should the nests of Baikal gulls be disturbed, for it is believed that these strong birds can peck out the eyes of a deceased soul, whose living relatives have harmed them.
Another legend has to do with the famous Crow Stone - a huge granite block hanging from a rocky cliff above the clear waters of the lake. It is believed that when the end of time comes, the Raven Stone will fall into the lake, and its waters will begin to flood the earth with unstoppable streams.
After a strong earthquake in 1926, the elders feared that the granite block would slide into Baikal, and then the end of the world would inevitably come. Fortunately, the Raven Stone held out that time. However, tourists and researchers studying the nature of Baikal, already at the end of the 80s of the last century, noticed cracks and faults at the base of the Crow Stone, which indicated the beginning of the destruction of its foot. It is quite possible that if another earthquake occurs in those parts, the granite monolith will still fall into the lake. But it is not known whether the end of the world will come after that.
The Fire Dragon
One of the most ancient legends associated with Lake Baikal is the legend of the fiery dragon. According to him, a fire-breathing deity in the guise of a fairy dragon lives deep in the waters of the lake. This deity governs all creatures living in Lake Baikal, and the well-being and even the life of the peoples living on the shores of the lake depends on his location. An ancient legend says that as soon as the first stars lit up in the firmament, and then the great Sun rose above the earth for the first time, a golden chariot descended from the sky, from which a fiery dragon emerged. The first blow of its mighty tail parted the rocky mountains and formed a deep crevice. The second blow melted the ice on the peaks, and life-giving waters poured into the rocky basin, forming a great lake. From the third blow, the surroundings were covered with rich vegetation and inhabited by living creatures. After that, the all-powerful dragon went to the lake, which became his new earthly home. Further in this legend, it is said that the fire dragon once in a hundred and twenty years went out on land, and then people who called themselves "the sons of the fire dragon" organized festivities in his honor and made abundant sacrifices to their deity.
However, gradually the peoples began to forget about their benefactor, and one day, once again emerging from the waters of Lake Baikal, the fiery dragon saw that people had no trace of his veneration. And then the deity became angry. The earth's firmament shook from the dragon's anger, then the waters of the sacred lake flooded it, destroying all living things around to the Great Ocean itself. And the ungrateful "sons of the fiery dragon" disappeared from the face of the earth. They were replaced by other tribes who no longer had the former greatness and past sacred knowledge …
Echoes of this legend found their reflection in the ritual ceremonies of the Buryats, Mongols, and Aginians up to the first quarter of the 20th century. It is known that the Mongol armies, moving from south to northwest in the XII-XIV centuries, made bloody sacrifices to the Baikal deity, carving out the surrounding villages and dumping the corpses of their inhabitants into the waters of the lake. Thus, the Mongol commanders tried to attract military luck to their side. Until the time of the final development of the Trans-Urals by Russia in the 17th century, the Evenk, Nenets and Yakut princes sent ambassadors with rich gifts to the shores of Lake Baikal, who, having built a boat and placing sacrificial animals, furs and gems on it, sent it sailing on the lake.
Already in the XX century, some scientists have put forward the hypothesis that the legend of the fiery dragon has a real basis. In particular, there is a lot of evidence of fishermen and enthusiastic researchers who allegedly met with an unusual large creature living in Lake Baikal. Echolocation surveys of the lake bottom carried out in the late 1980s recorded a large moving object, the length of which was more than thirty meters. However, to date, it has not been possible to document the existence of the legendary fire dragon.
Khan Budak
More than five centuries ago, along with traditional pagan beliefs, Buddhism began to spread in the Baikal area. In many respects, this was facilitated by the nomadic tribes of the Manchus, Mongols and other peoples of Central Asia. It was at this time that Baikal became one of the ancient centers of the Buddhist religion.
Datsan temples were erected on its numerous islands, the special energy of the sacred lake attracted monks and hermits who were looking for enlightenment among the harsh and at the same time unique nature of Lake Baikal. A number of later legends and traditions are associated with some of them. So, at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, the Buddhist hermit Khan Budak, who lived on Lake Baikal on Olkhon Island, became very famous.
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Accidentally discovered by Old Believer fishermen, this man for a long fifteen years became the object of worship of people of different religions. Khan Budak lived in a cave, and no one has ever seen him. Only his unusually high guttural voice, broadcasting from behind a stone partition with a narrow opening, indicated his existence. According to numerous rumors and legends that arose around Khan Budak, this hermit had either Buryat or Evenk roots and spoke a very ancient dialect, which was once spoken by all Asian peoples. The local population brought gifts to the invisible hermit in the cave - fish, furs, game. However, according to the testimony of the pilgrims, all the products brought remained intact, and therefore they were eaten by people who came to Khan Budak for help. The very communication of the pilgrims with the mysterious hermit was built on the following principle: if the guest asked a question about any action or deed and did not hear any sound in response, then this should not be done. If the hermit started muttering something in response to the question asked, the questioner was on the right path.
On Christmas night in 1914, the hermit suddenly fell silent. As it turned out, forever. The old people began to assert that the disappearance of Khan Budak is a harbinger of terrible disasters. A stone partition was opened, because of which the hermit spoke. In a small stone grotto, which had no passages, the explorers came across very small wooden shoes. Nothing further indicated the recent presence in this gloomy chamber of a mysterious fortuneteller …
Phantom Cavalry
Already today, having sailed far from the coast, many tourists and travelers become witnesses of an unusual phenomenon, when the outlines of a galloping cavalry suddenly appear in the fog. Locals associate another legend with this phenomenon. According to her, several centuries ago, when the winter turned out to be so cold that the entire lake was covered with a thick layer of ice, the formidable and cruel Buryat ruler Hasan Choson, having gathered an innumerable army, set out to conquer the Evenk tribes. To shorten the path, the ruler's cavalry headed across the ice of Lake Baikal to the opposite shore. But, apparently, the gods were angry with the cruel Buryat king. When Joseon's army was already at the very center of the lake, the ice cracked, and thousands of his soldiers went to the bottom. Since then, the seemingly restless souls of the warriors of this reckless ruler have been trying to do whatwhat they failed to do during their lifetime was to cross the lake.
Today, just like centuries ago, Baikal is beautiful at any time of the year. Its crystal clear waters are mesmerizing, and the air is intoxicating, attracting crowds of tourists, travelers and explorers eager to comprehend the millennial secrets of the great lake.
Sergey K0ZHUSHK0
Secrets of the twentieth century.