In the old days it was said that a person who found mushrooms growing in "witch's rings" would find happiness
Sometimes in the forests, you can find large and small mushroom circles of chanterelles or honey agarics or other mushrooms. Grass does not grow in these circles. Only if the circle is large, then in the middle of it the grass turns green as an island. The mushroom ring is surrounded on the outside by a trampled path. In ancient times, people, not knowing the reasons for this natural phenomenon, gave him the most fantastic explanations.
Mushroom circles aroused curiosity among all peoples. In France, they were called "magic circles", in Ancient Rus - "witch circles". They thought that in the forest by the light of the moon, magic fairies, witches or little forest gnomes - trolls - danced and trampled the ground in circles, and by morning mushrooms grew along the edges of these circles.
You stunted dwarf people.
What's in the meadow, by the light of the moon.
Draw these magic circles.
Brighter than the green of the meadows …
You naughty bums.
Joyfully awakening in the evening.
When the fire is extinguished in the kitchen.
To open circles at midnight, dotted with milk mushrooms …
W. Shakespeare
And in botanical science the term "witch's ring" has been preserved. This phenomenon - the growth of mushrooms in circles - is explained as follows. The fungus grows in the soil in a circle, dying off in the middle. Fruiting bodies - mushrooms - grow along the edges of the young growing mycelium. The mycelium consumes a large amount of nutrients, both organic and mineral, and water, especially during the formation of fruit bodies. Where myceliums grow, green grassy plants no longer have enough food or water. This is why no grass grows in the middle of the mushroom circles. Mushroom circles sometimes grow to large sizes - 70 and even 200 m in diameter. During the year, the mycelium grows by 10-12 cm. Thus, the "witch circle" at 70 m has an age of 500 years.
And how many mysterious things are connected with "witch circles". Suddenly in the forest, mushrooms began to grow in a circle, in the middle of which there were not only no mushrooms, but also no grass. The circle increased every year and reached 10-50 m, and even 200 m in diameter. The age of such large circles is estimated at 30-50 and even 800 years. The circle was formed by raincoats, mushrooms, chanterelles, champignons, fly agarics, meadow mushrooms and other mushrooms. People believed that witches gather in a circle at night, lead their own round dance, and then sit on personal vehicles in the form of a stupa with a broomstick and scatter across the white world to perform witchcraft.
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There was another opinion, more interesting - the mushroom circles indicate the places where the enchanted treasures are stored. But, in order to find and dig up the treasure, you must first find the tear-grass and rub your eyes with it to see the treasure. The matter was complicated by the fact that the gap-grass had to be found during flowering. And it bloomed only at midnight on Midsummer's Day. The grass bloomed for a very short time, and no one had time to read the three prayers necessary for this occasion. Therefore, no one has yet found an enchanted treasure in witch-minded circles.
In Holland, it was believed that in these circles devils gather at night and whip butter, and therefore it is impossible to graze cows in circles so as not to spoil the milk. Those who did not believe in devils suggested that the circles could have formed from a lightning strike. And only at the beginning of the 19th century, scientists established mycelium, which gradually dies off in the center and grows along the edges. This ended one of the mushroom secrets and dispelled its superstitious explanation.
Author: Fox
Based on materials from the network.
