Human fantasy tends to endow unusual objects and phenomena with magical properties. Colonies of corals, flies in amber, sparks of gold in charoite, the remains of living organisms and shells in rocks - all this is of extreme interest and has acquired many legends and myths.
Why is the finger "damn"?
"Damn finger" - in this case, this is not a swear word. It has nothing to do with swearing, because this is the name of special stones - belemnites. In shape, they really resemble a rod or a finger with a pointed end - a “nail”. Such could be, perhaps, cinematic bloodthirsty villains: monsters, witches, vampires and werewolves. The "devil's finger" is similar to this part of the human hand: elongated phalanges, slightly twisted, sometimes inward-curving claw cones … Give or take an attribute of some Koshchei! A gloomy impression is produced by this miracle of nature! By the way, what else was this mineral called: the ancient Greeks - the arrow of Zeus, and the Slavs - the arrow of Perun, as well as the thunder arrow.
The origin of the phenomenon
Where does the “damn finger” come from in nature? What is the genesis of the phenomenon? Most often it can be found in pieces of marble or ancient sedimentary marine rocks that formed a huge period of time ago. The relic is obtained by special purification. "Devil's Stone" is the shell of an invertebrate cephalopod mollusk that lived in terrestrial reservoirs in the era of coal, the Cretaceous period and became extinct at the end of the Mesozoic. In shape and structure, the animals were somewhat similar to the current squid. All their body parts were hidden in very strong shells, consisting of calcite. The shells of belemnite mollusks were small, from 30 to 40-45 cm in length. The "devil's finger" stone has a fairly wide color variety - it can be light gray, yellow, different shades of brown and cherry. The luster of the shells is glassy, reminiscent of crystalline.
Forward to Altai
There is an amazing lake on the territory of the Altai Mountains. Its origin is covered with romantic legends, and the place itself is fabulously beautiful. It is called Aya, which means "moon". Near it is a high stone ledge - Devil's finger. Altai is a popular tourist route. With particular pleasure, lovers of outdoor activities stop on the banks of Aya. Comfortable camp sites, good beaches, clean water, which also warms up to a pleasant temperature in summer - all this attracts those who want to sunbathe, swim, climb mountain slopes, including climbing the Devil's Finger. Photo from thisa unique attraction will be an adornment of any collection!
In the world of fairy tales and legends
Now let's turn to folklore to find out why the ledge has such an ominous name. The once peaceful, hardworking Altaians fell under the brutal rule of a cannibal named Delbegen. However, the frightened people called him simply the Devil. The cannibal forced the Altaians to work for themselves from early dawn to dark night. And everyone who tried to grumble was simply eaten. This bondage lasted for more than one century. And no one could cope with the villain - not a single daredevil. In desperation, people rushed for help to the clear Sun - so that it would protect, burn the Devil. However, the Sun was silent - you see, she did not hear tearful requests. Then the Altaians prayed to the bright moon. And she heard them. Descending from heaven, she struck the ogre and drove him into the ground up to the very top of his head. Desperately resisting, the evil spirit tried to escape from the bowels of the earth. But he could only squeeze his finger to the surface. The light of the moon turned him to stone. And at the place where the skirmish took place, a lake appeared with the purest, like a mirror, water, near which the stone Devil's finger sticks out. Or Devil's Claw - there is such a name.
He alth attraction
Were all the described events actually or not - this, as they say, we do not know. But first, local residents, and then visiting guests, noticed that these places are distinguished by a special energy. Either the climate here is he althy, or the environment is less polluted than insurroundings, but people suffering from various ailments receive relief and even healing here. For he alth, people come to the stone not only from all over Altai, but also from the Urals, Siberia, and other regions of Mother Russia. And even from neighboring countries they rush here, having heard or read about the miraculous power of lake water and rock.
Earthly beauty
What is the Devil's finger, what charm it has, can only be understood there, in the Altai Mountains. Already on the outskirts of the ridge, a person feels an incomprehensible attraction - the mountain beckons to itself, calls, as if it wants to share with people those secrets that are known to it alone, and to attach to the inexpressible beauty of the lake landscape. Most likely, it is the combination of pictures of nature caressing the eye, clean sweet air, calmness and harmony that creates that charm, that amazing aura that is inherent in these places. If you climb up a rather steep path to the platform of the Devil's Claw, then the breathtaking panorama will take your breath away. Below is the valley of the Katun River, the fresh greenery of the meadows, the prickly cap of the pine forest. And the Altai Mountains, supporting the clouds with their snowy peaks. Nature itself has taken care of an ideal viewing platform so that a person, having got here, feels like in a fairy tale. It is not surprising that tourists, having been here once, definitely want to return. Therefore, the slopes of the Devil's finger are strewn with coins!
Traditional medicine
But back to the "devil's claws" in miniature. They are also used in folk medicine to treat many diseases. We meanbelemnites. "Devil's finger", as already mentioned, consists of almost one calcium carbonate. In addition, it contains sodium and magnesium s alts and organics, similar in properties to ozocerite. We all know how much calcium is necessary for the human body and what serious problems with bones, joints, and the spine its deficiency turns into. It is calcium s alts of animal origin that play a huge role in the normal growth and development of our muscle tissues, teeth, hair, etc. Belemnite has long been used as a source of it among the people. In ancient times, devil's fingers were attributed not only healing, but also magical properties. For example, the Lithuanians believed that if a person or animal was bitten by a snake, it was necessary to sprinkle the wound with ground belemnite powder. The poison is neutralized and the stung will be saved. The inhabitants of Scotland also used the powder to treat various kinds of poisoning. The Slavs sprinkled them with any, even the most serious and hopeless wounds - and the person survived! Later, scientists confirmed that the mineral is indeed an excellent antiseptic, has wound healing, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Scope of application
Belemnite powder has found the widest application in modern official and folk medicine. We list just a few of the ways. With colds, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, inhalations based on the "damn finger" are remarkably helpful. Injuries, bruises, even chronic ones, hurt less, remind of themselves if you undergo a course of treatment in the form of baths and applications several times a year. Genitourinary sphere, skin diseases, cosmetology, peripheral nervous system - in the treatment of all of the above, belemnit is successfully used.
