May 01, 2012

Secrets of the Northern Wind


Secrets of the Northern Wind
Nikolai Gernet

The Russian North is rich in superstition and mysticism.

Some have seen enormous monsters on the lakes of Karelia, while others speak of UFOs over the Kola Peninsula. Legends abound of shape-shifters on Lake Seidozero, of dwarves living underground, and of “white-eyed wonders” that inhabit theses lands. Tourists are told about old men who appear out of nowhere and tell lost travelers how to get out of the forest...

“And that geologist, the one who saw all these ‘signs,’ he went mad. What happened was, he went off to look for berries, and almost got lost. Then he got to this hill, stumbled over the signs, came back to the camp and told everyone where they were, and by that time it was already time to go home. And then, well, he had to be taken off the train by the doctors. He was muttering something about aliens, about voices from space... So be careful out there, take care of each other.”


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