July 15, 2014

Eternal Flame

Revelation, fol. CLXXXVIIIv:
The second angel sounds, causing a huge burning mountain to fall into the sea

Fire Mountain aka Mount Wingen
Approximately 140 miles north of Sydney, Australia, is a hill called Mount Wingen. A very unprepossessing name, if it weren't for the coal fire that's been burning in its entrails for the last 6,000 years.
The fire is following its seam at a rate of about 1 meter per year, due south. So, given its estimated age, it means that the fire's moved about 6 kilometers since it started. At this rate, it should reach the outskirts of Sydney in another 255,000 years.


Baayami
Legends say that when the people of the north
fomented a plan to raid the Wonnarua to steal their women, the Wonnarua performed the best defense they could think of: go on the offence. So the Wonnarua warriors went off to fight the Kamilaroi of the north, while their wives waited patiently back home. Once the battle was over, all of the men came back. All, save one, and his wife cried in pain at his loss, and prayed for the great sky god Baayami to kill her. Unwilling to do so, Baayami instead turned her into a rock, and her tears of water turned instead into tears of flame, which rolled down the mountainside and set it aflame...

So if you want to get glimpse of hell, I suggest you go down to Australia and dip your toe in the proverbial pool. Or, if that's too far from you, you could try the following locations: Chestnut Ridge Park in Pennsylvania, USA, Mount Chimera in Greece, Jharia Coalfield in India, the Smoking Hills in the far north of Canada, the Water and Fire Cave in Taiwan, and other such fantastic places.

The fires of Chimera
To end this post, I'd like to share with you this classic that I imagine Earth's singing to her beloved one, whoever it may be...

Sources:
Listverse
Wikipedia
Heritage Australia

2 comments:

  1. I still can't quite believe it and need to check it out. The Bangles. Oh so Eighties. Susanna Hoffs. Who wasn't in love with her? And the cool Peterson sisters. Thanks, Alessa.

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    Replies
    1. Hahahahah! I'm trying to picture you with a boy crush on Susanna Hoffs :)
      But yeah, this phenomenon is crazy, isn't it? And it's found all over the world! Hades is just a hop skip and a jump away, my friend!

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