The Spirits in the Rocks: Why Do We Think Rocks Have Life?

What is it about rocks that creates so much phenomena? Haunted locations are often on great geology, miners have hundreds of legends and encounters within mines, cavers report odd sensations, and the regular traveler standing before a butte of boulders gets a serious feeling of being watched.

In Iceland, a great deal of the population believe elves live within the rocks of their rich volcanic land. 

They have such respect for disrupting their rock shelters, that the workers on roadways have been known to go way around the area to preserve their habitat. 

The Norse have legends of trolls that turn to stone in sunlight. These trolls were believed to live inside caves and rock outcroppings. 

Trolltunga (Troll's tongue) is a rock jutting out over a fjord in Norway.

The Native People of the Americas have many legends pertaining to stone. Outcroppings with significant shapes often have legends as to their origins. One example is the pyramid stone in Pyramid Lake, California.

In Paiute legend, the stonemother grieved her dead children so much, she cried a lake full of tears and turned to stone (the pyramid in the lake).

We can go to Wales to hear of another legend involving life inside the rocks. There, the Welsh have legends of what have come to be called Knockers or Tommyknockers. These wee folks are said to be within the mines and cause havoc for miners. They were said to steal tools and food. 

Shaped Rocks With Names

For man's history, we have named rocks shaped like things with names that point out their features.

Here in my area, we have the "Praying Monk" on Camelback Mountain.

There is the Grey Man of Merrick found in Scotland - 

The Sleeping Giant in Montana (see his profile?)

Nefertiti in Utah -

What do we really know about the spirit of the rocks, and why do we always feel as if we are stared upon in boulder-laden areas? Perhaps because these areas are forbidden, don't grow anything, have a strange life for what should be a lifeless region. 

And then there's the rocks that hold shelter for the feral - 




Movies that carry the theme and feel - 

The Stone Tape (1972) An electronics company locates itself in an old mansion to find a new recording medium only to find ghosts recorded in the rocks.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977) A vacationing family breaks down in the desert where a feral family attacks them from the rock outcroppings.

Tremors (1990) A desert town is attacked by underground tunneling graboids.

Trollhunter (2010) A Norwegian college film crew follows a hunter to find that he is hunting trolls. 

I have my own fun whenever I'm in Texas Canyon in Southeastern Arizona. It seems to bring out the "Tremors" graboid theme and makes for some fun posing - 

Ever see a face in a stone? 

Bishop Museum - Hawaii

The placard with this statue of a shark deity said that its burial location was discovered in a dream where it had begged to be found, and they had to cement it into place in its current location, because despite their efforts to relocate it outside the Hawaiian Hall, it refused to be moved. Now look at its eyes again. Following you around? They haunted me that entire room.

How about precarious rocks?

One of my own personal favorite passtimes is rock stacking. Here are some exceptional ones people have created - 

Here's one of mine I just made - 

There are also mysterious round stone spheres found around the world that have baffled many believing they were man-made in ancient times and scientists who say they are a natural issue.

Franz Josef - an isolated arctic island 

Costa Rica

What about the legend of Medusa? 

In Greek mythology, Medusa was one of the gorgon monsters. She had the face of an ugly woman with snakes for hair. It was said what whomever gazed upon her hideous visage, turned to stone. 

As a psychometrist (one who can hold an object and tell about others who handled it), I know that stones hold energy, but not memories. They are a most fascinating and powerful tool if used correctly. Here are some basics about the healing power and strengths of stones and gems - 

Another great mystery of stones are the ancient megaliths; how were they built, why were they built, and why use stone when wood might have been easier to handle? 





Perhaps the spirits in the rocks are what we make from them -