Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Lady Jan asks, "Is this the Devil's work?"

No, They're not!
These odd earth formations have gotten some really interesting names,
and the Devil's Marbles have some unusual belief behind them as well.


Devils Marbles from Jen's Chronicles
More info on the Devil's Marbles, Northern Territory, Australia


Northern Territory
In the creation story of the Dreaming, the Rainbow Serpent fashioned the earth and then returned to a spot east of the Kimberleys at a place where the rainbow meets the earth. The Rainbow Serpent's eggs fossilised and became what non-Aborigines now call the Devils Marbles. The Aborigines know them as Karlukarlu.

Because of this, the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve is a spiritually significant and sacred site to the Aborigines.





Devils Postpile, California


Along the picturesque Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River at 7,600 feet on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada lies Devils Postpile National Monument. This formation began when basalt lava erupted in the Middle Fork valley. As lava flowed from the vent, it filled the valley near the postpile to a depth of 400 feet. Surface cracks formed when tensions caused by the shrinkage of the cooling lava were greater than the lava's strength. Each crack branched when it reached a critical length. Ideal conditions allowed surface cracks to deepen and form long post-like columns.

More info on the Devil's post pile, California,

And how it almost got blown-up!


Devils Postpile was once part of Yosemite National Park, but discovery of gold near Mammoth Lakes, California prompted a boundary change that left the Postpile on adjacent public land. A proposal to build a hydroelectric dam later called for blasting the Postpile into the river.

Influential Californians, including John Muir, persuaded the federal government to stop the demolition and in 1911 President Howard Taft made the area into a United States National Monument.

So yay, it didn't get blown-up!

6 comments:

megz_mum said...

Just a small correction - the Devil's Marbles are actually in the Northern Territory, Australia, not in New Zealand.

Jeanette said...

Hi Janice
Sorry i was slow comming over to visit you i have been away for a few days getting computer fixed.
thank you for your visit,please return often . Devils Marbles are in the Outback Northern Territory .
Great postOn the Devils Post pile I shall return Cheers to read your earlier posts .. Jan

ipodmomma said...

in Boroughbridge we have the Devil's Arrows... three huge stone monoliths that just somehow ended up in the village...

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Megz_mum,

Oops! I only put that there because a websight said they were in Austrila New Zealland.

Hi Jeanette,

No problem. We all have problems with our computers ever now and then. I take it you got it fixed? Then I'll check back later.

Hi Ipodmomma,

Devil's Arrows? I'll have to check that out, thank you.

Your Lady Jan~

Merle said...

Hi Janice ~~ You are sure into the Devils thingos - like marbles and posts.
All inteesting. Thanks for your visit and I am glad that you liked the Yellow Shirt story. It proved popular. One never knows when posting what will appeal. Take care, Merle.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Merle,

I'm not really into it, I just thought here we got something (the Devil)that people around the world use for part of a name for a earth formation. I just thought that was really interesting.

And yeah, you never know.

Lady Jan~