Holy mountains

Found an interesting article today about mystery of the mountains:

Throughout the myths of the world references are made to mountains as holy, numinous, the home of the gods, and even created by them.
Among the many examples: Mount Fuji in Japan is the home of
Ko-No-hana-saku-ya-hime, “The Princess Who Maketh the Blossoms of the Trees to Flowers;” she is also called Sangen, Asama, or O-ana-mochi (“Possessor of the Great Hole of Crater”) and is the volcano’s divine guardian. Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka is the home of Samanala Kanda, one of the counry’s four guardian deities. Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya is the home of Ruwa, the god of the Chagga people.
Also in Kenya, Mount Kenya, a 17,000-foot volcano and Africa’s second highest peak, is the residence of Ngai, the god who created humans including the first Kikuyu tribesman, Gikuyu; the Kikuyu call the peak Kere Nyaga, “Mountain of Brightness.” In Tanzania, Ol Doinyo Lengai, a 10,000-foot active volcano, is the home of Engai, “the one and only God”for the Masai, as well as a spiritual being called Khambegeu, who once created a golden age of prosperity. The Bantu call this peak Mogongo jo Mugwe, meaning “Mountain of God.” Gunung Agung (“Great Mountain”), the 10,308-foot sacred peak of Bali, is the home of Mahadewa, Great God of Gunung, and the site of numerous temples and shrines.
The Navajo say that every mountain, especially the sacred cardinal ones that bound Navajo Nation in the American Southwest, has an inner form or holy being inside it known as bii’istíín, “Those That Stand within Them.” These gods are the chieftains of the peaks, and the mountains are their hogans, or homes. Examples of bii’istíín are Talking God, Rocky Crystal Boy, and Rock Crystal Girl.

full article

If you read further the article you find couple of good explanations why those mountains are holy and why they are ideal place to be home for gods. It makes sense.

Mystery of the mountains always fascinated me. Due to my poor english I'm not able to explain sensations I feel every time I'm on altitude higher than 2000m. Last holiday I spent month in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia - made couple trips to the high ( more than 4000 m) mountains, and every time before starting the trip I've heard that we are going to special, spiritual place.
It is true I must say, every time I had a strong sense of being spiritually 'alert'
From common sense point of view I could explain that being on such altitude, experiencing thinner air makes you already feel different.
Amazing sighs, fast changing weather, sense of present danger- and many other factors together with inaccessibility for everybody are good base for creating legends.


Because here on ATS people come from different parts of globe, and many of you have been experiencing or hearing about special "qualities" of the mountains in your surrounding I would like to ask you to share this knowledge here. If 'your' mountain has already a legend, please bring it on as well. Maybe together we can find some explanation, why mountains are so special....

thank you, jazz

Note to the Mods -I don't know when to put this post, so if you think there is better place for it than this, please feel free to move it.



[edit on 18-1-2005 by jazzgul]