Īvāni Devil’s Stone

2020-01-16 In Cult Identity Latvia Stone Vidzeme region

Location

State: Latvia
Region: Vidzeme
County: Madona
Parish: Sarkaņi

Other references to the location

On the right side of the Cesvaine–Madona highway, 100 m of the highway

Coordinates

lat=56.906736810938, lon=26.287298551496
56° 54′ 24″ N, 26° 17′ 14″ E

Description

State archaeological heritage (State Inspection for Heritage Protection, No 1795). Judging from tales, narrations, and the hollow, the Īvāni Devil’s Stone is related to ancient cult traditions. In the nearby area the stone is the largest one: its height is 2.4 m, circumference of 12 m. A gently sloping trough had been carved in one of the sides of the roundish conical stone, the length of which is 1 m, width of 0.3 m, depth of 4 cm. On one of the stone’s edges there had been steps carved. Already since the end of the19th century, there have been tales recorded about the Īvāni Devil’s Stone. At that time, according to tales, the stone was names the Leiši Osier Stone (Leišu kārkla akmenis), though the origin of this rather peculiar name has not been established (Urtāns, 1993).

Narrative

In 1894, Priednieku Pēteris in the newspaper “Balss” wrote, “In former times they used to make offerings to the spirits at this stone. But the master was told about that, so he forbade it firmly. During the war times under this stone, money was hidden that once in a while was ordered by the Devil to be dried.” The closest surroundings of the Īvāni Devil’s Stone had been badly dug up, because people believed the tales and searched hard for the hidden money. According to elderly people’s narrations, yet in the middle of the 19th century at summer nights people brought offerings there — rye spikes, eggs, coal, — and placed them at the stone, but not in the hollow as one could probably imagine. They believed that at the stone there was a bad place and near it often the lightning struck. This stone wrapped up with various tales was also called the Sacrificial Stone. Judging from tales and the type of the hollow, it is considered to be a Basin Stone and related to ancient cult and other traditions (J. Urtāns. 1990. Footstones, Boundary Stones, Basin Stones). “Once some shepherds pastured cattle not far from the stone. Then by the midday some black gentleman approached them and promised to give the shepherds a whole barrel of gold if they gave him the best-fed bull. The barrel with money rolled out, but the bull was attacked by wolves. The shepherds scared away the wolves, but the barrel rolled under the stone again.” (Urtāns, 1993)

Attraction

Expressive and easily accessible. The large hollow in the upper part is especially well visible. One can climb the stone. Still it is slightly weaker than the Vaļģi Stone. The trash remains around the

Availability

A double-sided brown sign from the P37 road. It is grown into the bush, better visible from the side of Madona. In the meadow the road site is not visible, but diagonally in the direction of the stone there are two large birch-trees. There the road through the forest is clear (an old horse road, forest road). You can stop with a bus on the road edge.

Infrastructure, management, facilities

No infrastructure. But the old road site has not been overgrown — in front behind the sign, the meadow has been mown. Next to the electric line there is an arranged fire-break.