In the 19th century, a Franco-Algerian war was fought in northern Africa. One soldier (apparently a Frenchman) was sent for reconnaissance. Suddenly in front of him in the fog, he saw a silhouette of a man. The soldier went to meet him, the figure also approached. The fighter decided to kill the unknown with his sword, but as soon as he pulled it out of its scabbard, the figure melted.
Fans of the unknown and the supernatural can decide that the soldier met a guest from the other world. However, apparently, he witnessed the Broken ghost - a phenomenon unusual, but well studied by modern science. Broken ghost - what is it? How to explain this phenomenon?
How does a “ghost” appear?
Broken ghosts are quite an interesting phenomenon. It can be observed everywhere. Most often, for this the witness should be above - in the air or on top of a high mountain, and a cloudy or foggy shroud should be spread in front and below.
Broken ghost - what is this phenomenon? The sun should be behind the observer. Light from it falls into the fog on which its shadow forms. It often seems huge to the observer, because he involuntarily compares its size with the sizes of surrounding objects, which are much further away and, naturally, seem small. A “ghost” can make certain movements: it either follows a person when he moves, raises his hands or performs other actions, or hesitates independently due to the movement of clouds, density fluctuations in the cloud. At such moments, the shadow really creates a terrifying impression and can scare an unprepared person.
Witch Mountain in Germany
The name “Broken Ghost” was received from the sharp Brocken Mountain in Germany, which is part of the Harz Range. Due to local climatic conditions, the "ghost" is constantly observed here. This happened continuously for many centuries, because of which Brocken and his "ghost" firmly entrenched in folklore and the beliefs of the ancient Germans. Saxon tribes performed magical rites at the foot of Mount Brocken to propitiate the deity of Corto. In their opinion, huge ghostly spirits live on the top of the mountain, one of which, apparently, was Corto. These spirits could turn into people and animals. From time to time, they descended from the mountains and went to wander around the surrounding area, causing terror to the nearby villages.
On the same Brocken Mountain, according to another famous belief, witches and sorcerers gather for their Sabbath on Walpurgis Night. These, by the way, are not just myths. On Walpurgis Night (from April 30 to May 1), pagan peoples had a holiday of the beginning of spring, which was usually celebrated with songs and dances around the bonfires. When the Germans just started to adopt Christianity, many adherents of the old customs continued to celebrate this holiday, for which they went to the mountains. Many of them gathered on Mount Broken. Among these inveterate pagans there were many women, especially the elderly, and this created a strong reputation for witches. So Brocken strengthened his status as a place associated with evil spirits.
Gloria
But back to the ghost. Often it is accompanied by an additional phenomenon - gloria. These are colored rings surrounding the figure of the observer, a kind of multi-colored halo. It appears due to diffraction of light. In China and Japan, gloria has long been called the "light of the Buddha"; it is believed that only people with a pure heart can see this halo. Unfortunately, this belief does not correspond to reality: absolutely anyone can see gloria.
Very often a broken ghost surrounded by gloria is seen by airplane observers - pilots and passengers. In this case, very suitable conditions are created for the formation of this phenomenon: the sun's rays fall on the plane, as a result of which a huge projection is created on the cloudy "cushion" below - the figure of a flying liner surrounded by a multi-colored glow.
Elementary physics
At first glance, the Broken ghost is an unknown inexplicable phenomenon. But if you look at it from the side of physics, then you can get it, even standing on the ground. You need to do this early in the morning, when the fog obscures the streets. Arrange the light source so that it is behind your head. In this case, a figure will appear. True, this experience is not always successful, since often fog covers the entire street, so the observer is also inside it.
A similar principle, as many have guessed, lies in the operation of the projector and the movie camera: the light of the lamp passes through a film with an image, the shadow of which, greatly increased in size, is projected onto the screen.
And again Brocken
Let’s say a few words about the German “witch’s mountain”. During the years of the existence of the GDR, the base of the odious intelligence service, the Stasi, was located on it. This is a hybrid of the Gestapo and the Soviet KGB. And the reason for choosing such a place was simple: the state border between the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany passed through the Harz mountain system, and it was convenient for East Germans to watch their capitalist brothers from here. Thus, even in the twentieth century, Broken became a place of gathering of secret forces.
Today, in the building, which at that time was occupied by the Stasi, there is a museum dedicated to the natural beauties of the Harz and the modern history of Germany.
As for the "ghost", it can constantly be observed in many mountain systems. Tourists in this regard are well known for the mountains in Wales, as well as the Hawaiian Haleakala National Park.
Scientific interest
Today, a broken ghost can frighten perhaps a very impressionable or ignorant person, especially if he has read books about paranormal phenomena before or has watched the broadcasts of relevant topics. Physics long ago solved the mystery of unusual shadows in the fog. For the first time, the Broken ghost became interested in scientists in the 18th century: in 1780, the German scientist and theologian Johann Zilberschlag described this phenomenon. In our country, little is known about this thinker, but one of the craters on the moon was named after him .
In 1797, another scientist, Howe, saw the figure of a “giant” on the mountain. He was standing at the very top, when a strong wind suddenly came up. Howe was afraid that his hat would fly away, and clutched at it; to his surprise, the "giant" made the same move. The researcher began to jump, wave his hands, walk from side to side, and the figure repeated after him. Then Haue realized that the mysterious vision is just a shadow of himself.
Ghosts in Clausthal
Residents of the small town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld can in some ways be called happy. After all, this city is located right on Brocken Mountain, which means they can observe an unusual natural phenomenon constantly. The glorious past of the city is associated with the “witch’s mountain” when it was actively mining for minerals. In the first half of the twentieth century, their development was completed, but the city continues to develop thanks to other sectors of the economy.
Broken ghost or unusual self portrait in Andalusia
It happens that broken ghosts appear in an unusual form. Such a phenomenon was observed by a group of scientists who once climbed to the top of one of the mountains in Andalusia. It happened in the morning: the sun was still rising, and the entire western side was covered with dense fog. Turning there, scientists saw a huge "photograph" on which they were all captured, their dogs and even the rock on which they stood. The image was framed by a multi-colored radiance. When the sun rose higher, the "photograph" melted.