Lake Baikal attracts tourists from different countries with its majesty and purity. There is something mystical in Lake Baikal and its environs. No wonder there are so many legends about the lake.
When going on a trip to Lake Baikal, it will not be superfluous to know the history of the lake. The most common legends about Lake Baikal will come in handy for tourists:
1. Legend of the Shaman-stone. Shaman-stone is located at the junction of the waters of the Angara and Baikal rivers in the village of Listvyanka, Irkutsk region. The Buryat legend tells about a hero named Baikal. Baikal has become old and gloomy. The only joy is Angara's daughter. Baikal decided to marry his daughter, he summoned different heroes. He liked the young man Irkut. However, Angara remained indifferent to the strength of the hero and his gifts. The young Yenisei took the heart of the beauty long ago.
At night, when all the guards fell asleep, Angara rushed to run towards her beloved. Baikal woke up from the noise, got angry, tore off a piece of rock and threw it after the disobedient daughter. Angara wept, and her pure tears became a river. And the tears of Baikal are like a lake. And for a long time the stone served as a ritual place for shamans, rituals were held there in order to calm down the harsh Baikal disposition.
2. Legend about Sarma and omul barrel. Sarma is considered to be the strongest wind on Lake Baikal. Gusts of wind are capable of demolishing everything in their path. The legend says: there lived a merchant's wife named Sarma. And two brothers Barguzin and Kultuk were in love with her. Sarma had a strange thing: a magic barrel. It is worth throwing a barrel into Baikal, and the omul goes on the net itself. Kind Barguzin learned about the barrel and asked his beloved to give the curiosity to local fishermen, so that they always had the opportunity to feed their families.
Sarma was greedy, refused and drove her boyfriend away. Barguzin stole the barrel and gave it to the people. Sarma got angry and turned into a raging wind. Since then, they say that the omul barrel floats across Lake Baikal, and Sarma comes out of his gorge to catch it. Barguzin and Kultuk have also become winds and are driving the barrel as if they are playing football: Barguzin drives the waves with the force of the wind so that the omul goes to the people, and Kultuk interferes with him.
3. Legend about Olkhon. Olkhon Island is the largest on Lake Baikal. How did it come about? The legend of Olkhon is a bit similar to the legend of the Shaman-stone: Angara fell in love with the Yenisei and wanted to run away from home. Only in this version did Baikal find out about his daughter's intention and asked his guard Olkhon to lock the girl in a cave.
No matter how Angara begged to let her out, Olkhon did not pay attention to her tears. Heard Angara's cries of streams and began to sharpen the cave so that Angara could escape. Angara freed herself and rushed to her beloved Yenisei. And then Baikal threw a stone after the fleeing one, Angara became a river, Baikal - a lake. And Olkhon, for his heartlessness, turned into an island stronghold.
