The spooky Black Mountain of Australia
In the north of Australia, 25 km south of Cooktown, there is a small, approximately 400 meters tall mountain, which seems to be a huge pile of disorganized pieces of black granite. Not only the spooky appearance makes it interesting, but also the fact that many mysterious cases has been reported from around the hill - which some even call the "Mountain of Death". Local aboriginals named it Kalkajaka, meaning "place of spear". It is believed by some that the hill is cursed, and whoever wanders near it won't ever come back.
The Black Mountain seemingly consists of millions of little rocks (By Dhx1 - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49154037)
Local Australian aboriginals traditionally regarded the black mountain as an eerie, cursed place which they avoided since ancient times due to the strange and inexplicable disappearings. Many reported that when a friend or relative visited the Black Mountain they disappeared without a trace and were never seen again.
As time went by, locals started to explain the strange cases with their belief that the Rainbow-Serpent, whom they believed to be their creator, lives among the black rocks. Unfortunately, the Rainbow-Serpent does not stand being disturbed, and whoever ventures near its home must pay a price... So, although the Serpent was highly respected for the gift of life, it was also considered a fearful being that could take the lives of people when they behaved in a bad way.
What is especially interesting about the legend is that the mountain really has caves inside, that has not yet been mapped and explored fully - and even if there might not be any kind of Serpent, the caves may hide some surprises and secrets. And, who knows, the caves might be home to some mysterious, not yet known beasts. Apart from that, different kinds of gases could leak to the surface from the inside of the mountain, which, when stuck into blocked cavities and holes, might be dangerous to human health.
Beside the legendary cases of people disappearing, some more modern reports also exist in the topic. In 1877, a European settler disappeared near the mountain while searching for his lost cattle. After that, cattle, horses and people vanished in many cases from time to time, some even claimed that whole groups of cattle went missing when approaching the hill. Some policemen also went missing after trying to investigate the mysterious disappearings, and pilots reported strange magnetic anomalies and sudden turbulence too, when flying above the mountain.
Although there are no accountable theories of what might caused the strange cases, many people kept on guessing - their ideas range from UFO-related stories to hidden portals to other dimensions. Others suppose that deadly radiations or toxic substances play role in the disappearings.
Anita Diós
May 2018
