List of rock formations that resemble human beings
Encyclopedia
A list of rock formations worldwide that resemble human beings.
The legend of its origin - a prophetess was turned into stone - is associated to another local legend, that of the Goldhorn.
Canada
- Badlands GuardianBadlands GuardianThe Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature located near Medicine Hat in the south east corner of Alberta, Canada. Viewed from the air, the feature bears a strong resemblance to a human head wearing a full native American headdress, facing directly westward. Because of additional man-made...
, a valley in AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
that resembles a human profile when viewed from the air. - Shawinigan, QuébecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
has a rock that resembles an old lady, giving the name to the former city of Grand-MèreGrand-Mère, QuebecGrand Mère is a settlement and former municipality in central Quebec, Canada on the Saint-Maurice River. As a result of the municipal reorganization in Quebec which took effect at the beginning of 2002, Grand-Mère now forms part of the City of Shawinigan. Population in 2001 was...
, now a part of the City of Shawinigan since 2002. It resembles an old woman with a bun at the base of her head ("grand-mère" is French for grandmother). The rock formation was pulled from the bottom of the Saint-MauriceSaint-MauriceSaint-Maurice is the name or part of the name of numerous places in French speaking countries. It refers to the legendary Saint Maurice.- Canada :...
River in the 19th century before the construction of a dam and is now in a small park overlooking the river. - Sleeping Giant (Ontario)Sleeping Giant (Ontario)The Sleeping Giant is a formation of mesas and sills on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the West to North-Northwest section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As one moves southward along the shoreline toward Squaw Bay the Sleeping Giant starts to separate...
, a section of the Sibley PeninsulaSibley PeninsulaThe Sibley Peninsula is a long and wide peninsula in Ontario, Canada on Lake Superior. It projects into the lake from its north shore, and separates Thunder Bay to the west from Black Bay to the east....
near Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, which resembles a man lying on his back.
Finland
- Astuvansalmi rock paintings http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Astuvansalmi_kalliojumala.jpg/220px-Astuvansalmi_kalliojumala.jpg
Guinea
- La Dame de Mali is a feature of Mount LouraMount LouraMount Loura, alt. 1515 m is the northernmost point and highest peak in the Fouta Djallon in northern Guinea. It is 7 km from the prefecture of Maali . It is part of a complex of mountains called the Massif de Tamgue, which rises to steep cliffs on three sides, and provides views into Senegal...
, near the town of Mali, in northern GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, near the border with Senegal that resembles the profile of a woman.
Ireland
- InishtooskertInishtooskertInishtooskert is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands, County Kerry, Ireland. The name means "northern island". The island is also known as An Fear Marbh or the sleeping giant due to its appearance when seen from the east...
, County KerryCounty KerryKerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, locally known as An Fear Marbh (the dead man) is an island which resembles a man lying on his back.
Mexico
- IztaccihuatlIztaccíhuatlIztaccíhuatl , is the third highest mountain in Mexico, after the Pico de Orizaba, , and Popocatépetl, . Its name is Nahuatl for "White woman"....
, a mountain whose shape resembles the silhouette of a reclining (sleeping) woman
Philippines
- Mount MakilingMount MakilingMount Makiling, also rarely Mount Maquiling, is a potentially active volcano in Laguna province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It rises to 1,090 m above mean sea level.-Legend:...
, Legends surround the mountain, many of which relate to Maria Makiling, said to be the 'guardian fairy' of the mountain. The contour of the mountain is said to be that of her in a reclining position
Poland
- GiewontGiewontGiewont is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains of Poland, and is 1895 metres AMSL at its highest.It comprises three peaks :* Small Giewont -...
, a mountain whose shape resembles a lying human, associated with a legend of the sleeping knight
Slovenia
- The Heathen Maiden (Ajdovska deklica), near Kranjska goraKranjska GoraKranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps...
, in the Julian AlpsJulian AlpsThe Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...
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The legend of its origin - a prophetess was turned into stone - is associated to another local legend, that of the Goldhorn.
Turkey
- The "Weeping Rock" on Mount SipylusMount SipylusMount Spil , the ancient Mount Sipylus , is a mountain rich in legends and history in Manisa Province, Turkey, in what used to be the heartland of the Lydians and what is now Turkey's Aegean Region....
near ManisaManisaManisa is a large city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province.Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port city and the regional metropolitan center of İzmir and by its fertile hinterland rich in...
has been associated with NiobeNiobeNiobe was a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione, the most frequently cited, or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa, and she was the sister of Pelops and Broteas, all of whom figure in Greek mythology....
, a figure in Greek mythology, since ancient times.
United Kingdom
- Old Man of HoyOld Man of HoyThe Old Man of Hoy is a sea stack of red sandstone perched on a plinth of igneous basalt rock, close to Rackwick Bay on the west coast of the island of Hoy, in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is a distinctive landmark seen from the Thurso to Stromness ferry, MV Hamnavoe, and is a famous rock climb...
, Orkney, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, a rock pillar that resembles a standing man - Old Man of StoerOld Man of StoerThe Old Man of Stoer is a high sea stack of Torridonian sandstone in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, close to the Marilyn Sidhean Mor, the villages of Culkein and Stoer and the nearby Point of Stoer...
, SutherlandSutherlandSutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... - The German Soldier, Slochd SummitSlochd SummitThe Slochd Summit is a mountain pass on the A9 road and the Highland Main Line Railway in the Scottish Highlands between Inverness and Aviemore. An old military road also goes through the pass...
, Inverness-shireInverness-shireThe County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... - Old Harry RocksOld Harry RocksThe Old Harry Rocks are two chalk sea stacks located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.- Location :Old Harry Rocks lie directly east of Studland, about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage, and about 10 kilometres south of the large towns of Poole and...
, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - The Mourne Mountains in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
when viewed from a northerly direction resemble a man lying down, with Slieve BinnianSlieve BinnianSlieve Binnian is the third highest mountain in Northern Ireland at . The name comes from the rocky tors situated around the top of the mountain. These very rugged crest of rocky tors makes it easy to identify in views around the Mourne Mountains....
forming the man's facial features. Local legend says that the mountains formed when the Irish Giant Fionn mac CumhaillFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
(anglicised as Finn McCool) lay down to sleep.
United States
- Grandfather Mountain State Park, series of mountains in North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that resemble a reclining man. - Mother AnnMother Ann (rock formation)Mother Ann is a rock formation located near the Eastern Point Lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts. When viewed at the correct angle, the formation appears to be the silhouette of a reclining Puritan woman...
, a rock formation in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
that resembles the silhouette of a reclining woman - Mummy MountainMummy Mountain (Nevada)Mummy Mountain is the second highest peak of the Spring Mountains in Clark County of southern Nevada.It takes its name from its vague resemblance to a mummy, or perhaps more accurately an Egyptian sarcophagus seen in profile, with the "head" to the north formed by outcropping above Lee Canyon, the...
- Old Man of the MountainOld Man of the MountainThe Old Man of the Mountain, also known as the Great Stone Face or the Profile, was a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA that, when viewed from the north, appeared to be the jagged profile of a face. The rock formation was above...
, a rock formation in New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
that collapsed in 2003 - Sleeping Giant (Connecticut)Sleeping Giant (Connecticut)Sleeping Giant of south-central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a rugged traprock mountain located north of New Haven. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the...
, several mountains in ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
that resemble a reclining man - Sleeping Giant (Kauai)Sleeping Giant (Kauai)Sleeping Giant, also known as Nounou Mountain, is a mountain ridge located west of the towns Wailua and Kapaa in the Nounou Forest Reserve on the Hawaiian island of Kauai...
, a mountain ridge in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
that resembles a reclining man - Sleeping GiantSleeping Giant Wilderness Study AreaSleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area is a non-motorized recreation area located on the west side of the Missouri River and Holter Lake located about north of Helena, Montana. Designated as a wilderness study area in 1981, the Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area contains approximately of nearly...
, a mountain and ridge in MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
that resembles a reclining man - Ute MountainUte MountainUte Mountain , is a peak within the Ute Mountains, a small mountain range in the southwestern corner of Colorado. It is on the northern edge of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. The Reservation forms the southwestern corner of the state and of Montezuma County.Nomenclature for this peak and its...
, a series of mountains in ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
that resemble a reclining man - Mount MansfieldMount MansfieldMount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, a mountain in VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
that resembles the silhouette of the face of a reclining man. - Rooster Rock, a rock formation in western OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
which resembles erect human male genitalia. - Grand Tetons mountain range, Early French Voyageurs used the name "les Trois Tétons" (the three breasts).
Extraterrestrial
- Cydonia Mensae, a rock formation on MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
said to look like a human face - Libya MontesLibya MontesThe Libya Montes are a ring of mountains on Mars up-lifted by the giant impact that created the Isidis basin to the north. During 1999, this region became one of the top two that were being considered for the now-canceled Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. The Isidis basin is very, very ancient...
, a region of MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
that contains another rock formation that also resembles a human face