Donkey Stone Traditional Geocache
pupSino: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
happy caching
pupSino ~ geocaching.com admin
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Related Web Page
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This interesting rock can be found at the western end of the village Zamárdi, between the hills of the small wood.
This interesting rock can be found at the western end of the village Zamárdi, between the hills of the small wood. On the surface of this abraded, wavy stone a canal and a so-called "fire hollow" can be seen. On the southern side, a big round carved stone leans to it. Two footprints can be see on a smaller stone nearby. According to the legend the child Jesus came this way with Holy Mary and Saint Joseph riding on a donkey. When passing the stone the donkey took a bit from the grass by the stone, so the stone became Donkey Stone. And two footprints belong to Jesus and to the donkey.
That's the legend. The elder say that the rock was thrown here by the volcano on the Tihany peninsula. Or that it was left here by the floods. An old information guide writes that it was brought here from the Holy Land by crusaders. That’s all just tale. The truth is that the stone was formed here at the time of post volcanic activity. Gases and vapours erupting from the deep, hot water and the minerals dissolved in it cemented the sand into hard stone. Fossilised cockles can be seen in the grey sandstone.
Thousands of years ago an unknown people performed "fertility-worship" here. They sacrificed and burnt crop and animals to a pagan goddess-mother and sun-god to have plentiful crop and animals. Later the Celts also used this place and built an "earth fort" around the castle. It has served as a landmark since the incoming of Hungarians. In 1942 the writer Richard Margittay, who had a villa here searched the origin and role of the stone. He thought that the stone was the place of sacrifice of the white horse. He suggested an archaeological search. An archaeological search was conducted in 1961 by the Syndicate of Lake Balaton but nothing was found of real interest.
Deep beside the stone they found stone chisels, small broken burnt clay statues of goddesses and idols, along with some bits of pottery. Part of the findings went to the regional museum. There was no horse sacrifice but they did find signs of other worship.
To get there:
Take route No. 7 to Zamardi. At the western end of Zamárdi turn uphill at the car repair shop to the Szõlõhegyi street. After a 90° turn right, the road goes along the green tourist sign. Follow the green tourist sign along the road, which changes to Romai street at the well at the end of the village. Not far from here (30m) you will see the Donkey Stone (N46° 52.478' E017° 56.041') and the explanatory sign. The cache (a plastic box with green lid) is hidden about 110 m from the stone in the direction of Lake Balaton (335°).
After finding the stone and the cache we propose you to visit the view-point at the nearby Kõ-hegy (Stone-hill) (N46° 52.266' E017° 55.988'). From the Donkey Stone continue on the road on the yellow tourist sign and the Kilátó dûlõ (Outlook alley). The panorama is worth the effort.
Originally placed by Kormi and Meki, maintained by T.Nagy. Translated by Fruzsa.
This cache is registered as "dead" on geocaching.hu because a 7-step multi replaced it there.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)