The Legend of the Fairy Stone
Many hundreds of years
before Chief Powhatan's reign, fairies were dancing around a spring
of water, playing with naiads and wood nymphs, when an elfin
messenger arrived from a city far away. He brought news of the
death of Christ. When these creatures of the forest heard the story
of the crucifixion, they wept. As their tears fell upon the earth,
they crystallized to form beautiful crosses. When the fairies
disappeared from the enchanted place, ground about the spring and
the adjacent valley was strewn with these mementos of the
event.
For many years people held
these little crosses in superstitious awe, firm in the belief that
they protected the wearer against witchcraft, sickness, accidents
and disaster.
Fairy stones are
brown staurolite, a combination of SILICA, IRON and ALUMINUM (and
dots of real garnet). Together, these minerals crystallize in twin
form, accounting for the cross-like structure. Staurolite is only
found in rocks that have been subjected to intense
heat.
This earthcache is located in Fairy Stone
State park in Stuart, Virginia. Fairy Stone State Park is the
largest of Virginia's six original state parks and is home to its
namesake "fairy stones." For more
information on the park, click here.
The Earthcache is located in the "stone hunting area" of the park.
The parking area is on private property, but the land owners permit
parking for this purpose. The hunting area can include hills that
are quite steep. DIGGING IS STRICTLY
PROHIBITED.
To claim this Earthcache:
Find a fairy stone! (Remember - finding
a perfect cross is rare) Take a picture of it in your
hand
-or-
Take a picture of you and your party in front
of the Haynes 57 sign.
Also - answer these questions:
1) Although most fairystones are grey due to exposure to elements -
what 5 colors are possible?
2) Name 3 other places staurolite crystals can be found.
These should be easily answered by visiting the park.