This is the third of a series of geocaches to celebrate Slavic Myth and Folklore. Mati Syra Zemlya , also known as Matka, is "Moist Mother Earth", and is an Earth Goddess figure who is the oldest deity in Slavic Mythology. Traditionally, oaths were made binding by touching the Earth and sins were confessed into a hole in the Earth before death. Mati Syra Zemlya was worshipped in her natural form and was not given a human personage or likeness. Her identity was later merged with that of the Slavic Goddess Mokosh.
Matka is much like the "Mother Earth" goddesses of other peoples....she is the mother of all – the people, the animals, and all of the plants of the Earth. The Slavic people had a strong connection to their Mother Goddess and a different relationship with her than they had with all the other gods. They looked upon her with a mixture of love and admiration, and she was the only deity they addressed personally. When the peasant people spoke of her, their eyes would fill with love. They called on her to witness property disputes and swore by her name.
Oaths and marriages were confirmed by swallowing a clump of earth or holding some on their head while they swear and oath. Her aid was invoked during epidemics and while in childbirth. Matka is also viewed as a champion of justice and a wise prophetess who allows her petitioners to come to her without the assistance of a priestess or a shaman. It was said that she held all the knowledge of the world and when asked, would release the signs that could be interpreted.
When the Slavs converted to Christianity, the Church attempted to transform her characteristics the Virgin Mary, (all pagan deities were attempted to be reconstructed as some Christian saint or holy figure) But this was not wholly successful, for during trying times, the people would revert to the worship of Matka. Her Holy Days are May 1st, June 24th and August 1st. A ritual to her took place on the fields in August. At this time, a libation of hemp oil was poured out onto the four directions accompanied by a prayer for protection against the destructive forces of nature.”
In order to find Mati Syra Zemlya, Moist Mother Earth, we will travel around the earth. You will need to be at home and use the PC to solve this puzzle.
Solve this puzzle to find the Mother's location: :
33 44.750 N, 112 37.983 W # of sides of this object
32 09.000 N, 110 50.150 W # of similar objects in this group
52 28.787 N, 62 11.137 E # points on this figure
12 22.216 N, 23 19.333 E # letters in the word for part of body where these appear on both sexes
41 18.233 N, 81 54.100 W # letters in word for this object, less 2
26 21.473 N, 127 47.029 E # letters in name of famous figure whose symbol this is, plus 1
32 40.566 N, 117 9.450 W # letters in name of this shape
27 22.760 N, 33 37.910 E number that this figure most resembles, plus 1
35 31.450 N, 104 34.316 W number of diamonds here
35 31.450 N, 104 34.316 W number of circles here
33 52.066 S, 63 59.216 W # letters in name of this object, less 5
19 56.949 S, 69 38.030 W # projections from top of head
37 24.090 N, 116 52.077 W # points in this figure, times 1.5
43 38.717 N, 115 59.583 W # letters in this proper name
37 33.833 N, 116 51.066 W how many circles
The final cache is found by hiking out via Meadows Canyon Trail.
To check your results: the total of all digits in the North latitude is 37. The total of all digits in the West longitude is 26.
Check your results with www.certitudes.org at
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.