Appearance Of “Hunger Stones” Warn Of Terrors To Come In Czech Republic
Petr David Josek/AP PhotoOne of the “hunger stones” seen in Děčín, Czech Republic on Thursday August 23, 2018.
On Aug. 23, the Associated Press reported that boulders known as “hunger stones” resurfaced in the Elbe River. The stones are located in the town Děčín in the northern part of the Czech Republic.
Over a dozen of the stones became visible thanks to the prolonged drought in Central Europe which had caused the river’s water levels to drop to extremely low levels. In the past, whenever the water levels dropped low enough to see the stones, citizens would etch the date into the stone to mark the drought.
But dates were not the only things that locals cautioned in their carvings. For hundreds of years, the “hunger stones” were used as a means to warn people of the hardships that would follow because of the drought. According to a 2013 study on droughts in the Czech Republic, one of the stones “expressed that drought had brought a bad harvest, lack of food, high prices and hunger for poor people.”
Another one of the stones featured a darker message, saying in German, “When you see me, weep.”
Wikimedia CommonsA hunger stone in the Elbe River in Děčín.
The stones are one of the oldest hydrological landmarks in all of Central Europe, which has caused tourists to flock to the city of Děčín.
These “hunger stones” serve as an obvious reminder that droughts like the one Europe faces now are not unusual occurrences. However, one has to wonder if the stones’ most recent exposure is truly a sign of darker times ahead.
