Siwash rock

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Siwash rock

The Siwash Rock is a monolith-like rock in the Canadian city of Vancouver . It is located just off the northwest coast of Stanley Park and rises up to 18 meters in height. The rock is considered a natural landmark of the city.

The rock is of volcanic origin and was formed around 32 million years ago. Magma penetrated to the surface through a crevice in the earth's crust and formed a basalt rock pillar in the middle of the sedimentary rock that the park's floor is made of today . This was more resistant than the surrounding sandstone cliffs , which were eroded over time by erosion . Siwash Rock is the only rock of its kind in the Vancouver area.

In the Chinook Wawa language , Siwash stands for a member of the indigenous people ( First Nations ). The word didn't necessarily have a negative connotation in Chinook Wawa and was also used by the Indians themselves. It is a loan word from the French sauvage , which means "wild" or "untamed". Nowadays this word is mostly perceived as offensive, but is still used in connection with certain place names.

The Squamish themselves call the rock Slahkayulsh , which means "it stands upright". In Legends of Vancouver, the poet Pauline Johnson tells of a Squamish legend, according to which a man was turned into the Siwash rock as an "indestructible memorial of pure fatherhood". A plaque nearby names the rock as "Skalsh the Selfless", who was transformed by "Q'uas the Transformer" as a reward for his unselfishness.

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  1. ^ John J. Clague, Alison Parkinson, Vancouver Natural History Society: Wilderness on the Doorstep: Discovering Nature in Stanley Park . Harbor Publishing, Vancouver 2006, p. 172, ISBN 1-55017-386-3 .
  2. ↑ Mike Steele: Vancouver's Famous Stanley Park: The Year-Round Playground . Heritage House, Vancouver 1993, pp. 59-61, ISBN 1-895811-00-7 .
  3. ↑ Legends of Vancouver . Vancouver: Thompson Stationery Co., 1911. (Project Gutenberg) ISBN 1-550820-24-9
  4. ↑ Mike Steele: Vancouver's Famous Stanley Park: The Year-Round Playground . Heritage House, Vancouver 1993, pp. 59-61, ISBN 1-895811-00-7 .

Coordinates: 49 ° 18 '32 "  N , 123 ° 9' 22"  W.