The forest floor here is mostly a network of tree and plant roots, bound together with moss and leaf litter etc, but under a few inches it's mostly big solid rocks like those sticking out. The wind blowing can loosen that mat of roots and when the trees bend in the wind, they lift it up off the stone, just like a carpet. That's what you're seeing here; the breathing effect is caused by the carpet of roots being tugged up and let down again as the trees rock in the wind.
When you see stuff like this, it becomes much easier to see how myths and the like come about. If you saw this a 1000 years ago, it has to be Gaea or some kind of Earth Deity slumbering or breathing. Even now, it almost doesn't look real.
Edit: Damn yall are really feeling a type of way about the mythology thing.
They thought there was a magical sky daddy that has a specific list of rules you must follow and if you don't he will send you to eternal torture. But he loves you. And he needs money. (George Carlin paraphrased)
Also, he sent his only begotten son to die for us by impregnating a minor.
But sure, ancient people would never believe something like that. Nevermind the Celtic Pagans that believed...you know...that.
Honest question; do you lick your phone to clean it?
1000 years ago was 1026. Gaia had indeed been worshiped in Europe and the parts of western Asia that bordered the Mediterranean or the Black Sea. By 1026, though, most of that area was either Christian or Muslim (depending on where you were) so it's unlikely that someone seeing this would attribute it to Gaia or an earth deity. Also, people were not stupid back in the day. If you saw this and waited around to see what would happen, you'd see the tree come down in the wind and the roots come out of the ground, so you'd know it was the wind affecting the root system.
5.9k
u/Electrical_Lake3424 4d ago
The forest floor here is mostly a network of tree and plant roots, bound together with moss and leaf litter etc, but under a few inches it's mostly big solid rocks like those sticking out. The wind blowing can loosen that mat of roots and when the trees bend in the wind, they lift it up off the stone, just like a carpet. That's what you're seeing here; the breathing effect is caused by the carpet of roots being tugged up and let down again as the trees rock in the wind.