ESTONIA - Saaremaa

Panga cliff.

The Panga cliff is located on the northern shore of Saaremaa, at the end of the Kuressaare - Võhma road, close to Panga village. It is the highest of the Saaremaa and Muhu cliffs, reaching to a maximum of 21.3 meters. The entire cliff is approximately 2.5 kilometers long.Standing at the tip of the cliff, one can clearly see another half-circular cliff under water. This is especially noticeable during storms, when the waves break against the underwater rocks, while the inside of the half-circle is calm. Folk tradition ties Panga cliff as a place of worship and sacrifice for the ancient Saarlanders. It is known that until well into the 19th century, local fishermen poured libations of beer and whisky over the edge of the cliff, especially at midsummer eve, to ensure lots of fish during the coming year. There is a fishing spell that was chanted in Mustjala parish, and it says: "Come, come closer codfish to me. Bite my hook my dearest gray one. My hooks are silver, dipped in gold and slipped in lead."

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