Siberia: Theories Blown Open!

Throughout the first episodes of Siberia we have slowly been leaked clues about the mysteries underneath the reality competition.  While I have individual posts recapping the events and oddities, I thought it would be a good idea to just lay out what we know and hypothesize regarding what is really going on.  This post is based on all the information we have learned thus far under the assumption you are up to date with the episodes.  If not, I encourage you to check out my previous posts where you can easily browse through the events to get the gist of what has happened.  I am a mathematician, particularly a logician, so I accept the premises we have been given as truth and try to find my way to a logical conclusion, but in a fictional show anything goes!  Below I point out the real events of 1908, as well as what we have seen, to try and better understand the story within.  I would love to hear your thoughts, as well as start a dialogue, so please feel free to comment!  Let's check out the questions Siberia has posed so far, enjoy!
Check out my updated post with more facts & theories: Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind!

1. What happened to the original settlers?

• While I normally like to base all my theories only on what we see in the show, I made an exception here because this is a real event in Siberian history and with a bit of research I was able to find out a few interesting facts:
1. The "Tunguska Event" happened at 7:15 AM on June 30, 1908; it is the biggest event of its kind in known history.  People observed what looked to be fire in the sky or a "second sun" falling into our atmosphere.
2. While researchers have tried to explain it away as a comet or meteor, no one can seem to come to a consensus as the minerals found and the eyewitness accounts don't quite line up with either theory.
3. Atop that there was no evidence left behind, such as a piece of a meteor or comet like would be expected.  Instead for the days following the event the skies continued to glow which is a phenomenon having to do with ice particles (which were found at the site) that has also been seen when space shuttles enter the earth's atmosphere.
4. The shape had what is referred to as a "wingspan" resembling a butterfly.
5. To make it even more eerie, when overhead photos were taken of the site, they were ordered to be burned.
6. While theories are all over the place, the strangest was the idea that it was a black hole traveling through Earth, but it was dismissed because there was no evidence it came out the other side.
• Although I am pretty good with my sciences, I am no meteor, comet or black hole expert but this info did spark a few theories I find to be plausible.
1. The original event was an alien space craft.  It would explain why it left no remnants; either because the craft was moved, left earth, or has the ability to cloak itself in order to not be seen.  (I realize that I am talking about a real event and am implying there are actually aliens in the Siberian woods, but I'm going out on a limb in order to theorize what's happening on the fictional show.)
2. Due to the fact there was no evidence of a black hole exiting on the other side of Earth, it could possibly have been a wormhole which is believed in fringe science to have the capabilities to transfer objects, people, beasts, etc. through space and time.  I like this theory a bit more because there is no need to explain how a spacecraft left or remained undetected, rather it could be that the wormhole simply transported alien creatures from light-years away to earth and they remain in the Siberian woods.
• Even after all this you still have to ask yourself, what happened to the original settlers?  Were they killed by the aliens?  Were they transported back through the worm hole or on the ship?  Were they effected by the event and possibly mutated like the frog?  Are they still there?  I know that last one seems impossible, maybe even improbable, due to the age they must be.  However, if the extraterrestrial event did affect their composition in some way, their lifespan could have been extended.  Plus I don't believe for a second that after a hundred-plus years a bracelet from an original settler would still be just laying in shallow waters (referring to what Sam found in episode 3; see Siberia Gets Into the Thick of It).  Unless the beast also thought it to be a good luck charm and has been wearing it around, could the settlers have been transformed into the beings and Anne held onto it all this time?  The similar name to Annie also made me think of a House on Haunted Hill type of situation where the cast members are descendants of the original settlers.  No matter how you slice it, right now I have no real answer to this question; but I do have some concrete theories now that I know more about the original event and I hope you do too.  There is a little more about what could have happened to the settlers in the sections below.

2. What is the beast in the woods?

• While at first I thought that the unknown beast in the woods could have been formed through science experimentation, which could also explain the mutated frog, DNA manipulation didn't come until around World War II, well after this event.  In addition the cave drawings showing the beast seems to be from long before that.  (More about both of these are in their own sections below.)
• Whether a creation of science or an alien it is clear that this beast is big and strong.  I originally hypothesized that it was an Alien vs. Predator type situation where they visit Earth, but it has become clear that however they came to be they have been part of the Siberian habitat for thousands of years.  In addition, if they are only visitors we know that at least one got left behind.  It could have been left to guard the area, it is possible the settlers were transformed and are still there, but we know they have come back at least once and I think they're about to pay another visit! 
• I don't believe they are predators by nature.  They don't seem interested in attacking the contestants and I'm not sure if Tommy wandered into their area or if they hold the mushrooms to be valuable, as they attacked him right after the fungi was uprooted, implying they were offended in some way.  In real history, when a group went to study the impact site of the Tunguska Event, their local guides refused to go too far in fear of the "Valleymen".  I believe this is what the cameraman was referring to after Tommy's attack when he repeated "I saw them" in Russian.  It was also interesting that when Daniel and Sabina were being chased by the beast, when they stopped it stopped like its goal was to run them off rather than attack them.  The other big event was the mauled tiger at the end of "Lyin' and Tiger and Bare", that posed the question: why would the beast attack the tiger?  I think that because it obviously didn't eat the tiger and it was practically placed right outside the settlement, it served as the beast's way of warning the contestants not to veer to deep into the woods.  While I firmly believe the beast is really an alien that traversed a wormhole, the question of what happened to the settlers still there bothers me.  Did they stray too far into these "Valleymen's" territory?  Possibly, in line with the cave art discussed below, they tried to hunt the beast like the early humans and met their demise.  I also question the number of beasts, is there only one or do they have their own settlement of many?  These are all plausible questions that I don't yet have answers for.

3. What do the cave drawings represent and why are they important?

   • If I continue with my axiom that the original event, as well as the beast, is extraterrestrial in nature, rather than man-made, then I would have to account for its presence before the 1908 event.  What I originally discounted as a sun, upon repeat views I noticed there is a sun as well as a large spiral in the cave drawings that reminds me of the wormholes in the series Sliders.  This could easily have been the ancient peoples' way of depicting either a spaceship, that the 1908 reports described as a "second sun", or my leading theory, a wormhole.  This means that the beast is an alien in the woods and has come to Earth before 1908.  The drawings themselves didn't really seem that cryptic to me, it showed early humans using spears to kill the beast and, if you look closely, the being seems to have a weapon of its own in hand.  Thus our beloved cast might not just be up against aliens, wormholes, and a superior being but enhanced weaponry as well.  The description I used in my blog for that episode(see Siberia Goes Deeper into the Woods) was an Anubis-looking creature, similar to human in form, with two-pronged feet (which matches the tracks found in the woods near Tommy's death site), three-pronged hands and a hooded cobra-like head.  I think the important thing to take from the drawing is simply that Siberians have been fighting whatever "it" is for thousands of years.
     
   

4. What secrets can be deduced from the mutated frog?

• In the first episode Daniel found a frog with an extra leg.  While this could be nothing, as this has happened before in nature, I don't think the show would include it if it wasn't important.  My first thoughts were that it had to do with the unknown presence in the woods.  Possibly that the beast is a mutated human and the same thing caused malformations in the frog.  While I'm not totally sure (now that I am leaning towards wormhole aliens, rather than science experiment gone wrong) it is plausible that the Tunguska event caused the mutation as high concentrations of various elements were deposited and it isn't related to the beast.

5. Who is Sabina? (and yes I think she has the gun)

• In the first episode she beat the fastest men and was able to reach the settlement before the others.  To me this implies that she is familiar with the terrain and likely has a different motive than the others for being in Siberia.
• If she has more knowledge of their habitat then my supposition would be that she was able to make it to the gun before the others.
• Daniel found her in a hidden cave, in which she warned him not to enter claiming there is a drop-off and it is dangerous.  Again with her knowledge of the area this is likely her home base where she is plotting her course of action.  If she did steal the gun and bullets, this is probably where she has hidden them.
• Finally since Siberia was where Jewish prisoners were sent in the 1900's and she is an Israeli soldier, I believe Sabina could be Mossad, the CIA of Israel, who sends its members on various missions.  With her familiarity of the terrain and obvious secrecy, I think her goal is related to the beast; whether it is to track and contain it or possibly destroy the being altogether.

6. What is the importance of Victoria's vision and the mushrooms?

• You had to pay close attention in the first episode to grab the line Sam read from the Revealer's paper concerning the mushrooms.  It said that they were used for rituals by the original settlers, for this reason I think they hold important value.  Depending on what happened to the settlers they may still be important to them or to the beast.
• I assume if you're reading this you know what happened with Esther, Victoria and mushrooms, if you need a recap check out Siberia Goes Deeper into the Woods.  Anyhow, Victoria ate the uncooked fungi and had a "trip" of epic proportions.  While she was obviously agitated and delirious she mentioned butterflies, the sky being green and on fire, and "you're all dead".  It became clear when Victoria chose to leave that she believed the mushrooms have the ability to show the consumer the future and what will happen next to the contestants was too grim for her to stay.  Perhaps another member of the group will attempt to also eat the uncooked mushrooms and get a glimpse into their future in order to help save them all!
• What was most interesting about her vision was the prophecy that they all would die.  If they don't travel into the "Valleymen's" territory they should be fine, right?  But perhaps something more sinister is about to happen (like in Alien vs. Predator the Predators came every so often to hunt the Alien and show their superiority) such as another event in which the wormhole reappears and the beasts hunt the human settlers and what happened in 1908 will repeat itself.  Who knows if the contestants are decedents, maybe there will be a House on Haunted Hill moment where only one contestant survives because they are adopted!  I am not sure about the butterflies and the only thing that strikes me is that the Tunguska Event crater was described as butterfly-like in shape.    

7. How many of the eerie events are the producers, and how many are something else entirely?

•  The appearance and disappearance of the tiger as well as the spear labeled "get out" in Russian, I believe to be warnings from the beast in the woods.  However we have to scrutinize the clues and guess whether the noises, movement and people seen in the wilderness are props executed by production to scare the contestants or from the unknown presence that haunts the Tunguska area.

     ✓ What is Carolina hiding?

• She is the only cast member who doesn't use her real name.
• Daniel mentioned in the first episode that she was familiar.
• This one stumps me.  However while she may be lying about who she is, I don't think that it has any relevance to the big mysteries that surround the show.
• Conclusion: Carolina is an actress, put in the show by the producers to stir up trouble amongst the group. (Revealed in "Fire in the Sky"; see Siberia Gets a Little Stranger)

     ✓ What is the significance of the symbol that appears in credits?

• First off, for it to be in the credits of every episode must mean it has important significance.  To me it looks like a compass rose and at first glance I thought the arrows pointed outward like a signal to guide safe passage.  However, the triangles are actually inverted so I think it could be a way of marking the beast's territory.  It probably wasn't a good idea for whomever carved it as it could mean this way is safe, or this way marks death.  I personally prefer the latter as an arrow was a fairly primitive drawing and they must have inverted it for a reason.  We will just have to wait and see if it's marking dangerous areas, a safe passageway or something else entirely!
• Conclusion: In the episode "Fire in the Sky", Miljan finds the symbol, which did turn out to be a compass, that leads him to more on nearby trees.  At the end of the road he discovers a hidden journal that appears to have been written by one of the 1908 settlers in Russian.  I suppose the carvings were a map to help them remember where the journal was hidden.  But it raises a new question: What secrets are contained in these writings that needed to be stashed away for safe keeping?  As well as, are there more of these symbols and do they lead the way to safe passage or mark the areas of danger?  



 

So what do I ultimately think about the mysteries of Siberia?

• The event is the effects of a wormhole opening into the Siberian wilderness. 
• The aliens come through this wormhole, but why they wormhole keeps appearing and how many beings stay is still unclear.
• The beast is not normally predatory unless it feels threatened or someone wanders into its territory.
• The ancient humans as well as the settlers tried to attack the beast and lost OR they were mutated and still stalk the Siberian wilderness.  Now with humans being seen stalking the woods, my hunch about the settlers still somehow living in the wooded area along with the beast is gaining more traction. 
• I believe the 1908 settlers may have some relation to the contestants there now.
• Sabina is a Mossad solider with ulterior motives.
• The mutated frog is an effect from the change in normal elemental levels in its habitat caused by the 1908 event.
• Since I don't recall ever seeing the mysterious symbol in the show, other than in the credits, it could be the contestants, I pick Carolina, who carves it marking the areas in which the beast has been seen. Miljan found the strange carving in the episode "Fire in the Sky" due to its age and the old journal found at the end of the path, the symbols were likely carved by an original settler as a path to their hidden writings.  However, I believe this just affirms that it is a sort of map it can still be used in other places to mark out a safe, or dangerous passageway. 
• The mushrooms give the consumer the power to see the future, but what every time-traveling show has taught me, these visions can be changed.  I think it would be a good idea for someone else to try them out and rather than bail, like Victoria, use their vision to help them survive.



I originally intended to post this after the fourth episode because we see in the preview that Victoria's vision begins to unfold.  I rushed it and posted it early to hopefully get people talking before we find out how true the vision was.   I hope it was easy to read as conspiracy theories twist in and out everywhere and without the full story this is all just observations, research and hypothesizes.  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments so please share!  Stay tuned to Siberia Mondays on NBC, and check back here for full recaps, reviews, predictions and updates to my theories!   

References

Siberia. (2013, July 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:57, July 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siberia&oldid=564991792

Tunguska. (2013, February 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:59, July 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tunguska&oldid=539818671