The Grand Canyon of Arizona is an amazing sight. The size of the barrel is enough for any observer to pause and take a moment to reflect.
In such an inspiring location, it is no wonder that over the years the Canyon has attracted its fair share of local folklore and legends. Stories like these add an interesting dimension to the canyon’s already impressive landscape.
The history of Havasupai
According to the Havasupai people, who live in Supai Village and care for the nearby Havasu Falls, even the formation of the canyon is a mystical subject.
In the Havasupai tradition, before mankind there were two gods who inhabited the earth, a god of good and a god of evil. Tochapa, the god of good, had a daughter who was destined to become the mother of the living. In an effort to annoy Tochapa, Hokomata, the god of evil, flooded the entire land. To save her daughter, Tochapa built a log boat and she survived the flood, which formed the canyon. After the earth died, Tochapa’s daughter gave birth to a male child, begotten by the sun, and then a girl, begotten by water. These two children are the ancestors of the Havasupai people.
Spirits of the South Rim
The southern rim of the canyon is the area most visited by tourists and has acquired a fair amount of enchanted history as a result. Various apparitions are said to make their homes at the famous Mary Colter structures along this edge. El Tovar, which Mary Colter decorated, is one of the oldest buildings and has been visited by many famous guests.
However, perhaps one of the most notable is an ephemeral woman. Dressed as if she lived during the great depression, the woman wanders the corridors of the hotel. Next door, Hopi House can also claim its own share of ghost visitors. The gift shop employees are said to be plagued by the “Brown Boys,” who make an appearance late at night. As kids do, these ghosts usually get into mischief, rearrange merchandise, and leave a mess for surprised workers to clean up in the morning.
The Egyptian Mystery
Perhaps the strangest story associated with the Grand Canyon lore is the tale of the Egyptian caves. The discovery of these caves was reported by the Arizona Gazette in 1909, by the explorer EG Kincaid. Kincaid related that while traveling down the Colorado River he came across an underground city.
Kincaid’s description of the city states that it spans a vast network of caves and tunnels, where he found mummies and artifacts that possessed, in his words, an “oriental”, possibly “Egyptian” appearance. The article also indicates a connection between the Kincaid find and the Smithsonian, however there are no records among the museum documents to support this in any way. The history of this lost city is certainly a rarity in canyon history.
