The Grand Canyon in Arizona is an awesome sight. The size of the canyon is enough to make any observer stop and take a moment to reflect.
In such an inspiring place, it’s no surprise that over the years the Canyon has attracted its share of local folklore and legends. Stories like these add an interesting dimension to the already impressive canyon landscape.
The Havasupai Story
According to the Havasupai people, who live in the town of Supai and care for the nearby Havasu Falls, even the formation of the canyon is a mystical subject.
In the Havasupai tradition, before humanity 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 be the mother of the living. In an effort to annoy Tochapa, Hokomata, the god of evil, flooded the entire land. To save his daughter, Tochapa built a log boat and she survived the flood that formed the canyon. Once the earth died, the daughter of Tochapa gave birth to a male child, fathered by the sun, and later a girl, fathered by water. These two children are the ancestors of the Havasupai people.
South Rim Spirits
The south rim of the canyon is the area most visited by tourists and has acquired its fair share of haunted history as a result. Various hauntings are said to make their home in the famous Mary Colter structures along this edge. El Tovar, which Mary Colter decorated, is one of the earliest buildings and has been visited by many famous guests.
However, perhaps one of the most notable is a female mayfly. Dressed as if she lived during the great depression, the woman wanders through the halls of the hotel. Next door, the Hopi House can also claim its own share of ghostly visitors. The gift shop employees are said to be plagued by “Brown Boys”, who make an appearance late at night. Like children, these ghosts usually get into mischief, rearranging merchandise and leaving 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 Arizona Gazette reported the discovery of these caves in 1909, by explorer EG Kincaid. Kincaid recounted that while traveling down the Colorado River he came across an underground city.
Kincaid’s description of the city states that it is surrounded by a vast network of caves and tunnels, where he found both mummies and artifacts that possessed, in his words, an “Oriental”, possibly “Egyptian” look. The article also indicates a connection between Kincaid’s find and the Smithsonian, however there are no records among the museum’s documents to support this in any way. The story of this lost city is certainly a rarity in canyon history.