Ghosts & Legends - The Spirit(s) of the Grand Canyon

Arizona's Grand Canyon is an awesome spectacle.along this rim. El Tovar, which Mary Colter decorated,
The canyon's sheer size is enough to make anyis one of the earliest buildings and has been visited by
observer stop and take a moment to reflect.many famous guests.
In such an inspiring place, it is no surprise that over theHowever, perhaps on of the more notable is an
years the Canyon has attracted its share of folkloreephemeral female. Dressed as if she lived during the
and local legends. Stories such as these add angreat depression, the woman wanders the halls of the
interesting dimension to the canyon's alreadyhotel. Next door, Hopi House can also lay claim to its
impressive landscape.own share of phantom visitors. Employees in the gift
The Havasupai Historyshop are said to be plagued by the "Brown Boys,"
According to the Havasupai people, who live in thewho make their appearance late at night. As boys do,
village of Supai and care for the nearby Havasu Falls,these ghosts generally engage in mischief, rearranging
even the canyon's formation is a mystical subject.merchandise and leaving a mess to be cleaned up by
In Havasupai tradition, before mankind there were twosurprised workers in the morning!
gods who inhabited the earth, a god of good and aThe Egyptian Mystery
god of evil. Tochapa, the god of good had a daughterPerhaps the most bizarre story associated with Grand
who was destined to become the mother of the living.Canyon lore is the account of the Egyptian caves. The
In an effort to spite Tochapa, Hokomata, the god ofdiscovery of these caves was reported by the
evil, flooded the entire earth. To save his daughter,Arizona Gazette in 1909, by explorer E.G. Kincaid.
Tochapa built a log boat and she survived the flood,Kincaid recounted that while traveling down the
which formed the canyon. Once the earth died,Colorado River he encountered an underground city.
Tochapa's daughter gave birth to a male child,Kincaid's description of the city states that it wads a
fathered by the sun, and later a female child, fatheredvast network of caves and tunnels, where he found
by the water. These two children are the ancestors ofboth mummies and artifacts possessing in, his words,
the Havasupai people.an "oriental," possibly "Egyptian" aspect. The article also
Spirits of the South Rimindicates a connection between Kincaid's find and the
The canyon's south rim is the area most visited bySmithsonian, however there are no records among the
tourists, and as a result, it has acquired its fair share ofmuseum's papers which support this in any way. The
haunted history. Several apparitions are said to maketale of this lost city is certainly an oddity in the canyon's
their homes in the famous Mary Colter structureshistory.