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The Legends of Mount Shasta (USA)

The Legends of Mount Shasta (USA)
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Mount Shasta is a dormant stratovolcano located in northern California, within the Cascade Range. Standing at 4,317 meters (14,160 feet), it still has some fumaroles emitting smoke and its summit remains perpetually covered in snow. The last eruption occurred in 1786, but scientists anticipate the possibility of a future awakening. Mount Shasta is home to five glaciers, the longest of which extends down to 2,900 meters. On its southern slope, there is a secondary peak, Shastina, which rises to 3,660 meters. Discovered in 1827 by the Canadian fur trader Peter Skene Ogden, it was first ascended in 1854 and remains a popular destination for experienced mountaineers. Many of the attempts to climb it take place during the winter months.

Numerous legends have blossomed around Mount Shasta. Let’s begin by exploring one tied to the local Native American tribes. According to a Modoc legend (recorded by Ella Clark in 1953, based on their oral tradition), in the beginning, there were no humans on Earth. The Spirit of the Sky lived in the World-Above, but it was very cold there. To warm things up, it carved a hole in the sky with a stone and pushed snow and ice through it. Both tumbled down to Earth, where they piled up and formed a towering mountain.

Today, it is called Mount Shasta. The Spirit of the Sky, with his great staff, passed from cloud to cloud to reach the summit of the mountain. After that, he began descending toward the valley. As he walked, he had the idea to use his finger to create small holes in the earth. Into each hole, he planted a tree. The snow that melted under his steps formed rivers. Completely satisfied with the results, the Spirit of the Sky began breaking his long staff into small pieces. Some of them transformed into fish, others into beavers, and others into various small animals. Thus, all the animals of the earth were created. Among them were the bears, who walked on their hind legs and spoke like humans. With their thick fur and sharp claws, they looked so fearsome that the Spirit of the Sky sent them far away, to the foot of the mountain.

Once this immense work was completed, the Spirit of the Sky brought his family down to Earth. They took residence on the great mountain of snow and ice, where he made a fire in the center and created a hole at the summit to let the smoke escape. Everything went well until spring, when a violent storm shook the mountain. The fire was blown back into the chimney, and the earth trembled. The Spirit of the Sky asked his youngest daughter to climb to the top of the mountain and ask the Spirit of the Wind to calm down. He warned her not to stick her head out of the chimney, or the wind would carry her away. The little girl promised, but she knew that from up there, she could see the ocean — that vast expanse of water she had never seen before. How could she resist the temptation to gaze upon it? She stuck her head out, and in the blink of an eye, the Spirit of the Wind swept her away! She was carried to the edge of the forest, among snow-covered firs, in the territory of the grizzly bears.

One of the bears, who had been hunting to feed his family, found her and took her to his home to care for her. In those days, the grizzly bears were not as fearsome as they appeared. Becoming attached to the little girl, the bear decided, of his own accord, to keep her with him and raise her among the bears. The girl grew up and, as a woman, married the eldest son of the grizzly bear. They had children whose appearance resembled that of the grizzly bears. The little family lived together in a new home, which is now known as Little Mount Shasta.

As time passed, when the Bear Grandmother (the one who had raised the girl) sensed her end was near, she knew she must tell the truth to the Spirit of the Sky. So, she sent her eldest grandson as an emissary. He climbed to the top of Mount Shasta and fulfilled his mission.

Modoc
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Modoc

The Spirit of the Sky, happy to learn that his daughter had been found, descended to the home of the grizzly bears. But he was greatly surprised to see a woman instead of the little girl he had lost. Even worse, he saw that his daughter was living among creatures with furry coats, who claimed to be her children—his grandchildren—beings of a race he had never created! His rage was immense! He cursed all the grizzly bears. "Get down on all fours! You have wronged me so greatly that from now on, you shall walk like this. Moreover, I take away your ability to speak." And with that, he returned to his mountain with his daughter, never to visit the grizzly bears again. According to some accounts, he extinguished the fire he had kept in his mountain and returned to live in the sky. As for his grandchildren, they scattered across the world and became the first Native Americans, the ancestors of all Native peoples. This is why the Native Americans who live near Mount Shasta never kill the grizzly bear.

Now, let’s jump ahead in time to find Mount Shasta shrouded in mystery. For many, the area around Mount Shasta is one of the most mystical places in the world, and people travel from far and wide to live under the shadow of the mountain. With tales of underground cities, flying discs, unexplained lights, and meetings with otherworldly beings, it would be hard to imagine a more mystical place. Mount Shasta has a unique feature: there are over 400 caves formed by lava, a type of cavity that is not commonly found but is far from rare. Unlike other mountain ranges that blend into the surrounding landscape, Shasta stands isolated, rising above what appears to be an almost flat terrain. It is partly this solitude that gives Mount Shasta its aura of mystery. The area around Mount Shasta has been inhabited for thousands of years by many Native American tribes. However, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that the first Europeans set their eyes upon it. The Spanish called the mountain "Jesus-Maria," and the Russians named it "Tchastal," meaning "white or pure mountain."

The Legends of Mount Shasta (USA)
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Of all the legends surrounding the mountain, the most famous is the one about the Lemurians, who are said to live within it. Refugees from the lost continent of Lemuria or Mu, the Lemurians are described as tall and beautiful. Dressed in long robes and wearing white sandals, they would descend to the small town at the base of Mount Shasta, reportedly using gold nuggets for their supplies. While it is said that Atlantis was in the Atlantic Ocean, Lemuria is believed to have been located in the Pacific. James Churchward, in his numerous writings, claimed that the continent was so vast it stretched from Australia to California, covering most of the Pacific Ocean with a massive landmass. Modern science has completely dismissed the possibility of such a large continent existing in the last 10,000 years, but it is still possible that much smaller lands could have existed in the Pacific, and that the legends of Lemuria may not be entirely based on fantasy or speculation.

Evidence of a Lemurian city came from astronomer Dr. Edgar Lucian Larkin, former director of the Mount Lowe Observatory, who wrote about Mount Shasta in the San Francisco Examiner. One day, while testing a new telescope, he directed it toward the base of the mountain. Instead of seeing treetops, he observed a golden dome that appeared to be of Asian construction. As he continued his observations, he saw two more domes and a distinct building, apparently made of marble. As the sun set and night fell, Dr. Larkin was astonished to see the area illuminated by a very bright white light, despite there being no moon. Unfortunately, these observations were never verified, and many believe the whole story was a fabrication. The lack of concrete evidence has since deterred hikers and explorers from further investigating the mountain.

In 1904, an explorer named J.C. Brown was sent by Lord Cowdray of the "Mining Company" to search for gold in the Sierra Nevada. On his second trip, Brown stumbled upon a tunnel carved into the rock of Mount Shasta. He followed the tunnel and reached a vast cavern covered in layers of copper, with walls decorated with gold plates, and he saw artifacts and statues. Adjacent chambers were filled with unknown patterns and undecipherable hieroglyphics. One room contained the bones of what appeared to be a giant. As often happens with such discoveries, Brown didn't tell anyone what he had found, fearing that his employers would seize his discovery. He waited patiently for 30 years, until his retirement, and then shared his story, organizing a group to help him search for the tunnel’s entrance. In June 1934, 80 people gathered at the location he had indicated. But that night, Brown mysteriously disappeared and was never found. The Stockton police investigated the case and concluded that Brown had likely been killed. Without Brown to guide them, the tunnel and all its treasures were never rediscovered.

The Lemurians are not the only mysterious beings said to inhabit the slopes of Mount Shasta. In the spring of 1953, the pioneer Marcelle Masson from Siskiyou linked a legend from the Wintun Indians about a race of wild giants who live in the caves around the mountain.

Mount Shasta has also been the site of many sightings of unexplained lights and UFOs. In Now I Can See! – Miracle at Mount Shasta, Hanna Spitzer recounts her vision of a very bright white light that quickly moved toward the road and "shone like daylight." The following morning, Spitzer woke up to find she no longer needed the glasses she had worn since childhood. Her vision had been healed.

Many of the stories surrounding Mount Shasta may seem too fantastical. However, the volume of reports leads to the undeniable conclusion that there is something unusual in this area.

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