A Pagan Perspective - Gary Varner

Sacred places exist in every nation, culture and time. Sacred places have also been targeted for reverence and destruction in every part of the world for differing reasons. Many people, not only the indigenous people of an area, feel that these special places, be they of water, wood or stone, are places of power, healing and spiritual bonding. Others, because of those same beliefs, believe that they should be destroyed because they interfere with “development” or give credence to ancient beliefs that are not in accordance with another, more dominant theology.

Great Britain has some of the most important spiritual places in the world—places that still exist because of the care and maintenance that is shown to them. But not all is well. There are continued cases of intentional vandalism, vandalism through ignorance, and outright destruction of these sites. Some recent examples of these in Britain include St. Peter’s Well in Cornwall, which was destroyed when a farmer constructed a cattle shed on the spot and recent vandalism at Sancreed Well, in Penzance. Sancreed well has been called the “most spiritual place in Cornwall” and is one of a few wells known for its ability to enduce sleep and to provide cures to those that sleep here. A tree that hangs over the well is festooned with strips of cloth, which serve as offerings as well as solicitations for cures. During the Autumn of 2001 some of the branches of this tree were cut through and the clooties burned in a nearby church ruin. However there is also a concerted and intentional effort to restore and protect many of these places.

The United States has a different approach to what is considered sacred outside of conventional church walls. Those that still exist in the US are normally protected as part of parks or forests, or Native American reservations. Any that happen to rest on “private property” are subject to being graded over, legally or not; pot hunted or in some other way wiped off the face of the earth.

Some are caught between two conflicting cultures. One culture that strives to use the site as a recreational spot and the other, which strives to maintain it as a sacred place for worship.

CAVE ROCK—WASHOE PLACE OF POWER

Lake Tahoe , “discovered” in 1844 by John C. Freemont, is a beautiful blue-green body of water lying in the folds of a volcanic mountain complex. In the 1860’s it was reported that the tranquil surface was disturbed by underwater volcanic action:

“The water, perfectly smooth and calm at the time, when suddenly at a locality about two hundred and fifty yards out from shore, was observed to rise in columnar form about five or six feet above the surface of the surrounding water, but soon subsiding and falling down in a whirlpool; this phenomenon being repeated several times—one person rowed out in a small boat and found the water at that spot quite warm.” (1)

What seems placid to us is undoubtedly very active and the old accounts say “no Indian would dare to cross the lake, affirming their belief that an evil spirit would draw them to the bottom, if they would make an attempt.” (2) Hot springs were said to have been commonly encountered on the shores of Lake Tahoe , although today they seemed to have disappeared.

One sacred place situated on Lake Tahoe is Cave Rock , known by the Washoe tribe as “De ek wa dep push”, this important site is located on the southeastern shore of the Lake on the Nevada side. The Washoe tribe regards cave Rock as their spiritual center. It is the remnant of an ancient and extinct volcano, which juts out of the earth on the edge of the lake. The Washoe believe that Cave Rock holds tremendous power that can only be approached and used by certain elders of the tribe. It is power that must only be used to restore the healing energy of the shaman.

In the basin of the outcrop is a cave, which has been a site of pilgrimage for some of the tribal elders for generations. In fact, the Washoe believe that the rock and the cave in particular is so charged with spiritual energy that only select holy men were, and are, allowed to climb the crag. According to Washoe lore, the Washoe had been kept prisoner by another tribe. The God of the World set the Washoe free and placed the evil tribe in a cave under the rock, beneath the waters. Other inhabitants of the cave are water babies and a lake monster called by the current locals, “Tahoe Tessie”.

A May 17, 1997 article in the Los Angeles Times, spoke of Washoe elder Darriel Bender’s uncle who was a Washoe shaman:

“Bender recalls that his uncle…would spend days working his way up to the top of the rock, pausing often for spiritual renewal.

“Once he reached the sacred upper alcove, Bender’s uncle would commune with the resident Water Babies —powerful spirits that live in Lake Tahoe —to replenish his own healing powers. Sometimes he would stay two weeks, sometimes a month, from one full moon to the next.” (3)

An earlier newspaper account describes Cave Rock as “the rock and water prison of the demons”. (4) Regardless of the terminology for the spirits that inhabit the site, Cave Rock is regarded as an extremely powerful and sacred site of the Washoe tribe—one that is still sought out for a renewal of power of the tribal shamans .

Today a two-lane highway cuts through the bottom portion of the rock and it has become a hotly contested issue for the tribe and rock climbers who traverse the sides of the steep volcanic rock. The tribe feels that the rock exchanges power and energy with the climbers, which is detrimental to the sacredness of the crag.

Evidently the U.S. Forest Service feels the same way about Cave Rock for on July 10, 2003 it banned rock climbing on Cave Rock. The decision, which is likely to be appealed by the climbers, requires that all climbing bolts, anchors, graffiti and a rock floor that the climbers installed in the cave be removed. (5)

MONO LAKE

Mono Lake is today an eerie but wonderful place. Located on the California -Nevada border it is the birthplace of 90% of all California Gulls (50,000 a year nest at Mono Lake) and home to over one million Eared Grebes and 80 other species. Mono Lake is also one of the oldest existing lakes in North America being at least one million years old. Strange tufa formations rise out of the water resulting from a chemical reaction between the freshwater springs that flow underground into the salty lake water. The tufa towers range in age from 200 to 13,000 years old.

The active volcanoes in the area have created a number of hot and warm springs as well as the islands that exist in the lake—one of which, Paoha Island, is only 300 years old.

The water contains sodium chloride, sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate and the lake is known as a chloro-carbonate-sulfate “triple water” lake. I visited Mono Lake in January 2003, wanting to experience the hot springs and the strange formations in and around the lake. The heavy snow cover and cold temperatures of this time of year kept me from seeing many of the places I had desired to see but my four-wheel drive vehicle traversed the two-mile snow covered dirt road to the South Tufa Area. Utterly silent and cloaked in snow and fog the lake looked surreal.

There are few legends about Mono Lake but it is known that the Indians frequented it often to collect the pupae of the alkali fly, which was harvested as a favorite food. The pupae, being rich in fat, protein, and flavor, were an important trade item between the Kuzedika'a and the Yokut and Yosemite Miwok peoples.

The Mono Paiute called themselves "Kuzedika'a" meaning "fly eaters". The Yokut called them "Mono" which also means, "fly eaters".

One of the stranger legends has to do with a water serpent . The Walker Lake Paiute have believed that a large water monster, similar to the Loch Ness Monster, resides in Walker Lake. An early newspaper account in the San Francisco Cable told of a sighting near Goldfield, Nevada :

“…a man named Peters is said to have discovered the serpent some time ago in shallow water near the shore, and on being aroused it disappeared in deep water. There is also said to be legend among the Paiute Indians near Shurz concerning the existence of a great serpent in Walker Lake”. (6)

Legend says that two serpents, a male and female, live in Walker Lake and arrows fired by the Paiute warriors simply bounced off their thick hide. Indian children were cautioned not to make fun of the legends out of fear of the serpent ’s anger. Legend also says that these two serpents originated in Mono Lake . An article in the Review Journal, on June 4, 2000 remarked that when the Northern Paiute were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands “moving the tribe also took them away from the serpent that members of the tribe believe dwells there. The tribal offices have a photo purportedly showing the serpent, which bears a striking resemblance to the Loch Ness monster.” (7)

Another story accounts for the creation of Paoha Island. It seems, the legends say, that Bear and Rabbit decided to race and as Rabbit pulled ahead of Bear, Bear decided that he wanted to kill and eat Rabbit—not just beat him in the race. As Rabbit raced along the Controller of Water, a gigantic creature who sat in Mono Lake and controlled the water levels, stretched his legs out so that Rabbit could race across the lake to safety. As Bear started to also cross the giants legs the Controller of Water pulled them back allowing the water to cover Bear, drowning him. Bear floated to the surface, becoming Paoha Island.

There are many hot springs around Mono Lake and Kawaiisu legends say that the springs become hot because the sun sinks into the waters each evening. (8)

Due to the need for water in the Los Angeles basin, Mono Lake was almost completely drained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). In 1998 the California Water Resources Control Board approved the plans of the DWP to restore Mono Lake to its pre-dewatering 1941 period when the water level was 45 feet higher than it is today. While the plan will only allow half of the water loss to be regained it will provide for much of the loss in bird and riparian habitat. The importance of the restoration of Mono Lake is such that the International Lake Environmental Committee is monitoring its progress along with 24 other lakes around the world.

RED CANYON PETROGYLPHS

This ancient Paiute rock art site is one of the victims of this war of values. Or should I say war of no-values. Located below the Mono-Kawaiisu territory, near Bishop, California , situated in a beautiful valley at the foot of the Sacred White Mountains is the Red Canyon petrogylph site. Over the years the Paiute have been fighting the gradual destruction of the site brought on by vandals and pothunters. By agreement the Bureau of Land Management requested that persons interested in seeing this ritual site obtain maps in person from the Bishop Field Office to reduce the potential for additional vandalism. This effort was minimal and ineffective. When I went in search of Red Canyon the BLM field office was closed but a few inquiries from the local residents provided fairly specific instructions on how to locate it. No protective plan appeared to have been implemented as the site has undergone extensive vandalism, including outright destruction of many images or the wholesale removal of them for sale to collectors. Information from the BLM field office however indicates that the vandalism has almost completely stopped since the 1990’s with frequent patrols of the site by BLM rangers and volunteers. Nature now appears to be the major source of the sites deterioration.

The rock art here is truly amazing. The site contains a wide variety of features including mountain sheep, spirals, anthropomorphic figures, serpent or water symbols, and a number of entopic patterns which are usually associated with designs created in pre-visionary trance . What I was interested in was a panel of drawings depicting Water Baby footprints. At first glance the site does not appear to have a lot to associate it with water, however it is not far from the Owens River and various creeks, which meander through the area. While I was able to find the site of the Water Baby prints for the most part they no longer exist. Only a set of bear prints, which were drawn parallel to the Water Baby prints, are still visible. Vandals had attempted to remove the panel of tracks but had only succeeded in obliterating it.

One of the most fascinating petrogylphs found here is one that may illustrate the ancient migration-origin myth of these people. The petroglyph has several lines cut deep into the rock, separating the five different worlds that these people believe that they traveled through. Two zigzag lines traverse through the five levels, one ending in a spiral , which represents migratory events in Native American mythology.

Strangely enough an almost identical image can be found on the Nazca plain in Peru. Called the “Needle and Thread” it is a quarter of a mile long while the Bishop petroglyph is only about three feet in length. But the designs are obviously symbolic of the same mythological concept. Devereux wrote that he felt that the Nazca drawing was “related to shamanic out-of-the-body flight.” (9) Called the “Needle and Thread” due to its similarity to weaving implements, the true purpose may be something much more meaningful. Evan Hadingham noted that the triangle of the Needle and Thread, as well as other figures on the Nasca Plain, “point to the base of Cerro Blanco, the ‘Volcano of Water’” as well as towards underground aqueducts. (10) Hadingham also notes that the trapezoids and triangles, as shown in both the Nasca and Bishop carvings, “were in some way intended to ‘draw down’ moisture from the foothills” and “seem to function as sacred pathways to elevated spots, where prayers and offerings are directed to the mountains for water and fertility.” (11) The numerous mountain sheep designs were a common motif of rain shamans , as has been discussed previously.

The author has requested that the Bureau of Land Management develop a viable plan to protect this site, or restrict access, so that future destruction will be avoided or at least minimized. In 1967 archaeologist Campbell Grant wrote, “before the coming of the whites, the only destructive forces were the natural ones of wind and water.” (12) Following the arrival of Europeans the respect for the indigenous ancient cultures of the Americas and the art and artifacts that they left became less and less. Marvelous rock art sites have been totally destroyed. Grant writes, “beer cans and empty rifle cartridges litter the ground, and the paintings that survived the gunfire are painted over or carved with names and dates. “ (13)

SACRED WELLS OF THE NURAGHI

Several thousand miles from Mono Lake and Red Canyon lay Sardinia off the western coast of Italy. The ancient stone structures of the Nuraghi are perhaps some of the most understudied archaeological wonders of the world. Only recently have the complex religious systems, including temples, sacred wells, necropolises and standing stones , been studied with any degree of detail. What has been found to date mirrors the complex social and religious structure of other bronze-age civilizations.

The Nuraghi had a complex religious system, which appears to have been focused on sacred wells, standing stones and other "cult monuments." The Nuraghi civilization, dating from the early Bronze Age (1800 BCE) to the late Iron Age (500-238 BCE) was an agricultural society with influences from Phoenician and Etruscan contact that developed into a series of territorial kingdoms. The architectural styles are unique in that large stone towers, tombs, residences and defense structures were constructed and still exist on the island.

Sacred springs were a major feature in the Nuraghi religion and well temples were common—there are 40 currently known—which were uniformly spaced around the island and which served as focal points of worship for the whole population. According to Giovanni Lilliu, a "spectacular sacred well, surrounded by small houses for the worshippers and market stalls" still exists at the sanctuary of Santa Cristina-Paulilatino. (14)

The Nuraghic wells and associated well temples are believed to have originated at the end of the 2^nd millennium BCE. Giacobbe Manca writes, “their social function is clear—beyond the mere necessity of water being vital for every living creature—by the relevant number of finds originating from them. We refer to excellent vases, decorated either by imprinting or with mamillary plastic reliefs, and to bronze statuettes…commonly considered ‘ex-voto’

“A hoard of such precious objects is explained only by a strong faith in the healing and regenerative capacities of a divinity which reveals itself to man in the waters of deep underground veins.” (15)

Thousands of votive offerings have been found in the wells of the Nuraghi including weapons, small ship models, bronze deer and cattle as well as figurines of people—some in the position of prayer or offering. Archaeological evidence indicates that these wells were used by all of the citizens of the Nuraghic society, their offerings consisting of “tiny, handmade pottery oil lamps” of the poor to decorated vases and bronze figurines of the middle and upper classes. Animal sacrifices appear to have been made as well on special hearths near the wells. (16)

Like the Minoans, the Nuraghi believed in a divine bull that was thought to live in the wells and springs. In the recess of one sacred well at Campo-santo-Olmedo a small bronze idol in the form of a bull has been found and other carvings and figures of bulls are found throughout the area.

The God of the water was believed to be the ultimate judge of innocence or guilt. A small amphitheatre has been found at Bonorva, Sardinia where several hot springs and mineral springs are located. Anyone accused of a crime was brought to this spot, observed by those in the amphitheatre, and given an ordeal by water. According to Lilliu, “after the accused had sworn his innocence, the assistants in the ritual held his head under the hot bubbling water. If the suspect then became blind he was held to have been guilty and to have been punished for swearing a false oath; if, instead, he was unhurt, and indeed his sight improved, then he had sworn the truth and was innocent.” (17) Centuries later the Catholic Church would build a small church here dedicated to Santa Lucia, the saint of eyes. This has been a practice throughout Europe and Britain for the Church to assume many of the powers of sacred sites and to construct Christian churches named after saints over the sites. Many times these saints mirror the characteristics of the ancient Pagan Gods and Goddesses.

Anthropology professor Robert H. Tykot notes, contrary to Lilliu, that these sacred wells, or water temples, “are rarely situated near Nuragic settlements. In these temples, a stone cupola covers a well shaft or spring, which is reached by a staircase from a paved forecourt.” (18) Tykot observes that the contemporary Sardinians visit the modern spa of Sardara by the thousands—keeping alive the veneration of water. Sardara is near the sacred well of Sant’ Anastasia. “Even today”, remarks Tykot, “the pagan elements present in Christian holidays and rites attest to the strength of the Nuragic spirit.” (19)

Luckily these treasures have not been subject to vandalism or modern day “planned destruction” and we can only hope that they survive into future generations.

CHAPTER NOTES

1. Sioli, Paolo. Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County California . Oakland: Paolo Sioli, Publisher 1883, 77

2. Ibid.

3. Anon. “Rock Climbers, Washoe Indians clash over Cave Rock ”, Los Angeles Times, May 17, 1997

4. Placerville Herald, July 9, 1853.

5. Crofton, Gregory. “Climbing banned at Cave Rock” in Tahoe Daily Tribune, July 11, 2003

6. San Francisco Cable, July 1907

7. Rinella, Heidi Knapp. “Northern Paiutes changed with move”. Review Journal, June 4, 2000. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj.home/2000/Jun-04-Sun-2000/news/13509450.html

8. Phillips, Santos. “The Race Between Frog, Coyote and the Sun”, in Kawaiisu Mthology: An Oral Tradition of South-Central California by Maurice L. Zigmond. Menlo Park: Ballena Press Publications 1980, 147

9. Devereux, Paul. Earth Memory: Sacred Sites—Doorways into Earth’s Mysteries. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications 1992, 254

10. Hadingham, Evan Lines to the Mountain Gods: Nazca and the Mysteries of Peru. New York: Random House, Inc. 1987, 255

11. Ibid, 256

12. Grant, Campbell. Rock Art of the American Indian. New York: Promontory Press 1967, 74

13. Ibid

14. Lilliu, Giovanni. The Sardinia of the nuraghi. Novara: Instituto Geographico De Agostini S.p.A. 1993, 58

15. Manca, Giacobbe. Sardegna:Archaeology in the Province of Nuoro. Nuoro: Provincial Tourism Office of Nuoro n.d., n.p.

16. Lilliu, op cit. 71

17. Ibid, 66

18. Tykot, Robert H. “Villages of Stone: Sardinia ’s Bronze Age Nuraghi ”, in Archaeology Odyssey March/April 2003, Vol. 6, No.2, 50

19. Ibid, 59

About the Author

Gary is a writer with an archaeological/anthropological background. His first book, "Essays in Contemporary Paganism", was published in June 2000. Gary's new book, "Sacred Wells", an illustrated book about holy wells and sacred waters around the world is now available from Publish America, your local bookstore and all on-line retailers. Two new books will be released in the Fall of 2004.

The major influences in my life have been those early anthropologists and ethnologist who studied human kind's early and contemporary cultures, exploring the technology, rich oral traditions, folklore and religious structures that are still so abundant in the world.

The need for universal respect and enjoyment of our differences is paramount. To do otherwise only cheats us all of our common heritages.

Accomplishments: Included in the 2003 edition of Who's Who in America, Gary will also be listed in the important reference work, 2004 Who's Who in the World.

SACRED WELLS is now available from PublishAmerica book publishers at a special price of $16.95--$3 off the regular retail price. Gary's new book, a companion to SACRED WELLS, WATER OF LIFE--WATER OF DEATH: THE FOLKLORE AND MYTHOLOGY OF SACRED WATERS will be published next year by PublishAmerica. The academic publisher, Algora Publishing in New York will be publishing Gary's other new title in 2004-05 on the folklore of sacred stones. Called MENHIRS, DOLMEN AND CIRCLES OF STONE, this book will appear in the Fall listing of Algora Publishing.

Gary is a member of the American Folklore Society, the Joseph Campbell Foundation and the Oregon Writer's Colony.

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