The Myths and Legends Surrounding Devil's Tower
It is an unlikely mountain, towering a mile and a half like a giant standing in the valley. Native Americans have considered it a sacred place since ancient times. Stephen Spielberg used it as a backdrop for the blockbuster film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Every year, thousands of tourists come to admire its unusual shape. The name of this strange geological formation is Devil's Tower.
In the northeastern corner of Wyoming, United States, there is an impressive mountain of igneous rocks that looks like a giant petrified tree trunk. It is the Devil's Tower, an unusual geological formation that rises 1588 meters above sea level.
What makes the Devil's Tower so unusual is its practically flat surface and the singular vertical grooves on its side, so regular that the natives could see the scratches made by a bear's paws. Its unusual appearance has given rise to numerous legends and in 1977 it was used as the location for the final scene of Steven Spielberg's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
A Lakota legend tells that while seven little girls were playing near their village, some bears approached to devour them. The girls jumped onto a low rock and shouted to it: “Rock, have mercy on us, save us!”. The Great Spirit heard them and raised the rock towards the sky. The bears chased them, trying to climb the rock, leaving long incisions still visible today with their claws. However, the animals were unable to reach them. The rock became so tall that the girls became stars, forming the constellation we now call the Pleiades (The Seven Sisters).
Certainly, it is a suggestive legend. But what does science say about the creation of this strange geological formation?
Theories on the formation of the Devil's Tower
The Devil's Tower has been studied since the late 19th century. Geologists of the time believed that the mountain was formed by an intrusion of igneous material. Modern geologists basically agree with this theory, but not exactly about the process that took place.
Many believe that the molten rock that makes up the Tower would not have emerged from the ground; others believe that the Tower is all that remains of what was once a large, explosive volcano.
In 1907, scientists Darton and O'Harra proposed that Devil's Tower must be an eroded remnant of a laccolith. The laccolith is a rock mass formed by the intrusion of magma between two layers of sedimentary rocks. The pressure is such that it lifts the upper layer of rock while the lower layer remains almost horizontal, thus giving rise to the typical mushroom chapel shape. In the case of the Tower, it is thought that the basaltic columns on the sides of the mountain were formed following the very slow cooling of the molten rock.
Other theories have suggested that it is a volcanic plug, or a solid protrusion made up of solid or semi-solid lava extruded in a volcanic vent. When they form during a volcanic eruption, they can completely impede the escape of gases and give rise to explosive eruptions.
What's under the Tower?
There is a legend, however, which does not concern the creation of the rock, but what lies beneath it.
Years ago, a resident of that northeastern part of Wyoming was visiting Yankton, South Dakota. While there, he showed the photo of Devil's Tower to the Sioux Indian elders he met. One of them seemed particularly interested in the photo, asking: “Has the passage at the base of the tower been found”? When the resident replied no, the Sioux man looked disappointed. Intrigued by the question, the resident managed to get the elderly Indian to tell him the legend of the Tower that few whites know.
According to the legend, many years ago, three warriors were on a hunting trip near the tower. As they explored the rocks at the base of the mountain, they discovered a passage beneath it. They made torches out of pine branches and began to explore the tunnel.
The floor of the tunnel was strewn with bones, perhaps human. The tunnel ended overlooking a large cavity with an underground lake, inside which large quantities of gold were deposited. Unprepared to carry such treasure, the warriors left the tunnel and hid the entrance so that no one else could find it. They promised themselves they would return for the gold, but they never did. One of the warriors, on his deathbed, told the story to other members of his tribe, so that the story was passed down for several generations before reaching the old Indian.
So, is there gold under Devil's Tower?
If there is, no one has ever found it. Furthermore, the geology of the mountain, an igneous intrusion, does not appear to allow the existence of caves under the mountain. The story is very similar to those about lost mines that were passed down in the Old West.
However, it is also true that in the Black Hills area, where the Devil's Tower is located, there are some of the largest caves in the world, including the Wind Cave and the Jewel Cave. Additionally, Black Hills is known for gold mining, inspiring the Great Gold Rush in the 1880s.
So, as with many other legends, it is possible that there is some truth to the story of the Devil's Tower. Perhaps the lost cave is not under the tower, but nearby, waiting to be found by someone.
