1 - Paiute (or Piute) Legends of Shin-au-av (or Variants like Shin-A-Vah/Shinowaf):
Indigenous oral traditions describe an ancient underground realm or "Ghost Land" beneath Death Valley, accessed via caverns or tunnels. A common story involves a grieving Paiute chief descending into the caves to retrieve his deceased wife's spirit from a lush, illuminated subterranean world inhabited by spirits or an ancient race. He crosses challenges like demons, beasts, and a narrow bridge over a chasm, but loses her after looking back (echoing myths like Orpheus and Eurydice). Some versions tie this to fair-skinned inhabitants speaking unknown languages, wearing leather clothing, and using greenish-yellow lighting. This is often linked to Wingate Pass as an entry point, and the area is now partly restricted within the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. These align directly with the Paiute memories and "Legend of Shin Au Av" in your referenced page. - -1- - -2- - -3- - -4- -
2 - Prospectors' Discoveries (1920s1930s, Often Near Wingate Pass):
Accounts of miners or explorers like "White" (sometimes with a wife or partner Fred Thomason) or pseudonymous figures "Jack and Bill" falling through abandoned mine shafts into vast tunnel systems (up to 20 miles long) leading northward into the Panamint Mountains. They reportedly found large caverns with perfectly preserved mummies (some 89 feet tall, adorned with gold spears, shields, and armbands), treasure vaults containing gold bars, jewels, stone wheelbarrows, polished tables, and artifacts. Illumination came from subterranean gases emitting a greenish-yellow glow. Entrances were said to include high "windows" or arches overlooking Death Valley (around 4,5005,000 feet up, near Furnace Creek). The discoverers often claimed to remove artifacts but lost them to theft or couldn't relocate the entrances due to rain-altered terrain, and they vanished afterward. This mirrors the Thomason/White story from Bourke Lee's book in your referenced page. - -1- - -2- - -3- - -4- -
3 - Dr. F. Bruce Russell's 1931 Discovery:
While sinking a mining shaft, Russell (a retired physician) and colleague Dr. Daniel S. Bovee (or Bovey) allegedly broke into a catacomb system spanning 180 square miles across Death Valley and into Nevada. It included 32 tunnels with ritual halls, hieroglyphics resembling Egyptian and Native American designs, mummified giants (89 feet tall in gray sheepskin garments), and preserved remains of extinct animals (e.g., dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, mammoths). Russell formed "Amazing Explorations, Inc." to publicize it but disappeared in 1947 (car found with a burst radiator); Bovee also vanished. Skeptics note timeline inconsistencies with animal remains. This was publicized in sources like a 1947 Howard E. Hill announcement but dismissed by archaeologists. Identical to the Russell account in your referenced page. - -1- - -2- - -3- - -4- -
4 - Tom Wilson's Grandfather's Encounter (Pre-1900s):
Paiute guide Tom Wilson (d. 1968) recounted his trapper grandfather discovering tunnels leading to an underground city with fair-skinned inhabitants in leather clothing, speaking an unknown language, riding horses, and offering unfamiliar food under greenish-yellow lights. Wilson searched with others (including White) but found only dead-ends; he believed the tale until his death. This is explicitly mentioned in your referenced page via a podcast reference. - -1- - -2- - -3- - -4- -
Observations and Context.
No New or Unique Content: Every source cross-references these same 19th20th century accounts, often sensationalized in old newspapers, books like Death Valley Men (1932), or modern retellings in podcasts and blogs. Variations in names (e.g., "Piute" vs. "Paiute," "Bovie" vs. "Bovee") or minor details (e.g., exact tunnel lengths) appear, but they don't introduce novel stories. Modern conspiracy angles (e.g., government cover-ups, ties to ancient cataclysms, or restricted access) also echo the benevolent/malevolent beings and Federation themes in your referenced page.
Related but Non-Matching Legends: Some searches surfaced similar underground myths in nearby regions, like Lizard People catacombs under Los Angeles (1934 G. Warren Shufelt story), Lemurian survivors in Telos beneath Mt. Shasta (hundreds of miles north), or red-haired giants in Lovelock Cave, Nevada. These share thematic elements (ancient races, hidden tunnels) but aren't located beneath Death Valley or the Panamints...
Why So Repetitive?: These tales seem to stem from a few 1920s1940s publications (e.g., Far Out magazine, Los Angeles Times features) and have been recycled in books, forums, and online content without fresh discoveries.
If you have more specific angles (e.g., a particular era, source type, or related keyword), I can refine the search further. Otherwise, based on current data, the provided webpage appears to be a thorough aggregation of all known material on this topic.
Bourke Lee's Death Valley MenBourke Lee's Death Valley Men (published in 1932 by The Macmillan Company, New York) is a rare, out-of-print book that serves as a follow-up to Lee's earlier work, Death Valley (1930). While the first book focuses more broadly on the valley's geology, flora, fauna, Paiute Indian lore, early inhabitants, lost emigrants, and miners, Death Valley Men shifts toward anecdotal portraits of colorful characters and prospectors who lived in or explored the harsh Death Valley region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The book is structured as a collection of stories and conversations drawn from Lee's own experiences and interactions with locals. It includes chapters or sections on various "Death Valley men" such as murderers, doctors, engineers, restaurateurs, ranchers, miners, teachers, and other eccentric figures along with tales of desert life, treasure hunts, and the challenges of the environment. One reviewer describes it as containing "charming anecdotes about the author's own experiences in Death Valley, as well as stories of interesting desert folk," emphasizing the folly of white men trying to tame the desert rather than purely sensational elements.
The Famous Underground Legends
The book has gained lasting notoriety in fringe history, conspiracy, and ancient mysteries circles primarily due to a specific chapter or section often referred to as "Old Gold" (around pages 277308 in some references). In this part, Lee recounts a conversation with a small group of Death Valley residents (including men named Bill Corcoran, Jack Stewart, and others) after discussing Paiute Indian legends.
The key story involves two prospectors (referred to as "Jack and Bill" in many retellings, though some accounts link it to earlier figures like White and Thomason) who claim to have accidentally discovered a vast underground city or complex beneath the Panamint Mountains (which border Death Valley to the west):
One man falls through the bottom of an old mine shaft near Wingate Pass.
They follow a long natural tunnel (described as over 20 miles northward) into the heart of the mountains.
They enter large ancient rooms filled with treasure: gold spears, shields, statues, jewelry, thick gold armbands on perfectly preserved mummies (some adorned like warriors), polished stone tables, and artifacts.
The caverns are illuminated by an ingenious system of lights fed by subterranean gases (emitting a greenish-yellow glow).
They ascend through the tunnels to higher levels, emerging onto the eastern face of the Panamints about halfway up the slope, via arched openings they interpret as ancient "docks" or quays (suggesting the valley was once a sea or lake, with Furnace Creek visible far below).
They remove some artifacts and treasure as proof, attempt to interest scientists (including those associated with the Smithsonian) and form a deal to explore/publicize it as a "wonder of the world."
However, a cloudburst alters the landscape, their evidence is stolen by a "friend," experts dismiss them when they can't relocate the entrance, and they set out to climb the Panamint face to find the high "windows" or openings again.
Lee reports never hearing from them again after they began preparations for this expedition.
This narrative ties into older Paiute traditions mentioned in the book (e.g., ancient "Hav-musuvs" who arrived in ships when the valley was a lush harbor, building cities in great caverns). It also echoes similar themes from other regional folklore, like tunnels and hidden peoples.
Context and Availability
Bourke Lee himself remains somewhat mysterious; little biographical information exists, and some speculate the name could be pseudonymous. He appears to have been a prospector or writer familiar with the area.
The book is scarce today often confused with his more common Death Valley and typically fetches high prices on the used/rare book market (hardcover editions from 1932, sometimes ex-library).
No full public domain PDF or digital scan of Death Valley Men is widely available online (unlike some versions of his other book). Excerpts of the underground story circulate heavily on websites, blogs, and conspiracy forums, but the full volume focuses more on grounded desert history and personalities than on the sensational cavern tale.
Skeptics view the underground account as folklore, a tall tale shared among prospectors, or an embellished retelling of Paiute myths, with no verifiable evidence despite the area's extensive exploration.
If you're seeking the book for its historical desert portraits, it's a fascinating snapshot of early 20th-century Death Valley life. For the underground legends specifically, this chapter has become the primary source fueling modern retellings (including links to giants, ancient civilizations, or hidden bases). Let me know if you'd like help tracking down purchase options or more on related Paiute lore!994msFast55 sourcesMore on Paiute Hav-musuv legendsThe Paiute Hav-musuv legends (sometimes spelled Hav-Musuv, Hav Musuv, or Suvians) form one of the most intriguing and frequently retold elements of Paiute oral tradition tied to Death Valley and the Panamint Mountains. These stories describe an ancient, advanced race that once inhabited the region, often interpreted in modern contexts as extraterrestrial, ancient human survivors, or a hidden subterranean civilization. However, the core narrative appears to stem primarily from mid-20th-century retellings rather than widely documented traditional Paiute folklore collections.
Core Elements of the Hav-musuv Legend
The most detailed and widely circulated version comes from a 1947 article in Amazing Stories magazine titled "Tribal Memories of the Flying Saucers," attributed to a Navajo (Dinι) author using the pseudonym Oga-make. He claims to have learned it from Paiute elders. The story is presented as an elderly Paiute recounting ancient tribal memories to a non-Paiute listener:
Arrival and Origins: Long ago, when Death Valley was a lush, blue-water sea (a hidden harbor stretching from the mountains to the Gulf of California), the Hav-musuvs arrived in huge rowing-ships. They discovered great caverns in the Panamint Mountains and built an underground city there.
Advanced Technology: As the climate dried and the sea vanished, they could no longer use their rowing-ships. They developed "flying canoes" or silver airships (described as flying disks that emerged from caverns and vanished into the clouds). These were powered mysteriously and used for travel.
Appearance and Society: The Hav-musuvs are portrayed as peaceful, technologically superior beings who avoided conflict. They dressed in white garments and carried advanced weapons, including a "stun tube" (like a shower of cactus needles that immobilized victims for hours) and a "silver tube" that could kill with a glance. They built a beautiful underground city lit by eternal white lights (burning without fuel) in a vast subterranean valley of marble beauty.
Interaction with Paiutes: The Paiutes knew of them but generally kept their distance. In one key episode, a grieving Paiute chief (whose bride died suddenly) sought the Hav-musuvs, hoping to use their "tube-of-death" to end his life and join her in the spirit world. He climbed the Panamints, encountered a guardian Hav-musuv with a silver pipe (weapon), and insisted on proceeding despite the threat. Impressed by his resolve, they took him in, taught him their language and history, and showed him their city. He shared Paiute legends in return. After weeks (during which his people mourned him as dead), he returned to pass on the knowledge but was urged not to stay.
Weapons and Defenses: They preferred isolation but were formidable when provoked, using ray-like devices for defense.
This tale ties into broader themes of underground realms, ancient advanced peoples, and "flying shields" or disks, which some modern interpreters link to UFOs or ancient astronauts.
Context and Origins
Connection to Bourke Lee's Work: In Death Valley Men (1932), Bourke Lee discusses Paiute legends of ancient peoples in the Panamints, including underground cities, treasures, and mummies. While he doesn't explicitly name "Hav-musuvs," the 1947 retelling builds on similar motifs (e.g., seafaring arrivals, caverns, and advanced tech), blending them with post-WWII UFO interest.
Relation to Shin-au-av: Many sources conflate or connect the Hav-musuvs with the older Paiute legend of Shin-au-av (or Shin-Au-Av, meaning "Ghost Land" or spirit realm of the dead). This is a separate but thematically similar tradition: a grieving chief journeys through caves/tunnels beneath Death Valley to the underworld ruled by Shin-au-av, facing demons, beasts, and a narrow bridge over a chasm to reunite with his deceased wife. He succeeds but loses her by looking back (like Orpheus). This is a classic afterlife myth, not involving advanced tech or flying ships, and is more firmly rooted in traditional Paiute cosmology.
Modern Interpretations and Skepticism: The Hav-musuv story has been heavily amplified in fringe literature, conspiracy sites, and UFO lore (e.g., as evidence of ancient ET visitors, crystal-powered cities, or ties to Hollow Earth theories). Some describe them as humanoid with conical heads or cat-like eyes, arriving on "silvery eagles." However, mainstream anthropological sources on Paiute folklore (e.g., collections of Northern/Southern Paiute tales) focus on Coyote stories, creation myths, water spirits, and origin legends without mentioning Hav-musuvs. The tale likely emerged or was popularized in the 1940s amid rising interest in flying saucers, possibly as a sensationalized blend of genuine Paiute underground/spirit world motifs with modern sci-fi elements.
In summary, the Hav-musuv legend is a captivating blend of ancient migration, lost technology, and hidden worlds beneath the desert, but it appears more as a 20th-century narrative inspired by Paiute traditions than a core, pre-contact tribal story. If you're interested in visuals of Death Valley's Panamint Mountains, the stark desert landscapes, or artistic depictions of underground realms, let me knowI can pull some relevant images! For deeper traditional Paiute myths (Coyote tales, water babies, etc.), those are well-documented in ethnographic works.856msFast72 sourcesExplore Shin-au-av legendThe Shin-au-av (also spelled Shin-Au-Av, Shin Au Av, or similar variations) legend is a captivating piece of Southern Paiute oral tradition associated with Death Valley in California. The name "Shin-au-av" roughly translates to "Ghost Land", "Spirit Land", or "God's Land", referring to an underground realm of the dead a paradise-like afterlife where the spirits of the deceased live in eternal happiness and peace.
This myth is deeply rooted in Paiute cosmology, portraying the underworld as a lush, vibrant contrast to the harsh, arid surface of Death Valley. It serves as an explanation for the afterlife and features classic mythological elements like perilous journeys, trials, and a tragic "don't look back" taboo.
The Core Story: The Chief's Journey to the Underworld
The most commonly retold version involves a grieving Paiute chief whose beloved wife dies suddenly. Overcome with sorrow, he decides to journey in his earthly body to the land of the dead to retrieve her. (In some accounts, a god or spirit guide assists him.)
He enters through a hidden cavern or tunnel system beneath the desert floor (often linked to locations in or near the Panamint Mountains or Wingate Pass). The path is long, dark, and dangerous:
He travels for days through miles of underground passages.
He battles vicious beasts, evil spirits, demons, and other perils that guard the way.
Eventually, he emerges into the beautiful Kingdom of Shin-au-av a vast, green meadow-filled realm lit by eternal light, with flowing waters, abundant vegetation, and joyful spirits.
He is welcomed by a beautiful maiden, often described as the daughter of Shin-au-av (the ruler or personification of the land itself).
She leads him to a grand natural amphitheater where thousands of happy, deceased Paiutes dance in a great circle, celebrating in eternal bliss.
After days or nights, the chief reunites with his wife. Together, they prepare to return to the living world via a narrow stone bridge or arch spanning a bottomless chasm that connects the underworld to the surface.
Shin-au-av (or a guardian) warns him: Do not look back at the spirit land as they cross, or the connection will be severed forever.
Tragically, as they near the end of the bridge, the chief cannot resist glancing back for one last view of the wondrous valley below. In that instant, his wife vanishes into thin air, and he finds himself alone on the surface.
Heartbroken but transformed, he returns to his tribe and spends the rest of his life recounting the beauties and luxuries of Shin-au-av. His tale becomes a foundational legend passed down through generations, explaining the nature of death, the afterlife, and the hidden portals beneath the desert.
Here are some evocative visuals of the stark, otherworldly landscapes of Death Valley and the Panamint Mountains places where such entrances to hidden realms feel imaginable amid the rugged terrain and shadowed canyons:
https://morethanjustparks.com/
https://www.booksandtravel.page/
https://www.thegreatestroadtrip.com/
These dramatic vistas, with their eroded mountains, hidden crevices, and vast emptiness, have long fueled imaginations about concealed underground worlds.
Cultural and Thematic Context.
Similarities to Global Myths The "don't look back" rule strongly echoes stories like Orpheus and Eurydice (Greek), Lot's wife (Biblical), and various other worldwide tales of failed retrievals from the underworld.
Paiute Cosmology Paiute traditions often feature Coyote as a trickster, creation stories involving emergence from underground or water sources, and spirit realms. While Shin-au-av isn't always central in ethnographic collections (which focus more on Coyote tales, water babies, or origin myths), it aligns with broader Southwestern Native beliefs about ancestors emerging from or returning to subterranean worlds (e.g., Hopi and Zuni emergence myths).
Artistic Depictions Paiute-inspired artwork sometimes evokes spirit worlds or ceremonial dances, reflecting themes of connection between the living and the dead:
Modern Interpretations and Legacy
In the 20th century, the legend gained new life through books like Bourke Lee's Death Valley Men (1932), which blended it with prospectors' tales of hidden caverns, treasures, and mummies turning the spiritual afterlife into speculation about a literal ancient underground city or lost civilization. This has inspired countless conspiracy theories, UFO connections, and "ancient giants" narratives, though anthropologists view it as classic folklore rather than historical fact.
The Shin-au-av legend endures as a poignant reflection on grief, the afterlife, and the mysteries hidden beneath the earth's surface a timeless reminder that even in the harshest deserts, profound beauty and wonder may lie just out of sight.
