AN INTRODUCTION:
Throughout history, legends and stories have moved people by not only providing life lessons, but by strengthening the culture within the area. This ideal is no different for Northern Nevada that was shaped by old Paiute tales and western romanticism. Resting in the heart of the golden west lays the Truckee River Watershed, a self-contained water flow running from the mountains of Lake Tahoe down to the desert land around Pyramid Lake. With not only the culture but also tourism in the area relying on the harmonious balance between the two lakes, it is only natural that they would be the holders of many tales and myths surrounding the area. It is the legends of Tahoe and Pyramid, including Washoe tales of the Ong and tourist traps like the Tahoe Tessie, as well as individual sightings, that contribute to the paranormal and overall historical culture of the area.
LEGENDS OF LAKE TAHOE:
One of the most popular destinations within Nevada also holds the most potential as a supernatural tourist attraction. Lake Tahoe, sitting approximately 6225 ft. above sea level (Gould), is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes, inspiring thousands of artistic endeavors and catering to an influx of over 4.5 million tourists annually (Watanabe 100). In addition to these fun facts, it also is the second highest navigable lake in the world and certainly one of the cleanest and most protected. Regardless of its many features that remain popular to tourists, Tahoe also has a rich history behind it in relation to various Native American tribes. It is the myths that stemmed from their cultures that have crafted and woven the fabled history around the lake today.
While certain stories tell of the naming and history behind each ‘island’ within the lake, a particular tale stands out when reviewing Tahoe’s origins. Mrs. W. W. Price, a Stanford graduate, gathered and collected various tales and myths belonging to local Indian tribes such as the Paiutes and the Washoe. One of Price’s primary sources came from a local Indian couple by the name of Jack and Susan. It was through this couple that she was able to string together fragments of an ancient tale telling of the creation of the pristine blue lake surrounding the area (James 39).
The origin of Tahoe begins long before any white settlers came to Nevada, when spirits still freely walked the earth. A single Indian man with a kind soul lived in the meadow just beyond Glenbrook, but he found himself constantly distraught as the great Evil Spirit interfered with every activity the man attempted to do. Tortured by the Evil One’s annoying habits, the Indian fled hoping to find peace over the hills, yet at every step of the journey, he found the Evil One waiting to trip him again. Sensing his distress, the Good Spirit gifted the man with a leafy branch said to possess magical qualities to conjure instant water. After the Good Spirit instructed the man to drop a piece of the branch each time the Evil One loomed to close, he began to run. Each time the Indian felt the dark spirit’s presence, he dropped a piece of the branch creating instant water. This act delayed the Evil One greatly as he could not cross over water and was forced to go around. As the chase grew more intense, the Indian looked back only to drop a large portion of his branch from the shock of seeing such a terrifying being lurking so close behind him. To his utter amazement, the branch dropped to form a great lake that will later be named “Tahoe.” He continued to run and run until the Evil One could no longer bother him before he finally settled along the valley on the other side of Tahoe. This is the story of the crystal clear lake came to be.
While the origins story provides for the creation of the lake, there are still deeper stories surrounding Tahoe. One such story is that of the Ong. The Ong is a bird-like creature said to look surprisingly human with long eagle like feathers and scaly webbed feet (Moreno 13). The story of Washoe heritage states that the birdlike creature guarded its nest at the bottom of the lake while scanning for human flesh to devour. According to the myth, the Washoe chief once had a lovely daughter by the name of Nona, who was soon to be wed to whomever her father declared to be the greatest hero of the village. Unbeknownst to her father, Nona was already deeply in love with a young brave who had yet to participate in any major battles. Distraught at the fact that he’d never be chosen to wed sweet Nona, the young brave found himself praying to the Great Spirit, the Washoe’s god figure. As the brave continued to pray, the great Ong rose from the depths of the lake, and released a cacophonous cry. Knowing what had to be done to succeed in marrying his love, the young brave began frantically waving about in an attempt to catch the great beast’s attention. As soon as the Ong had taken hold of him, the brave frantically began wrapping a buckskin rope around himself and the great bird’s feet. When the Ong went to release the brave into the waves so that the currents would carry its meal back to the nest that lay below the surface, the bird found it was unable to release the boy, much to its distaste. The two begun a fierce aerial battle as the bird tried to shake the brave from his feet. Every time the Ong would attempt to snap its scaly beak at the boy, he would throw a series of poison arrows into the great beast’s mouth. As the battle raged on, the boy and the bird began to disappear over the horizon, vanishing from the eyes of the tribe.
As the tribe settled down that evening, all of them believed the young brave to be dead. The men began weaving great tales of their heroism at a constant attempt to woo the chief’s daughter, but her mind was elsewhere. She quietly snuck away from the festivities and readied a canoe to go in search of her missing love. She questioned the bird’s strange behavior, for she did not know of the poisoned arrows nor the buckskin rope. As she sailed forward, Nona cried out the name of her love, prepared to join him in death if need be. It was not long before the tribe found out of Nona’s disappearance. They panicked and threw themselves into a frenzied search, for that was the evening that Nona’s husband was to be decided. The tribe searched until daybreak when they noticed a floating object just below the horizon heading to shore. Upon closer inspection, the tribe realized that they were viewing the corpse of the now deceased Ong with a small canoe tied lightly to the bird’s ankle in tow. Standing across the wings of the great beast with the other wing elongated like a sail were the chief’s daughter and the young brave. When the two lovers had reached the shore wrapped in each other’s arms, great cheers of bravery and heroism in favor of the young boy taking Nona to be his bride. When the two young lovers were finally wed, the chief proclaimed that the lake would forever carry the young brave’s name: the name Tahoe.
After the naming of Tahoe, certain landmarks and areas around the lake began to have stories woven of their origins. Of these myths, perhaps the most spoken is the tale of two brothers (James 42). The legend describes the olden days of the Paiute tribe where two brothers lived with the eldest brother’s wife, Duck. The older brother was a strong brave hunter and provided well for the three, while the younger was still weak. Disgusted by his impishness, Duck often refused to feed younger whenever she prepared the food, as she saw no reason for him to receive a meal that he neither helped prepare nor catch. One afternoon as Duck was cleaning the fish, the younger brother came upon her and became very hungry, as she had refused to feed him for the last week. Driven mad with hunger, the younger brother approached Duck from behind and swung a deadly blow to her head. Paying no mind to the body, the younger brother cooked the fish and relaxed in the bright sun until evening. Upon his return, the eldest brother was struck with anger and grief at seeing his wife’s lifeless body. Although furious with his brother, the eldest decided to shun the younger rather than kill him, as Duck was a cruel woman. After days of begging for forgiveness, the younger eventually convinced his far stronger brother to journey with him to Lake Tahoe in search of a new beginning.
Though the journey there was long, the older brother gladly taught his companion many hunting and fishing skills so that one day the younger could follow in his brother’s footsteps. Upon reaching the shore of the lake, the two brothers had collected dozens of squirrels that they buried to save for a later feast. After drifting hazily by the fire into the late evening, the younger brother awoke due to his grumbling stomach. He attempted to stir his older brother to no avail before he began to dig up squirrels for a late night snack. It was during his dig that the young Indian discovered that one of their squirrels was missing. As he frantically search the ground for his missing meal, he came across the burrow of a giant spider. The spider immediately attacked the young boy and they engaged in chase before the younger brother could no longer run and fell victim to the spider’s wrath.
When the older brother awoke the next morning, he found himself confused, as there was no sign of his younger half anywhere. He stretched lazily, taking in the fresh pine of the forest mixed with something putrid, before traveling to the area where he had hidden his meal the night before. The eldest found himself quite startled to find the squirrels strewn across the bare ground. He began to count them and realized one was missing. Assuming his younger brother had taken one and then left for a morning hunt, the eldest brother reached down to take a squirrel for himself when he noticed the spider out of the corner of his eye. Both the spider and man pounced for one another at the same time, but the hunter was quicker and killed the spider before it even had the chance to strike. Confused at the strange beast, he went to explore its burrow only to discover the lifeless body of his younger sibling. Stoically, the eldest grabbed the body of his younger brother and began to breathe into his mouth. The younger quickly jerked back to life as the older had been blessed with great healing powers and all was well again.
After the rescue, the younger felt indebted to his older brother and began to search for a gift of thanks along the Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe. It was at the bay that the brother spotted a young babe with hair as gold as the sun floating at the edge of the lake. Thinking that the hair of the young child would make an excellent gift for his brother, the younger sibling crept up to the baby with the intent to kill, only to have its eyes shoot open in great anger and stress. A fight ensued between the supernatural child and the Indian lad until the latter had finally scalped the head of the poor babe. Looking back at the scene of their fight, the hills were stained with red and will stay that way as a memorial of the great fight between the two youths.
Prideful of his victory, the younger boasted to the sky, only to find that the water below him had begun to rapidly rise. It was in this moment that the younger had realized he had aroused the wrath of the water babies, and he began to rapidly run in order to present his brother with his new gift. Every now and then, the younger brother would turn back and toss a few golden hairs into the lake as an attempt to trick the spirits of the children into believing that he had returned the scalp. When he had finally reached his brother and presented his prize, the elder only looked at him with dread before quickly grabbing the scalp and tossing it back into the lake where it belonged. The eldest warned his younger sibling of interfering with supernatural powers and the two continued on their way.
The remainder of the story is extremely repetitive as it recounts more tales of the younger brother interfering with beings he should not and the older once again saving him. When the younger brother finally becomes a well-trained hunter after leaving a trail of landmarks behind him, he seeks out a fine deer to bring to his older sibling as a gift. Chasing the deer for days on end, the younger brother eventually collapses from exhaustion and dies. When the elder finally finds his deceased sibling, he decides to bury him rather than bring him to life once more so that the boy’s wild spirit can finally rest in peace.
Like the local landmarks left on the lake by the youngest brother or the name of Tahoe itself, many myths of Native American origin focused on the history and creation of the lake rather than horror stories and tourist gimmicks. The rich history, particularly that of Native American roots, is what drives the culture of Northern Nevada and allows for such deep connections to be formed to the area. Regardless of the rich history, Lake Tahoe still remains a popular tourist destination and it is for that reason that the lake unfortunately has some less appealing local legends, including the Loch Ness Monster rip-off, the Tahoe Tessie.
NEWS BEHIND THE MYTHS:
Staying true to its title as a local hoax, even the origins behind the Tahoe Tessie are a mess. While the myth’s origins spawn from the Washoe tale of the Ong mentioned above, Tahoe Tessie did not gain traction as an individual legend until around 1970’s when supposedly the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau took a journey to the bottom of the lake only to be terrified upon return, warning, “the world is not ready to know what lies at the bottom of Lake Tahoe” (Skene). As intriguing of a story as the quote proposes, it was never actually uttered because Cousteau never visited Lake Tahoe in the first place (Skene). Disregarding Tessie’s shaky backgrounds, she still has many sightings from various sources.
One claim of Tessie’s existence originates from the story of a fisherman named Mickey Daniels. At 67 years old, the man had been fishing on Tahoe since 1959 out on his charter fishing boat, Big Mack II (Powers). On a calm evening when he was sailing his boat out around the south shore, a sudden scream of confusion from one of his shipmates startled the man into action. Looking over the edge of his boat, he watched as the waves split into a “V,” as if being forced apart by some massive beast. After only a moment, all evidence had vanished, leaving Daniels and his passenger in a fit of confusion.
In addition to the fisherman’s story, a local TV reporter turned salesman named Mike Conway also swears to the existence of the beast. When he is not selling DVDs with titles as bold as The Great Brothels of Nevada (Powers), he tells tales of his youth as the owner of a TV station. According to his story, he was filming for a commercial at Zephyr Cove when the boat he had stationed began to rock and sway. Conway frantically looked around to see a brown humped beast disappearing over the horizon as the child actors hired for the commercial began to chant in unison “It’s Tessie!” When Conway was later asked about the film that was captured from the commercial shooting, he only claimed that “they” had taken it.
While many articles are still written about what may lie in the depths of Lake Tahoe, Dr. Charles Goldman takes humor in disproving stories of what he likes to call “USOs” or unidentified swimming objects (Sheffield). Determined to undermine this little hoax, Goldman prepared a small presentation at the University of Nevada, Reno on the subject. While investigating the various sightings, Goldman came to the conclusion that the one thing that all appearance had in common is that neither a head nor a tail were ever seen. In addition to this finding, Goldman also demonstrated how easily various waves could be misconstrued into a humplike shape. Overall, his speech at the University proved to be very disheartening for supernatural fans. Even Summer Elterman, a Reno local who grew up in Tahoe City, never thought of Tessie as anything more than “a cute little green dragon on key chains for tourist” (Elterman). Even though Elterman may have never come upon a great water beast, this did not stop her from experiencing other local phenomena.
A LOCAL'S PERSONAL GHOST:
A little over a year ago, Elterman used to reside with local paranormal investigator and ‘Ghost Adventures’ star, Debby Constantino. Although there were really no dramatic paranormal occurrences between them while the two lived together, Elterman fondly remarks on smaller elements added to the house such as ghost themed salt and pepper shakers and full sage blessing done on the home (Elterman). They did, however, test out electronic voice phenomena of EVP up in Virginia City together one evening. Even before Elterman began living with Constantino, she had experienced paranormal activity. At age 16 while living along the central coast of California, Elterman and a few of her friends decided to take a late night drive past their neighborhood haunted cemetery. It was here that an apparition of a ghost dog appeared before her, white in color yet translucent at the same time (Elterman). Waking up the next morning after her adventure, Elterman’s father questioned what had happened the previous night as she had been speaking loudly in her sleep due to nightmares regarding the occurrence.
While Elterman’s ghosts may not be local, relative histories of an area contribute to ghost tales around the world. Locally, the most popular apparitions are the spirits of the Pyramid Lake water babies. Created from Paiute legends, these babies are said to be evil spirits that dwell in the lake and crawl forth to steal children at night (Moreno 36). Some tales even claim that the spirits would replace the children of nursing mothers and eventually devour the women. A particular Paiute tale that encompasses all of these ideals is that of a beautiful young woman who lived in the lake (Hider).
PYRAMID'S CHILDREN:
The tale begins with the family trip of a Paiute family to the California coast to ease away the pain of their daily lives. Among the family was a young man who longed for companionship, but alas, no women in the tribe bore him any interest. Wallowing in his loneliness, the young man went to the edge of the ocean to collect himself when he noticed a glimmer in the water. It was there that he met a lovely young maiden with skin as smooth as a placid lake and brilliant shining tail that replaced the area where her legs should have been. Some stories say that the mermaid was a being of great evil, others portray her as an innocent youth; the young man fell in love instantly.
Soon after their meeting, the two returned to the boy’s home to greet the remaining members of the Paiute tribe. Upon seeing the girl, the tribe shunned her and immediately banished her from the village. Enraged with the people, the girl disappeared into Pyramid Lake where she swore revenge on anyone who dared approach the water’s edge.
After some time, two sisters were washing their clothing by the river. The youngest sister had a small babe with her that she allowed to play along the shore. Seeing the child, the cursed mermaid sent forth a serpent that consumed the baby and took on its form. Later that evening, when the mother went to feed her young, the now demon child began to devour the mother.
After many trials to remove the baby from the sisters and their family, a medicine man was summoned to help her. To help the woman, the medicine made a dark bargain: the woman would be released from the baby’s grip only if it was now free to inhabit the lake. It is because of this deal that the lake now carries the spirit of an evil child.
Some believe that it is because of this demonic deal that many drown at Pyramid Lake, especially on their endeavors to reach the great pyramid at the edge of the shore. However, a great undertow that could easily sweep someone up exists within the waters and is probably the actual cause of the many deaths.
Although ridiculous at times, the legends of both lakes as well as the locals’ recounts and experiences contribute to the overwhelming cultural value of Reno. The city is not just a bunch of cheap motels and the Saturday night pink glow of neon signs, it is not some pit stop for finding a greater place; Reno is its own diverse area with all sorts of otherworldly stories and historical value that some of these tales are based upon. The two lakes that guard the area and the locals within it provide a rich contexts that are specific to Reno and that provide a deeper and more powerful insight into an area that is usually taken for granted. It is not the tremendously greasy “Awful Awful” that creates culture or even the local Elvis impersonator, but rather the people and their stories. If one only looks hard enough for the history and a tale, than perhaps he or she will also find a monster in their lake.
WORKS CITED
Elterman, Summer. “Re: Possible Interview?” Received by Nicole Paiva, 21 Nov. 2016.
Gould, M. “Facts about Lake Tahoe.” USGS, 13 Dec. 2012, http://tahoe.usgs.gov/facts.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.
Hider, Anna. “This Lake may or may not be Home to a Mermaid, a Serpent, and an Army of Ghostly Water Babies.” Roadtrippers, 28 Oct. 2014, https://roadtrippers.com/stories/this-lake-may-or-may-not-be-home-to-a-mermaid-serpent-and-an-army-of- ghostly-water-babies. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.
James, George Wharton. The Lake of the Sky: Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada. Baker & Taylor, 1915.
Moreno, Richard. Mysteries and Legends of Nevada: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained. Globe Pequot P, 2010.
Powers, Ashley. “It Came from the Deep.” Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2005, http://www.latimes.com/style/la-os-tessie3may03- story.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2016.
Sheffield, Keith. “Dark Shapes in the Lake: Tahoe Tessie Remains Alive for Visitors.” Tahoe Daily Tribune, 28 Apr. 2005, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/dark-shapes-in-the-lake-tahoe-tessie-legend-remains-alive-for-visitors/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2016.
Skene, Jennifer. “‘Rumors and Truths in Lake Tahoe.” Quest, 16 Aug. 2011, https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2011/08/16/rumors-and- truth-in-lake-tahoe/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2016.
Watanabe, Shohei. “A Quantitative Blueness Index for Oligotrophic Waters; Application to Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada.” Methods: Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 14, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2016, pp. 100-109, OneSearch, doi:10.1002/lom3.10074. Accessed 12 Nov. 2016.
Throughout history, legends and stories have moved people by not only providing life lessons, but by strengthening the culture within the area. This ideal is no different for Northern Nevada that was shaped by old Paiute tales and western romanticism. Resting in the heart of the golden west lays the Truckee River Watershed, a self-contained water flow running from the mountains of Lake Tahoe down to the desert land around Pyramid Lake. With not only the culture but also tourism in the area relying on the harmonious balance between the two lakes, it is only natural that they would be the holders of many tales and myths surrounding the area. It is the legends of Tahoe and Pyramid, including Washoe tales of the Ong and tourist traps like the Tahoe Tessie, as well as individual sightings, that contribute to the paranormal and overall historical culture of the area.
LEGENDS OF LAKE TAHOE:
One of the most popular destinations within Nevada also holds the most potential as a supernatural tourist attraction. Lake Tahoe, sitting approximately 6225 ft. above sea level (Gould), is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes, inspiring thousands of artistic endeavors and catering to an influx of over 4.5 million tourists annually (Watanabe 100). In addition to these fun facts, it also is the second highest navigable lake in the world and certainly one of the cleanest and most protected. Regardless of its many features that remain popular to tourists, Tahoe also has a rich history behind it in relation to various Native American tribes. It is the myths that stemmed from their cultures that have crafted and woven the fabled history around the lake today.
While certain stories tell of the naming and history behind each ‘island’ within the lake, a particular tale stands out when reviewing Tahoe’s origins. Mrs. W. W. Price, a Stanford graduate, gathered and collected various tales and myths belonging to local Indian tribes such as the Paiutes and the Washoe. One of Price’s primary sources came from a local Indian couple by the name of Jack and Susan. It was through this couple that she was able to string together fragments of an ancient tale telling of the creation of the pristine blue lake surrounding the area (James 39).
The origin of Tahoe begins long before any white settlers came to Nevada, when spirits still freely walked the earth. A single Indian man with a kind soul lived in the meadow just beyond Glenbrook, but he found himself constantly distraught as the great Evil Spirit interfered with every activity the man attempted to do. Tortured by the Evil One’s annoying habits, the Indian fled hoping to find peace over the hills, yet at every step of the journey, he found the Evil One waiting to trip him again. Sensing his distress, the Good Spirit gifted the man with a leafy branch said to possess magical qualities to conjure instant water. After the Good Spirit instructed the man to drop a piece of the branch each time the Evil One loomed to close, he began to run. Each time the Indian felt the dark spirit’s presence, he dropped a piece of the branch creating instant water. This act delayed the Evil One greatly as he could not cross over water and was forced to go around. As the chase grew more intense, the Indian looked back only to drop a large portion of his branch from the shock of seeing such a terrifying being lurking so close behind him. To his utter amazement, the branch dropped to form a great lake that will later be named “Tahoe.” He continued to run and run until the Evil One could no longer bother him before he finally settled along the valley on the other side of Tahoe. This is the story of the crystal clear lake came to be.
While the origins story provides for the creation of the lake, there are still deeper stories surrounding Tahoe. One such story is that of the Ong. The Ong is a bird-like creature said to look surprisingly human with long eagle like feathers and scaly webbed feet (Moreno 13). The story of Washoe heritage states that the birdlike creature guarded its nest at the bottom of the lake while scanning for human flesh to devour. According to the myth, the Washoe chief once had a lovely daughter by the name of Nona, who was soon to be wed to whomever her father declared to be the greatest hero of the village. Unbeknownst to her father, Nona was already deeply in love with a young brave who had yet to participate in any major battles. Distraught at the fact that he’d never be chosen to wed sweet Nona, the young brave found himself praying to the Great Spirit, the Washoe’s god figure. As the brave continued to pray, the great Ong rose from the depths of the lake, and released a cacophonous cry. Knowing what had to be done to succeed in marrying his love, the young brave began frantically waving about in an attempt to catch the great beast’s attention. As soon as the Ong had taken hold of him, the brave frantically began wrapping a buckskin rope around himself and the great bird’s feet. When the Ong went to release the brave into the waves so that the currents would carry its meal back to the nest that lay below the surface, the bird found it was unable to release the boy, much to its distaste. The two begun a fierce aerial battle as the bird tried to shake the brave from his feet. Every time the Ong would attempt to snap its scaly beak at the boy, he would throw a series of poison arrows into the great beast’s mouth. As the battle raged on, the boy and the bird began to disappear over the horizon, vanishing from the eyes of the tribe.
As the tribe settled down that evening, all of them believed the young brave to be dead. The men began weaving great tales of their heroism at a constant attempt to woo the chief’s daughter, but her mind was elsewhere. She quietly snuck away from the festivities and readied a canoe to go in search of her missing love. She questioned the bird’s strange behavior, for she did not know of the poisoned arrows nor the buckskin rope. As she sailed forward, Nona cried out the name of her love, prepared to join him in death if need be. It was not long before the tribe found out of Nona’s disappearance. They panicked and threw themselves into a frenzied search, for that was the evening that Nona’s husband was to be decided. The tribe searched until daybreak when they noticed a floating object just below the horizon heading to shore. Upon closer inspection, the tribe realized that they were viewing the corpse of the now deceased Ong with a small canoe tied lightly to the bird’s ankle in tow. Standing across the wings of the great beast with the other wing elongated like a sail were the chief’s daughter and the young brave. When the two lovers had reached the shore wrapped in each other’s arms, great cheers of bravery and heroism in favor of the young boy taking Nona to be his bride. When the two young lovers were finally wed, the chief proclaimed that the lake would forever carry the young brave’s name: the name Tahoe.
After the naming of Tahoe, certain landmarks and areas around the lake began to have stories woven of their origins. Of these myths, perhaps the most spoken is the tale of two brothers (James 42). The legend describes the olden days of the Paiute tribe where two brothers lived with the eldest brother’s wife, Duck. The older brother was a strong brave hunter and provided well for the three, while the younger was still weak. Disgusted by his impishness, Duck often refused to feed younger whenever she prepared the food, as she saw no reason for him to receive a meal that he neither helped prepare nor catch. One afternoon as Duck was cleaning the fish, the younger brother came upon her and became very hungry, as she had refused to feed him for the last week. Driven mad with hunger, the younger brother approached Duck from behind and swung a deadly blow to her head. Paying no mind to the body, the younger brother cooked the fish and relaxed in the bright sun until evening. Upon his return, the eldest brother was struck with anger and grief at seeing his wife’s lifeless body. Although furious with his brother, the eldest decided to shun the younger rather than kill him, as Duck was a cruel woman. After days of begging for forgiveness, the younger eventually convinced his far stronger brother to journey with him to Lake Tahoe in search of a new beginning.
Though the journey there was long, the older brother gladly taught his companion many hunting and fishing skills so that one day the younger could follow in his brother’s footsteps. Upon reaching the shore of the lake, the two brothers had collected dozens of squirrels that they buried to save for a later feast. After drifting hazily by the fire into the late evening, the younger brother awoke due to his grumbling stomach. He attempted to stir his older brother to no avail before he began to dig up squirrels for a late night snack. It was during his dig that the young Indian discovered that one of their squirrels was missing. As he frantically search the ground for his missing meal, he came across the burrow of a giant spider. The spider immediately attacked the young boy and they engaged in chase before the younger brother could no longer run and fell victim to the spider’s wrath.
When the older brother awoke the next morning, he found himself confused, as there was no sign of his younger half anywhere. He stretched lazily, taking in the fresh pine of the forest mixed with something putrid, before traveling to the area where he had hidden his meal the night before. The eldest found himself quite startled to find the squirrels strewn across the bare ground. He began to count them and realized one was missing. Assuming his younger brother had taken one and then left for a morning hunt, the eldest brother reached down to take a squirrel for himself when he noticed the spider out of the corner of his eye. Both the spider and man pounced for one another at the same time, but the hunter was quicker and killed the spider before it even had the chance to strike. Confused at the strange beast, he went to explore its burrow only to discover the lifeless body of his younger sibling. Stoically, the eldest grabbed the body of his younger brother and began to breathe into his mouth. The younger quickly jerked back to life as the older had been blessed with great healing powers and all was well again.
After the rescue, the younger felt indebted to his older brother and began to search for a gift of thanks along the Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe. It was at the bay that the brother spotted a young babe with hair as gold as the sun floating at the edge of the lake. Thinking that the hair of the young child would make an excellent gift for his brother, the younger sibling crept up to the baby with the intent to kill, only to have its eyes shoot open in great anger and stress. A fight ensued between the supernatural child and the Indian lad until the latter had finally scalped the head of the poor babe. Looking back at the scene of their fight, the hills were stained with red and will stay that way as a memorial of the great fight between the two youths.
Prideful of his victory, the younger boasted to the sky, only to find that the water below him had begun to rapidly rise. It was in this moment that the younger had realized he had aroused the wrath of the water babies, and he began to rapidly run in order to present his brother with his new gift. Every now and then, the younger brother would turn back and toss a few golden hairs into the lake as an attempt to trick the spirits of the children into believing that he had returned the scalp. When he had finally reached his brother and presented his prize, the elder only looked at him with dread before quickly grabbing the scalp and tossing it back into the lake where it belonged. The eldest warned his younger sibling of interfering with supernatural powers and the two continued on their way.
The remainder of the story is extremely repetitive as it recounts more tales of the younger brother interfering with beings he should not and the older once again saving him. When the younger brother finally becomes a well-trained hunter after leaving a trail of landmarks behind him, he seeks out a fine deer to bring to his older sibling as a gift. Chasing the deer for days on end, the younger brother eventually collapses from exhaustion and dies. When the elder finally finds his deceased sibling, he decides to bury him rather than bring him to life once more so that the boy’s wild spirit can finally rest in peace.
Like the local landmarks left on the lake by the youngest brother or the name of Tahoe itself, many myths of Native American origin focused on the history and creation of the lake rather than horror stories and tourist gimmicks. The rich history, particularly that of Native American roots, is what drives the culture of Northern Nevada and allows for such deep connections to be formed to the area. Regardless of the rich history, Lake Tahoe still remains a popular tourist destination and it is for that reason that the lake unfortunately has some less appealing local legends, including the Loch Ness Monster rip-off, the Tahoe Tessie.
NEWS BEHIND THE MYTHS:
Staying true to its title as a local hoax, even the origins behind the Tahoe Tessie are a mess. While the myth’s origins spawn from the Washoe tale of the Ong mentioned above, Tahoe Tessie did not gain traction as an individual legend until around 1970’s when supposedly the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau took a journey to the bottom of the lake only to be terrified upon return, warning, “the world is not ready to know what lies at the bottom of Lake Tahoe” (Skene). As intriguing of a story as the quote proposes, it was never actually uttered because Cousteau never visited Lake Tahoe in the first place (Skene). Disregarding Tessie’s shaky backgrounds, she still has many sightings from various sources.
One claim of Tessie’s existence originates from the story of a fisherman named Mickey Daniels. At 67 years old, the man had been fishing on Tahoe since 1959 out on his charter fishing boat, Big Mack II (Powers). On a calm evening when he was sailing his boat out around the south shore, a sudden scream of confusion from one of his shipmates startled the man into action. Looking over the edge of his boat, he watched as the waves split into a “V,” as if being forced apart by some massive beast. After only a moment, all evidence had vanished, leaving Daniels and his passenger in a fit of confusion.
In addition to the fisherman’s story, a local TV reporter turned salesman named Mike Conway also swears to the existence of the beast. When he is not selling DVDs with titles as bold as The Great Brothels of Nevada (Powers), he tells tales of his youth as the owner of a TV station. According to his story, he was filming for a commercial at Zephyr Cove when the boat he had stationed began to rock and sway. Conway frantically looked around to see a brown humped beast disappearing over the horizon as the child actors hired for the commercial began to chant in unison “It’s Tessie!” When Conway was later asked about the film that was captured from the commercial shooting, he only claimed that “they” had taken it.
While many articles are still written about what may lie in the depths of Lake Tahoe, Dr. Charles Goldman takes humor in disproving stories of what he likes to call “USOs” or unidentified swimming objects (Sheffield). Determined to undermine this little hoax, Goldman prepared a small presentation at the University of Nevada, Reno on the subject. While investigating the various sightings, Goldman came to the conclusion that the one thing that all appearance had in common is that neither a head nor a tail were ever seen. In addition to this finding, Goldman also demonstrated how easily various waves could be misconstrued into a humplike shape. Overall, his speech at the University proved to be very disheartening for supernatural fans. Even Summer Elterman, a Reno local who grew up in Tahoe City, never thought of Tessie as anything more than “a cute little green dragon on key chains for tourist” (Elterman). Even though Elterman may have never come upon a great water beast, this did not stop her from experiencing other local phenomena.
A LOCAL'S PERSONAL GHOST:
A little over a year ago, Elterman used to reside with local paranormal investigator and ‘Ghost Adventures’ star, Debby Constantino. Although there were really no dramatic paranormal occurrences between them while the two lived together, Elterman fondly remarks on smaller elements added to the house such as ghost themed salt and pepper shakers and full sage blessing done on the home (Elterman). They did, however, test out electronic voice phenomena of EVP up in Virginia City together one evening. Even before Elterman began living with Constantino, she had experienced paranormal activity. At age 16 while living along the central coast of California, Elterman and a few of her friends decided to take a late night drive past their neighborhood haunted cemetery. It was here that an apparition of a ghost dog appeared before her, white in color yet translucent at the same time (Elterman). Waking up the next morning after her adventure, Elterman’s father questioned what had happened the previous night as she had been speaking loudly in her sleep due to nightmares regarding the occurrence.
While Elterman’s ghosts may not be local, relative histories of an area contribute to ghost tales around the world. Locally, the most popular apparitions are the spirits of the Pyramid Lake water babies. Created from Paiute legends, these babies are said to be evil spirits that dwell in the lake and crawl forth to steal children at night (Moreno 36). Some tales even claim that the spirits would replace the children of nursing mothers and eventually devour the women. A particular Paiute tale that encompasses all of these ideals is that of a beautiful young woman who lived in the lake (Hider).
PYRAMID'S CHILDREN:
The tale begins with the family trip of a Paiute family to the California coast to ease away the pain of their daily lives. Among the family was a young man who longed for companionship, but alas, no women in the tribe bore him any interest. Wallowing in his loneliness, the young man went to the edge of the ocean to collect himself when he noticed a glimmer in the water. It was there that he met a lovely young maiden with skin as smooth as a placid lake and brilliant shining tail that replaced the area where her legs should have been. Some stories say that the mermaid was a being of great evil, others portray her as an innocent youth; the young man fell in love instantly.
Soon after their meeting, the two returned to the boy’s home to greet the remaining members of the Paiute tribe. Upon seeing the girl, the tribe shunned her and immediately banished her from the village. Enraged with the people, the girl disappeared into Pyramid Lake where she swore revenge on anyone who dared approach the water’s edge.
After some time, two sisters were washing their clothing by the river. The youngest sister had a small babe with her that she allowed to play along the shore. Seeing the child, the cursed mermaid sent forth a serpent that consumed the baby and took on its form. Later that evening, when the mother went to feed her young, the now demon child began to devour the mother.
After many trials to remove the baby from the sisters and their family, a medicine man was summoned to help her. To help the woman, the medicine made a dark bargain: the woman would be released from the baby’s grip only if it was now free to inhabit the lake. It is because of this deal that the lake now carries the spirit of an evil child.
Some believe that it is because of this demonic deal that many drown at Pyramid Lake, especially on their endeavors to reach the great pyramid at the edge of the shore. However, a great undertow that could easily sweep someone up exists within the waters and is probably the actual cause of the many deaths.
Although ridiculous at times, the legends of both lakes as well as the locals’ recounts and experiences contribute to the overwhelming cultural value of Reno. The city is not just a bunch of cheap motels and the Saturday night pink glow of neon signs, it is not some pit stop for finding a greater place; Reno is its own diverse area with all sorts of otherworldly stories and historical value that some of these tales are based upon. The two lakes that guard the area and the locals within it provide a rich contexts that are specific to Reno and that provide a deeper and more powerful insight into an area that is usually taken for granted. It is not the tremendously greasy “Awful Awful” that creates culture or even the local Elvis impersonator, but rather the people and their stories. If one only looks hard enough for the history and a tale, than perhaps he or she will also find a monster in their lake.
WORKS CITED
Elterman, Summer. “Re: Possible Interview?” Received by Nicole Paiva, 21 Nov. 2016.
Gould, M. “Facts about Lake Tahoe.” USGS, 13 Dec. 2012, http://tahoe.usgs.gov/facts.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2016.
Hider, Anna. “This Lake may or may not be Home to a Mermaid, a Serpent, and an Army of Ghostly Water Babies.” Roadtrippers, 28 Oct. 2014, https://roadtrippers.com/stories/this-lake-may-or-may-not-be-home-to-a-mermaid-serpent-and-an-army-of- ghostly-water-babies. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.
James, George Wharton. The Lake of the Sky: Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada. Baker & Taylor, 1915.
Moreno, Richard. Mysteries and Legends of Nevada: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained. Globe Pequot P, 2010.
Powers, Ashley. “It Came from the Deep.” Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2005, http://www.latimes.com/style/la-os-tessie3may03- story.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2016.
Sheffield, Keith. “Dark Shapes in the Lake: Tahoe Tessie Remains Alive for Visitors.” Tahoe Daily Tribune, 28 Apr. 2005, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/dark-shapes-in-the-lake-tahoe-tessie-legend-remains-alive-for-visitors/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2016.
Skene, Jennifer. “‘Rumors and Truths in Lake Tahoe.” Quest, 16 Aug. 2011, https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2011/08/16/rumors-and- truth-in-lake-tahoe/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2016.
Watanabe, Shohei. “A Quantitative Blueness Index for Oligotrophic Waters; Application to Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada.” Methods: Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 14, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2016, pp. 100-109, OneSearch, doi:10.1002/lom3.10074. Accessed 12 Nov. 2016.