Friday Fables: Lost Opata Mine

The legend of the lost Opata Mine goes back to the 1700s near the Tumacacori Mission, which was situated about 45 miles outside of Tucson, Arizona. It’s said that a huge cache of silver remains buried and waiting to be discovered. But the silver is guarded by the skeleton of a Mayo indian princess, who was sacrificed inside of the mine many years ago. The legend goes something like this…

Upon arriving in the area, the Spanish missionaries took it upon themselves to convert the pagan Opata and Papago Native Americans to Christianity. However, that goal changed when they discovered silver near their mission in 1766. Though they still wished to convert the natives, they also put them to work in the mines.

The Native Americans gravitated toward the Opata Mine, which was fine by the Spaniards since it was a productive mine. But once night fell, the natives would practice their old religion inside of a large cavern within the mine where the silver was stored. Yet, the lessons of Christianity did seem to resonate with them.

One day, the natives saw a lone Mayo indian princess traveling in the desert and were convinced she was the next Virgin Mary. They captured her and brought her into the mine, where they tied her to a pile of silver in the center of the cavern and attempted to force her to marry their chief. It was thought that such a union would produce a savior child. The princess refused the match, stating that she was already promised to a brave from her own tribe. The natives persisted and the princess said she would rather die than marry their chief.

Following her refusal, the natives decided to sacrifice her to their gods. The chief cut her hands and rubbed a poison from the juice of a sotol cactus into her blood. As the legend tells, the sotol juice is only harmful when direct sunlight touches the skin, causing the skin to rot and eventually killing the victim. The chief and the natives waited for the sun to shine through a hole in the ceiling, and then they began a ritual of singing and dancing around the princess as she screamed out in pain and died.

The Spaniards heard the commotion and came to check on the mine. They were shocked to find that the natives had made a human sacrifice and drove them out of the mine. The Spaniards then blew up the entrance to the mine, sealing in the princess’ remains and the silver. Some believe the entombed mine still lies in the desert, an area which is now a national park.

However, others say the legend sounds more like a story fabricated in modern times than a product of genuine oral tradition. One point of contention is that sotol juice is not actually a deadly poison, but it can be distilled and used in beverages.

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Do you know of any other legends that would make a good Friday Fables post? Let us know in the comments section below!