Mountain Myths

Since ancient times mountains have represented much more than high ground. They are holy places where Heaven and Earth come close together. Gods live in or on the Holy Mountains, and their temples are there.

Mount Olympus was the sacred mountain of the ancient Greeks. From its heights the gods looked down on the affairs of mortal men and women, occasionally getting themselves involved.

Mount Sinai was the mythical mountain of Moses where God gave the Torah, the Law, and its 613 commandments. Twelve Tribes coalesced around the myth of Mount Sinai, and the nation of Israel was born.

Mount Zion was the mythical mountain in the homeland of ancient Israel. The Temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod were built upon it, and only on Mount Zion could God be rightly worshipped.

Christians have a mythical mountain, Calvary, where God made a covenant with all the world.

Near Ruidoso, New Mexico is the sacred mountain of the Mescalero Apache, shown on maps of North America as Sierra Blanca. That mountain and his myths are especially important to me, for the spirit of the Sierra Blanca is my lifelong best friend.

Now in our times a new mountain myth is being born in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. The mountain on which the new myth is based is located near Calgary, Alberta, but the myth places it in Wyoming. The newest mythical mountain in North America is Brokeback Mountain. The photograph accompanying this post was made last April near Scipio, Utah, just because it reminds me of Brokeback Mountain.