Microfiction: Legends of the Angel of Mt. Shavano

Legends of the Angel of Mt. Shavano

The Banished Goddess

    Once a young goddess named Shavano irritated the queen of the gods to no end with her constant mischief. The queen banished her to the side of a mountain, where she would be stuck forever as an ice angel. One year, drought caused a famine for the humans in the valley below, and Shavano felt their tragedy. She cried until her body broke and melted, bringing water to the people. This freed her for the mountain, but Shavano wanted to remain to watch over the valley. She is there to this day, melting each spring to bring her people water.

The Princess's Sacrifice

    Long ago, a group of people lived in the valley of Mount Shavano. The land suited them perfectly for farming, hunting, and fishing. One year, it hardly rained or snowed at all, and the people were forced to move away or starve. The princess hated the idea of moving, so she went up to the mountain to pray for water from the spirits. The god of plenty said that he would bring water, but only if she sacrificed herself. The princess transformed into an ice angel on the side of the mountain that would melt each spring for her people.

Author's Note

Earlier this semester I took a trip to Salida, CO to ski at Monarch. My boyfriend's family is from that area, and he mentioned a legend about the patch of snow in the shape of an angel on the side of Mt. Shavano in the Sawatch Range by Monarch Pass. I found a post telling three legends of how the angel formed, and I chose two to retell here. The third is about a man who prays for his injured friend, and the angel appears as a sign that his prayers were heard.

Story Source: "Three Legends Tell the Story of Colorado's Angel of Mt. Shavano" by Ed Chandler on KOOL 107.9 FM: Western Colorado's Greatest Hits.

Image Source: Angel of Shavano photo from David Herrera on Flickr.