The Mysterious Crystal Skull - a local connection.
Many of you have heard of the mysterious crystal skulls, at least through the Indiana Jones series of movies or other “pop” culture. There is an interesting story behind the Skull of Doom, or the Mitchell-Hedges Skull as it is also known.
The skull is said to have been discovered by Anna Mitchell-Hedges on her 17th birthday in Labaantun, British Honduras (now Belize) on July 24, 1934. She was there with her father and a party of archaeologists who were there excavating a Mayan pyramid. She climbed to the summit of the site to get a better view of the surrounding terrain and saw something glittering in the rubble below. Climbing down, she found the crystal skull in an abandoned altar below. The local Mayan people claimed that it was a sacred object, 3,000 years old, and rightfully belonged to Anna and would have been confiscated by the government. There is also evidence that Anna’s father, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges purchased a crystal skull for £400 in 1944. Was this the same skull, or another one? The Skull was said to be carved without modern tools from a single block of crystal. Other studies of the Skull said that he (or she) was carved with modern tools. It is an exact replica of a human skull. Anna claimed that the Skull has amazing powers and wisdom.
The local connection? First of all, Anna was born Anne Marie Le Guillon in Port Colborne, Ontario. She was an orphan, and was adopted by F.A. Mitchell-Hedges and his wife. For many years, Anna lived in Kitchener, Ontario with the Skull of Doom as her constant companion. She often invited strangers into her home for readings with the Skull, and she frequently took the Skull to public schools to show him to children. The Kitchener-Waterloo Record kept a file on her, and published several lengthy articles.
At the age of 95, Anna married her companion, Bill Homann. After her death in 2007, the Skull has remained in Homann’s custody.
New Age legend says there are 13 crystal skulls in existence. When all 13 are united, there will be apocalyptic changes to our planet. Or was that just the denouement of the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?
Photo by Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar