Five years later, however, Mitchell-Hedges claimed in a local newspaper
that he had found the skull during a daring expedition to Central
America.
He was a famous storyteller, and often sold stories to the Hearst papers where he always appeared as the main character.
Later
in his book Danger is my Ally, he tells of having discovered lands and
people never discovered before, as well as having fought against all
sorts of dangers in the jungle. Later people who have been in the areas
described by Mitchell-Hedges publicly demystified his words through
editorials and letters.
Mitchell-Hedges was also known for staging a
bizarre situation involving a supposed theft and several shrunken heads.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
First of all, none of
Mitchell-Hedges' reports of discoveries match the others and indeed they
all contradict the letter he sent to his brother in 1943, in which he
clearly stated,
“The 'collection' grows and grows and grows. You may
have seen in the papers that I purchased the magnificent Crystal Skull
which was formerly in Sydney Burney's collection. It is carved from a
single transparent block of rock crystal and is the size of a real
skull. Scientists have dated it to earlier than 1,800 BC. and they
estimated that it took five generations from father to son to complete
it. It is anthropologically perfect in every detail, a superb piece of
craftsmanship. There is only one other known like this, it is in the
British Museum but it is not as detailed as this one."
Many contradictory versions bounced around the Web today.
For some, the skulls would be alien artifacts in that it is believed they come from other planets;
another
version has it that they were created specifically as a database to
store information about other civilizations. The legend associated with
this version has it that there are 13 skulls, and that if they come
together an important event will happen that will change the world;
a
third legend says that there are 12 other worlds in our Universe –
planets that are inhabited by intelligent species. The 13 Crystal Skulls
would exist on Earth because each is carried by a representative of the
12 planets. The 13th skull would contain within it all the information
of the 12 worlds.
There is no answer as to why the Mayans were chosen
to keep the Crystal Skulls, while the absence of any evidence of such
legends in Mayan mythology should make one think.
Another legend
speaks of native Mayans and other people who worked with the Crystal
Skulls, stating that their high level of quartz content produces the
highest frequency or vibration on this plane of reality, and because of
that the skulls would have been preserved and even revered as the
ultimate source of energy.
Even on this legend, no Maya scholar has ever confirmed it or shown that he knows about it.
What
Anna concocted in an attempt to sell the skull was a myth that over
time acquired an ontological and independent value, linking her life to
that of the skull in a destiny filled with shadows and a very few
certainties. One of the biggest secrets we will never know is why did
Anna try so hard to sell the skull if, as she claimed, it was capable of
generating visions and healing? Not even the need for money could
justify such a persistence in trying to get rid of an object which,
perhaps, was not as simple as one might believe. Between exhibitions,
book proceeds and advertising thanks to Dorland's work, Anna's economic
situation could not have been so bad. Yet the woman has always tried to
separate herself from the Crystal Skull.