Mystic Vale - The Name

The Name

People often wonder where the name “Mystic Vale” came from. One suggestion is that the name originates from the legend of the mystic spring. In 1904, local author D.W. Higgins gave his version of the mystic spring legend, relating how the Vale was once home to a huge maple tree beside a spring of pure water; the maple tree was a god that guarded the spirit of the spring. The following quote is from Higgins’ version of this tale:

‘If a woman should look into the water when the moon is at its full she’ll see reflected in it the face of the man who loves her. If a man looks into the water he will see the woman who loves him and will marry him should he ask her. If a woman is childless this water will give her plenty. The tree is a god. It guards the spirit of the spring, and as long as the tree stands the water will creep to its foot for protection and shade; cut down the tree and the spring will be seen no more.”

It is worthwhile to note that Higgins’ tale romanticizes the indigenous peoples’ ancestral use of Mystic Vale as a sacred site, as Mavis Henry explains, “the … mythology and legend attached goes beyond fable and represents real use and real belief systems at work.”