The #Legend of Apache Tears

The Apache Tear Drop

The legend of the Apache tear drop—

In the 1870s, seventy-five Apaches and the U.S. Cavalry fought on a mountain overlooking what is now Superior, Arizona. The outnumbered Apache warriors rode their horses off the mountain to their deaths rather than face defeat at the hands of the soldiers. The wives and families of the warriors cried when they learned of the tragedy. Their tears fell and turned into stone upon hitting the ground.

Johnny Cash immortalized the event in a song entitled “Apache Tears” for his 1964 album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian.

Apache Tears are rounded obsidian nodes (volcanic black glass). An Apache tear looks translucent when held up to light. Apache tears are usually black, but can range from black to red to brown.

The Apache tear drop plays a poignant and symbolic role in The Stronghold.

For more information and behind-the-scenes photos of The Stronghold visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/the-stronghold/.