THE DARK WATCHERS

In the Santa Lucia Mountains of California dwells a nebulous, and obscure legend regarding the Dark Watchers. Seemingly arising from Chumash legend, these shadowy figures inhabit the mountains and are described dark or black. In native legend, there isn't a sense of malice from these entities; they simply exist. However, as they are further related and embellished by non-natives, they take on a more sinister aspect.

John Steinbeck, who often drew upon personal experience to flesh out his tales, writes about the Dark Watchers in his short story "Flight" from his 1938 collection "The Long Valley". In this tale a young man is cautioned by his mother to avoid the dark watchers:

"When thou comest to the high mountains, if thou seest any of the dark watching men, go not near to them nor try to speak to them." 

"Once, on a white barren spur, he saw a black figure for a moment; but he looked quickly away, for it was one of the dark watchers. No one knew who the watchers were, nor where they lived, but it was better to ignore them and never to show interest in them. They did not bother one who stayed on the trail and minded his own business."

Later, Steinbeck's own son would echo this in a book called "In Search of the Dark Watchers," which was based on tales his grandmother told.

Another local writer, the poet Roberson Jeffers, wrote of The Watchers in his "Such Counsels You Gave To Me," which he described as being not quite human.

Some more recent accounts liken them to legends of Shadow People or the Hat Man myth in that they seem to be clad in garments and wearing hats. The older reports are less specific and could either be talking about actual shadow entities or perhaps native legends of sasquatch-like creatures or simply spirits of the mountains.