ON THE TRAIL OF THE GOLDEN OWL
Sur La Trace De La Chouette D’or
Overview
In 1993 a book called ‘Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or’ (On The Trail Of The Golden Owl) was published launching an armchair treasure hunt created by Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” a communications expert who created the riddles and Michel Becker the artist who created the visuals and provided the prize of the treasure hunt – A solid gold and silver owl with diamonds on it’s head, estimated to be worth between 150,000 and 500,000 Euros.
The book contained 11 puzzles which remain officially unsolved. Once solved the clues are to lead the treasure hunters to a bronze replica of the golden owl buried somewhere in France. Régis Hauser died in 2009. Now the treasure hunt is in the hands of the artist Michel Becker.
front cover of the French treasure-hunt book ‘Sur La Trace De La Chouette D’Or’ (On The Trail Of The Golden Owl)
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The Legend
Image of the iron bird found where the bronze owl countermark should have been when Becker went to check the solutions in 2021.
In 1993 an armchair treasure hunt book was published in France entitled Sur la trace de la Chouette d’or (On the trail of the golden owl) offering a prize of a Golden Owl statuette made entirely of gold and silver, encrusted with diamonds estimated to be worth over 150,000 euros to the first person to solve the clues and find the bronze owl countermark.
The original book contained eleven double-page spread riddles composed of a title, text, and a painting. Each painting was created by the artist Michel Becker while the game itself was created by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” who spent 450 hours designing the game between 1970 and 1993 when the book was launched.
Additional clues were created and released after the launch of the book in the form of short riddles or plays on words and when solved would act as confirmers of if a treasure hunter was on the right track or not.
The treasure hunt has seen a lot of controversy over the years since its launch in 1993. When “Max Valentin” died in 2009 he left the solutions inside a sealed envelope as to preserve them. However, in 2004, the original publisher of the book went bankrupt, and the Golden Owl statuette was seized as a part of its liquidation. After a long legal battle, the prize was reclaimed for the game in 2008.
Michel Becker, the co-creator of the hunt then claimed sole ownership of the Golden Owl in 2011 with intentions to sell it. More legal battles followed in order to stop this from happening. Thanks to a treasure hunter association known as A2CO the game and its prize were saved and continues to this day.
In 2019 Becker rejuvenated the game with the launch of a new edition of the puzzle book called The Secret Notebooks which tells Michel Becker’s side of the story, the history of the game and the creation of the prize. It also contained notes given to him by Valentin for the creation of the paintings, offering insight to the players for how the puzzles were created.
In 2021 Becker became the official organiser of the game when he obtained the sealed envelope containing the solutions from the Hauser family. After which he ventured with a Bailiff to confirm the bronze owl’s burial from the solutions. He reported when he dug at the spot, he found the owl missing and instead found a rusty iron bird. He replaced this rusty bird with a new bronze owl so that the treasure hunt could continue.
Front cover of the new edition of the puzzle book: On the Trail of the Golden Owl – Under the seal of secrecy released by Becker in August 2022.
In August 2022 another new edition of the book was released titled On the Trail of the Golden Owl – Under the seal of secrecy. Containing the original eleven clues, the additional clues, notes from Hauser to Becker and some more history from Becker about the creation of the game and his takeover of the game in 2021.
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The Treasure
The Golden Owl made entirely of gold and silver with diamonds on it’s head stands 10 inches tall and has a wingspan of 20 inches weighing 33lbs (15kg).
It’s estimated value is between 150,000 and 500,000 Euros.
When Régis Hauser (Max Valentin) died in 2009 the prize owl found it’s way to Michel Becker for safe keeping until the bronze countermark replica owl is found.
The Golden Owl prize is currently on display at the Lingot D’Art museum in Rochefort, France
The Golden Owl Prize
© Michel Becker.
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Conclusion
By solving the clue entitle ‘B’ it is possible to find what is believed to be the correct order of the clues by recognizing that the numbers assigned to clues are representative of wavelengths.
The following table shows the generally accepted translations and solutions to those clues.
Proposed Solutions
| Wavelength | B order | Translated Title and Text | Meaning |
| B | 1 | THERE IS NO WORSE BLIND PEOPLE THAN THE ONE THAT DOES NOT WANT TO SEE 1 = 530 3 = 470 5 = 600 7 = 420 9 = 650 | This is the only riddle that doesn’t have a wavelength as its page number. Applying the colors/marks of the other riddles to a color wheel and looking for the complementary color gives the “B order” of the ten wavelength riddles: B-530-780-470-580-600-500-420-560-650-520.[11] If the eleven riddles are resolved in this order, new links appear which may point to the final zone.[12][13] |
| 530 | 2 | OPENING My first, first half of the half of the first age, Precedes my Second and Third, seeking their way. My Fourth is inspired, my Fifth is in rage, But, without protest, follows my Fourth and the roman alpha. My Sixth is hidden at the limits of ETERNITY. My Seventh, standing, spits his venom. To find my all, just to be wise, Because the Truth, in truth, will not be a Devin’s affair. | The riddle identifies the starting city of the game, Bourges.[5][6] (B/baby)(OU/où)(R/air)(G/in rage)(E/start and end letter of ETERNITE)(S/SssS) |
| 780 | 3 | FIRST STEP… Wherever you want, By the ross and the coachman. But where you have to, By the compass and the foot. | This riddle is unsolved. Valentin gave hints, but no answer has been identified.[7] He once described this as the second-most important riddle of the game.[8] |
| 470 | 4 | IT’S THE RIGHT WAY IF THE ARROW TARGETS THE HEART My First multiplies by gaiety. My Second offers you space, My Third air, and my Fourth water. When he’s lying, my Fifth snores. My Sixth is worth one hundred, and my Seventh is just one node. My Eighth tastes like laurel, While my Ninth, with astonishment, stays behind. My Tenth is always naked when there’s a link. My Eleventh, finally, is the unknown. Found my all, and through the opening, you will see the light | A simple word game. The solution is another city, Roncevaux.[18][19] (A/haha)( /space)(R/air)(O/eau)(N/lying ZZz)(C/Latin number)(E/noeud)(V/victory)(A/aah)(U/French grammatical rule)(X/the unknown) |
| 580 | 5 | THE GOOD WAY, IT IS THE WAY OF THE OPPOSITE WAY, AND VICE VERSA 19.9.13.12.15.19.18.21.15.9.19 will be worth 1 12.15.19.18.21.15.9.19.18.9.13.8.15.4 will be worth 2 9.13.16.16.9.13.9.5.18 will be worth 3 25.1.12.14.18.9.13.16.9.13 will be worth 4 8.15.4.1.12.9.19.18.15.1.6 will be worth 5 18.9.13.13.5.18.18.1.12.18.9.13.12.15.19 will be worth 6 20.18.21.15.15.4.9.18.9.13.8 will be worth 7 9.13.18.9.15.19.19.9 will be worth 8 15.4.1.12.14.18.1.12.10 will be worth 9 19.18.9.13.12.15.19.14.1.12 will be worth 0 | This riddle requires a three-stage decryption. First, by converting the numbers into letters, then, by reversing them, and finally, by applying the letter notation code to the Solfège code. The solution consists of the names of ten cities – Bourges, Cherbourg, Dieppe, Épernay, Forbach, Gerardmer, Héricourt, Issoire, Jarnac, and Angers – associated with ten numbers. The final key is A=0 B=1 etc., which is used in the following riddle.[21][22] |
| 600 | 6 | WHEN AL-MAR ALLIES TO PRAENESTE FIBULA, DARKNESS SHINE BDI,J. DF,F. CFD. BJ. HJ. EA,B. BC. E. DC,B. CDI,B. BAB,H. BE. CD. FB. BCG,J. BIG,D. BE. BG. BJD,B. DB. BGH,C. BC. E. | Al-mar is an ancient word for Arabs, implying numerals, and the Praeneste fibula implies letters – so numbers should unite with letters. If the reader applies the rule A=0 to the letters, he or she gets numbers which can be treated as atomic masses. The symbols for the elements indicated form the sentence “The Key is on the Black Perched Ship”.[9] The meaning of this phrase is unknown. Valentin gave clues, including an anagram implying that the illustration means “Becalmed Nave”, associated with the “Black Perched Ship”.[10] |
| 500 | 7 | UT QUEANT LAXIS At 2424-42-424-44-224-24-42-24, take the orthogonal. To find the Spiral with four centers, 560.606 measures, it’s far. But by the Mega, it’s a million times less. | Applying time signature to the numbers, reversing the sequence, and treating the sequence as morse code reveals the word Carignan, a French city.[3] The reference to finding, or drawing, a spiral has not yet been decoded.[4] |
| 420 | 8 | FROM THE SKY COMES THE LIGHT (the translated text is encrypted with the original method) 365-HI-10752 I-10752 WHERE 365-HE EAGLE 90677-RI-60140-365-ED 365-HE 687-ARK OF HI-10752 CLAW-10752 I-60140 365-HE 10752-ABLE, O-60140-E H-30667-60140-DRED DAY-10752 BEFORE BREAKI-60140-G HI-10752 BEAK A-60140-D LOO-10752-I-60140-G HI-10752 FEA-365-HER-10752Then lend a bow to Apollo: from this point, he will count 1969,697 measures towards the zenith. In a fraction of a 46,241,860th of a sidereal day, his line will fall. Hasten to find the arrow. | The numbers are planets’ revolutions, and the first letters of the planets are the missing elements of the text. The completed text is This is where the eagle printed the mark of his claws in the sable, one hundred days before breaking his beak and loosing his feathers, meaning Golfe Juan, the city where Napoleon returned from exile.[14] The second part is still unsolved. The direction of Apollo’s arrow is presumed to be important. Valentin corrected some theories from hunters, and clarified the action of Apollo.[15] |
| 560 | 9 | AD AUGUSTA PER ANGUSTA When at Carusburc, you will have Albion in the back, Seek the opening that reveals the Heavenly Light. Don’t linger, don’t ask for your rest, But prepare yourself to walk on water. Twice, Neptune will help you And carry you away from the icy north. Pursue your road and do not interrupt your journey Before seeing, through the Opening, the becalmed Nave. Without deviating an inch, draw a line, And you will not regret what you did. | The only riddle that requires the treasure-hunter to have several elements from other riddles. The treasure-hunter is told to do something from Cherbourg (old name Carasburc), by passing Bourges (opening), to find the Becalmed Nave. This riddle is only partially understood, but is presumed to be very important because it may point to the final zone – the “Becalmed Nave” being a reference to 600 and a special feature of the map.[20] |
| 650 | 10 | WHEN ALL IS REVEALED Back to the Ponant, seeks the Sentinels. At 8000 measures from there, they are waiting for you. Find them, you need to review them. | This text remains cryptic; some treasure-hunters consider the “Sentinels” to refer to one of the last steps, since the treasure-hunters have to “review” them (presumably in the physical final zone).[17] |
| 520 | 11 | EARTH OPENS Between them, there would be only two intervals if they were aligned. But this would be a too easy game! Now that you have undone all the yarns, Doubt is the last torment that will be inflicted to you. Because it is the rule of this cruel game: Alone, you have to find where to land your shovel. Show your respect for Mother Nature, And before getting away, close its injury. | This text is relatively straightforward: the treasure-hunter finds something in the zone, and can start to dig. If a hunter understands it correctly, he or she can find the buried owl.[16] |
- Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
- ^ Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
- “500 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “500 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “530 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “530 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “780 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ valentin, max. “The 780 Special Case”. Public Answers Database. 19 August 1995.
- ^ “600 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “600 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “B Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ Valentin, Max. “The 11 Riddles Sequence”. Public Answers Database. 11 November 1995.
- ^ “B Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “420 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “420 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “520 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “650 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “470 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “470 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “560 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- ^ “580 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- ^ “580 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
Livre Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or – Les Cahiers Secrets
© Michel Becker.
While these solutions in the above table are what is generally accepted it is worth noting that there a hundreds of vastly different theories as to what the solutions to the clues could be with each a convincing argument for why it could be the correct solve.
Once the 11 clues are solved the 12th clue will need to be pieced together from some of the other 11 clues. When this 12th clue is solved it is said to reveal the location of the owl. The owl buried is a bronze replica of the golden owl with the golden owl currently held in the possession of the artist Michel Becker who now makes other similar armchair treasure hunts and released a follow up book for the golden owl in 2019 – ‘Livre Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or – Les Cahiers Secrets’
Sources & References
Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:
Primary Source: On The Trail Of The Golden Owl – Wikipedia
Bibliography:
-
- Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
- Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
- “Description of the Prize”. l’Express. 22 July 1993.
- Krotoski, Aleks. “Description of the Prize”. The Guardian. 25 January 2008.
- Valentin, Max. “How the Quest Started”. Public Answers Database. 28 January 1997.
- Schofield, Hugh (2018-08-12). “France’s 25-year treasure hunt for a golden owl”. BBC News. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
- Valentin, Max. “The False Trails”. Public Answers Database. 16 August 1995.
- Valentin, Max. “The Strength of the False Trails”. Public Answers Database. 13 December 2001.
- Smith, Reiss (2016-12-10). “10 lost treasures that YOU could still find: From Blackbeard’s loot to hidden Nazi gold”. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
- Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
- Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
- “500 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “500 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “530 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “530 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “780 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- valentin, max. “The 780 Special Case”. Public Answers Database. 19 August 1995.
- “600 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “600 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “B Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- Valentin, Max. “The 11 Riddles Sequence”. Public Answers Database. 11 November 1995.
- “B Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “420 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “420 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “520 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “650 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “470 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “470 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “560 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “580 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “580 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
Other sources of information:
Official Site of the Golden Owl: Editions-ChouetteDOr.com
Informative Fan Page: GoldenOwlHunt.com
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ADAM L C
Director of Areas Grey
Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.
Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.
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