“Don’t go digging!” We confirm that the countermark of the golden owl was unearthed last night. » On Thursday morning, October 3, Michel Becker, custodian of the famous treasure hunt, announced on the community platform Discord that the object had been found overnight and that an answer to the riddles had been broadcast. “We check the validity of the proposed solution”he clarified. Earthquake in the “owls” community.
For thirty-one years, they have sought to solve the problem eleven puzzles that will allow you to locate the treasure of the golden owl, buried somewhere in France. They are collected in a book published in 1993 by Max Valentin, real name Régis Hauser, who died in 2009, and accompanied by illustrations by Michel Becker, also the sculptor of the owl. In reality, it is a bronze replica (or countermark) that was buried somewhere: whoever found it and could prove to have solved the riddles could exchange it for the authentic golden owl. Estimated value at that time: one million francs, or 150,000 euros.
“I shed some tears.”
While most treasure hunts are resolved in a few months or years, the exceptional longevity of the eagle owl had ended up causing many “owls” to despair, fearing that the famous bird had disappeared from the place where Max Valentin had hidden it ago. three decades. . The sustainability of the game had also been undermined by a series of legal disputes, accentuated after the death of Max Valentin. Michel Becker, who did not respond to requests from WorldHe initially had control over the sculpture, but not over the solutions to the puzzles, which he ended up obtaining from Max Valentin’s heirs.
TO “pinch in the heart”, “Difficult news to accept”, “I shed some tears”… On the Discord forum, an avalanche of nostalgic messages followed Michel Becker’s announcement. With a question: ” WHO ??? ” For now, the identity of the person who got the owl remains a mystery, as does the location of the treasure. But the criticism is already being felt. Several owl hunters, whose relations with Michel Becker have been strained for some time, criticize him, among other things, for having provided new clues in recent years, distorting, according to them, the game.
Therefore, the discovery of the owl could rekindle recurring tensions within this community. As one of its members summarizes on Discord: “ Aside from any debate, thank you. I’m just an owl since lockdown, but I still had an incredible adventure in this certainly dysfunctional, but colorful owl family. »
