Odysseus descended into the Underworld. Dante went sightseeing in Hell. Harry Potter struggled deep beneath Hogwarts in the Chamber of Secrets.
But for their subterranean thrills, Duke undergraduates venture into the steam tunnels.
The University's five unofficial "graduation requirements" dictate that, besides performing unmentionable acts in Perkins Library and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, students must explore the underground labyrinth of tunnels located on both East and West campuses.
"I just wanted to fulfill a graduation requirement," said freshman "Student X," a veteran tunnel traveler who wished to remain anonymous. "I really didn't have an overwhelming desire to go down to see steam vents."
Indeed, the tunnels-a maze of concrete and machinery with empty rooms and seemingly useless piles of dirt off to the sides-are not exactly awe-inspiring.
The walls are covered with drawings and statements that, depending on your perspective, are either amusing or appalling.
"I thought it would be dark-we had prepared flashlights and everything," Student X said, pointing out that in reality, the tunnels were lit. "It was only scary when we heard a noise and thought we would get caught. It was very fun."
Students said one of the factors that seems to provide them with an adrenaline rush is the knowledge that they're doing something they're not supposed to.
"Entering the tunnels without appropriate permission would constitute unauthorized access," said Stephen Bryan, associate dean of students and director of judicial affairs. "Students have been held accountable for a policy violation of this type over the years."
Bryan added that a typical sanction could range from a warning to probation.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, these risks, students continue to descend into the bowels of the University. Pictures and videos of these daring Blue Devils can be found on Facebook and YouTube, where their surroundings are sometimes described as "an undisclosed location."
Incoming freshmen often hear about the legendary graduation requirements during the first days of orientation.
Although the tunnels perform a utilitarian purpose of heating the buildings, stories about them are often colored with exaggerations, misconceptions and outright myths.
An enduring story holds that the tunnels were used as potential escape routes during "The War," but whether the war in question is World War I or World War II depends on your source.
Discrepancies and the University's distance from the Western Front aside, it seems that there is some basis for these tales.
During the Cold War, the tunnels were stocked to serve as potential fallout shelters in case the Soviets decided to drop the big one.
"Everything a human could ask for was once stocked in the tunnels," Stanley Wilkins, then-manager of the Department of Facilities Management, told The Chronicle in 1990.
Another persisting myth claims that a tunnel connects East and West. The steam systems on each campus were once independent of each other, but to be more cost efficient, the University decided to turn them into one system.
Now, the tunnel systems are connected by a steam line, but not a tunnel that could be explored.
For those seeking entry, the greatest difficulty is finding a portal.
On East, doors leading to the steam tunnels abound, but the challenge is identifying one that is unlocked.
Because of this barrier, students usually require, just as Dante needed Virgil, a guide or informant.
And like those heroes who ventured into the Underworld and saw those who came before them, current students can find writings on the wall from members of the "Class of '84" who attended the University before most of them were even born.
Student X spoke of the allure of the tunnels.
"It's one of those things that are forbidden-it's underground, you have to work to get your way in, it's not something that's open to the public," she said. "You're part of a select group of people who have been down in the tunnel. It's a Duke tradition."
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