JASON COLAVITO
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Legends of the Pyramids
    • The Mound Builder Myth
    • Jason and the Argonauts
    • Cult of Alien Gods >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Foundations of Atlantis
    • Knowing Fear >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Hideous Bit of Morbidity >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Cthulhu in World Mythology >
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
      • Necronomicon Fragments
      • Oral Histories
    • Fiction >
      • Short Stories
      • Free Fiction
    • JasonColavito.com Books >
      • Faking History
      • Unearthing the Truth
      • Critical Companion to Ancient Aliens
      • Studies in Ancient Astronautics (Series) >
        • Theosophy on Ancient Astronauts
        • Pyramidiots!
        • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • Fiction Anthologies >
        • Unseen Horror >
          • Contents
          • Excerpt
        • Moon Men! >
          • Contents
      • The Orphic Argonautica >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • The Faust Book >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • Classic Reprints
      • eBook Minis
    • Free eBooks >
      • Origin of the Space Gods
      • Ancient Atom Bombs
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Ancient America
      • Horror & Science
  • Articles
    • Skeptical Xenoarchaeologist Newsletter >
      • Volumes 1-10 Archive >
        • Volume 1 Archive
        • Volume 2 Archive
        • Volume 3 Archive
        • Volume 4 Archive
        • Volume 5 Archive
        • Volume 6 Archive
        • Volume 7 Archive
        • Volume 8 Archive
        • Volume 9 Archive
        • Volume 10 Archive
      • Volumes 11-20 Archive >
        • Volume 11 Archive
        • Volume 12 Archive
        • Volume 13 Archive
        • Volume 14 Archive
        • Volume 15 Archive
        • Volume 16 Archive
        • Volume 17 Archive
        • Volume 18 Archive
        • Volume 19 Archive
        • Volume 20 Archive
      • Volumes 21-30 Archive >
        • Volume 21 Archive
        • Volume 22 Archive
    • Television Reviews >
      • Ancient Aliens Reviews
      • In Search of Aliens Reviews
      • America Unearthed
      • Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar
      • Search for the Lost Giants
      • Forbidden History Reviews
      • Expedition Unknown Reviews
      • Legends of the Lost
      • Unexplained + Unexplored
      • Rob Riggle: Global Investigator
    • Book Reviews
    • Galleries >
      • Bad Archaeology
      • Ancient Civilizations >
        • Ancient Egypt
        • Ancient Greece
        • Ancient Near East
        • Ancient Americas
      • Supernatural History
      • Book Image Galleries
    • Videos
    • Collection: Ancient Alien Fraud >
      • Chariots of the Gods at 50
      • Secret History of Ancient Astronauts
      • Of Atlantis and Aliens
      • Aliens and Ancient Texts
      • Profiles in Ancient Astronautics >
        • Erich von Däniken
        • Robert Temple
        • Giorgio Tsoukalos
        • David Childress
      • Blunders in the Sky
      • The Case of the False Quotes
      • Alternative Authors' Quote Fraud
      • David Childress & the Aliens
      • Faking Ancient Art in Uzbekistan
      • Intimations of Persecution
      • Zecharia Sitchin's World
      • Jesus' Alien Ancestors?
      • Extraterrestrial Evolution?
    • Collection: Skeptic Magazine >
      • America Before Review
      • Native American Discovery of Europe
      • Interview: Scott Sigler
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Oh the Horror
      • Discovery of America
      • Supernatural Television
      • Review of Civilization One
      • Who Lost the Middle Ages
      • Charioteer of the Gods
    • Collection: Ancient History >
      • Prehistoric Nuclear War
      • The China Syndrome
      • Atlantis, Mu, and the Maya
      • Easter Island Exposed
      • Who Built the Sphinx?
      • Who Built the Great Pyramid?
      • Archaeological Cover Up?
    • Collection: The Lovecraft Legacy >
      • Pauwels, Bergier, and Lovecraft
      • Lovecraft in Bergier
      • Lovecraft and Scientology
    • Collection: UFOs >
      • Alien Abduction at the Outer Limits
      • Aliens and Anal Probes
      • Ultra-Terrestrials and UFOs
      • Rebels, Queers, and Aliens
    • Scholomance: The Devil's School
    • Prehistory of Chupacabra
    • The Templars, the Holy Grail, & Henry Sinclair
    • Magicians of the Gods Review
    • The Curse of the Pharaohs
    • The Antediluvian Pyramid Myth
    • Whitewashing American Prehistory
    • James Dean's Cursed Porsche
  • The Library
    • Ancient Mysteries >
      • Ancient Texts >
        • Mesopotamian Texts >
          • Atrahasis Epic
          • Epic of Gilgamesh
          • Kutha Creation Legend
          • Babylonian Creation Myth
          • Descent of Ishtar
          • Berossus
          • Comparison of Antediluvian Histories
        • Egyptian Texts >
          • The Shipwrecked Sailor
          • Dream Stela of Thutmose IV
          • The Papyrus of Ani
          • Classical Accounts of the Pyramids
          • Inventory Stela
          • Manetho
          • Eratosthenes' King List
          • The Story of Setna
          • Leon of Pella
          • Diodorus on Egyptian History
          • On Isis and Osiris
          • Famine Stela
          • Old Egyptian Chronicle
          • The Book of Sothis
          • Horapollo
          • Al-Maqrizi's King List
        • Teshub and the Dragon
        • Hermetica >
          • The Three Hermeses
          • Kore Kosmou
          • Corpus Hermeticum
          • The Asclepius
          • The Emerald Tablet
          • Hermetic Fragments
          • Prologue to the Kyranides
          • The Secret of Creation
          • Ancient Alphabets Explained
          • Prologue to Ibn Umayl's Silvery Water
          • Book of the 24 Philosophers
          • Aurora of the Philosophers
        • Hesiod's Theogony
        • Periplus of Hanno
        • Ctesias' Indica
        • Sanchuniathon
        • Sima Qian
        • Syncellus's Enoch Fragments
        • The Book of Enoch
        • Slavonic Enoch
        • Sepher Yetzirah
        • Tacitus' Germania
        • De Dea Syria
        • Aelian's Various Histories
        • Julius Africanus' Chronography
        • Eusebius' Chronicle
        • Chinese Accounts of Rome
        • Ancient Chinese Automaton
        • The Orphic Argonautica
        • Fragments of Panodorus
        • Annianus on the Watchers
        • The Watchers and Antediluvian Wisdom
      • Medieval Texts >
        • Medieval Legends of Ancient Egypt >
          • Medieval Pyramid Lore
          • John Malalas on Ancient Egypt
          • Fragments of Abenephius
          • Akhbar al-zaman
          • Ibrahim ibn Wasif Shah
          • Murtada ibn al-‘Afif
          • Al-Maqrizi on the Pyramids
          • Al-Suyuti on the Pyramids
        • The Hunt for Noah's Ark
        • Isidore of Seville
        • Book of Liang: Fusang
        • Agobard on Magonia
        • Book of Thousands
        • Voyage of Saint Brendan
        • Power of Art and of Nature
        • Travels of Sir John Mandeville
        • Yazidi Revelation and Black Book
        • Al-Biruni on the Great Flood
        • Voyage of the Zeno Brothers
        • The Kensington Runestone (Hoax)
        • Islamic Discovery of America
        • The Aztec Creation Myth
      • Lost Civilizations >
        • Atlantis >
          • Plato's Atlantis Dialogues >
            • Timaeus
            • Critias
          • Fragments on Atlantis
          • Panchaea: The Other Atlantis
          • Eumalos on Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Gómara on Atlantis
          • Sardinia and Atlantis
          • Santorini and Atlantis
          • The Mound Builders and Atlantis
          • Donnelly's Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Morocco
          • Atlantis and the Sea Peoples
          • W. Scott-Elliot >
            • The Story of Atlantis
            • The Lost Lemuria
          • The Lost Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Africa
          • How I Found Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Termier on Atlantis
          • The Critias and Minoan Crete
          • Rebuttal to Termier
          • Further Responses to Termier
          • Flinders Petrie on Atlantis
        • Lost Cities >
          • Miscellaneous Lost Cities
          • The Seven Cities
          • The Lost City of Paititi
          • Manuscript 512
          • The Idolatrous City of Iximaya (Hoax)
          • The 1885 Moberly Lost City Hoax
          • The Elephants of Paredon (Hoax)
        • OOPARTs
        • Oronteus Finaeus Antarctica Map
        • Caucasians in Panama
        • Jefferson's Excavation
        • Fictitious Discoveries in America
        • Against Diffusionism
        • Tunnels Under Peru
        • The Parahyba Inscription (Hoax)
        • Mound Builders
        • Gunung Padang
        • Tales of Enchanted Islands
        • The 1907 Ancient World Map Hoax
        • The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax
        • The Interglacial Period
        • Solving Oak Island
      • Religious Conspiracies >
        • Pantera, Father of Jesus?
        • Toledot Yeshu
        • Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay on Cathars
        • Testimony of Jean de Châlons
        • Rosslyn Chapel and the 'Prentice's Pillar
        • The Many Wives of Jesus
        • Templar Infiltration of Labor
        • Louis Martin & the Holy Bloodline
        • The Life of St. Issa (Hoax)
        • On the Person of Jesus Christ
      • Giants in the Earth >
        • Fossil Origins of Myths >
          • Fossil Teeth and Bones of Elephants
          • Fossil Elephants
          • Fossil Bones of Teutobochus
          • Fossil Mammoths and Giants
          • Giants' Bones Dug Out of the Earth
          • Fossils and the Supernatural
          • Fossils, Myth, and Pseudo-History
          • Man During the Stone Age
          • Fossil Bones and Giants
          • American Elephant Myths
          • The Mammoth and the Flood
          • Fossils and Myth
          • Fossil Origin of the Cyclops
          • Mastodon, Mammoth, and Man
        • Fragments on Giants
        • Manichaean Book of Giants
        • Geoffrey on British Giants
        • Alfonso X's Hermetic History of Giants
        • Boccaccio and the Fossil 'Giant'
        • Book of Howth
        • Purchas His Pilgrimage
        • Edmond Temple's 1827 Giant Investigation
        • The Giants of Sardinia
        • Giants and the Sons of God
        • The Magnetism of Evil
        • Tertiary Giants
        • Smithsonian Giant Reports
        • Early American Giants
        • The Giant of Coahuila
        • Jewish Encyclopedia on Giants
        • Index of Giants
        • Newspaper Accounts of Giants
        • Lanier's A Book of Giants
      • Science and History >
        • Halley on Noah's Comet
        • The Newport Tower
        • Iron: The Stone from Heaven
        • Ararat and the Ark
        • Pyramid Facts and Fancies
        • Argonauts before Homer
        • The Deluge
        • Crown Prince Rudolf on the Pyramids
        • Old Mythology in New Apparel
        • Blavatsky on Dinosaurs
        • Teddy Roosevelt on Bigfoot
        • Devil Worship in France
        • Maspero's Review of Akhbar al-zaman
        • The Holy Grail as Lucifer's Crown Jewel
        • The Mutinous Sea
        • The Rock Wall of Rockwall
        • Fabulous Zoology
        • The Origins of Talos
        • Mexican Mythology
        • Chinese Pyramids
        • Maqrizi's Names of the Pharaohs
      • Extreme History >
        • Roman Empire Hoax
        • American Antiquities
        • American Cataclysms
        • England, the Remnant of Judah
        • Historical Chronology of the Mexicans
        • Maspero on the Predynastic Sphinx
        • Vestiges of the Mayas
        • Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel
        • Origins of the Egyptian People
        • The Secret Doctrine >
          • Volume 1: Cosmogenesis
          • Volume 2: Anthropogenesis
        • Phoenicians in America
        • The Electric Ark
        • Traces of European Influence
        • Prince Henry Sinclair
        • Pyramid Prophecies
        • Templars of Ancient Mexico
        • Chronology and the "Riddle of the Sphinx"
        • The Faith of Ancient Egypt
        • Spirit of the Hour in Archaeology
        • Book of the Damned
        • Great Pyramid As Noah's Ark
        • Richard Shaver's Proofs
    • Alien Encounters >
      • US Government Ancient Astronaut Files >
        • Fortean Society and Columbus
        • Inquiry into Shaver and Palmer
        • The Skyfort Document
        • Whirling Wheels
        • Denver Ancient Astronaut Lecture
        • Soviet Search for Lemuria
        • Visitors from Outer Space
        • Unidentified Flying Objects (Abstract)
        • "Flying Saucers"? They're a Myth
        • UFO Hypothesis Survival Questions
        • Air Force Academy UFO Textbook
        • The Condon Report on Ancient Astronauts
        • Atlantis Discovery Telegrams
        • Ancient Astronaut Society Telegram
        • Noah's Ark Cables
        • The Von Daniken Letter
        • CIA Psychic Probe of Ancient Mars
        • Scott Wolter Lawsuit
        • UFOs in Ancient China
        • CIA Report on Noah's Ark
        • CIA Noah's Ark Memos
        • Congressional Ancient Aliens Testimony
        • Ancient Astronaut and Nibiru Email
        • Congressional Ancient Mars Hearing
        • House UFO Hearing
      • Ancient Extraterrestrials >
        • Premodern UFO Sightings
        • The Moon Hoax
        • Inhabitants of Other Planets
        • Blavatsky on Ancient Astronauts
        • The Stanzas of Dzyan (Hoax)
        • Aerolites and Religion
        • What Is Theosophy?
        • Plane of Ether
        • The Adepts from Venus
      • A Message from Mars
      • Saucer Mystery Solved?
      • Orville Wright on UFOs
      • Interdimensional Flying Saucers
      • Flying Saucers Are Real
      • Report on UFOs
    • The Supernatural >
      • The Devils of Loudun
      • Sublime and Beautiful
      • Voltaire on Vampires
      • Demonology and Witchcraft
      • Thaumaturgia
      • Bulgarian Vampires
      • Religion and Evolution
      • Transylvanian Superstitions
      • Defining a Zombie
      • Dread of the Supernatural
      • Vampires
      • Werewolves and Vampires and Ghouls
      • Science and Fairy Stories
      • The Cursed Car
    • Classic Fiction >
      • Lucian's True History
      • Some Words with a Mummy
      • The Coming Race
      • King Solomon's Mines
      • An Inhabitant of Carcosa
      • The Xipéhuz
      • Lot No. 249
      • The Novel of the Black Seal
      • The Island of Doctor Moreau
      • Pharaoh's Curse
      • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • The Lost Continent
      • Count Magnus
      • The Mysterious Stranger
      • The Wendigo
      • Sredni Vashtar
      • The Lost World
      • The Red One
      • H. P. Lovecraft >
        • Dagon
        • The Call of Cthulhu
        • History of the Necronomicon
        • At the Mountains of Madness
        • Lovecraft's Library in 1932
      • The Skeptical Poltergeist
      • The Corpse on the Grating
      • The Second Satellite
      • Queen of the Black Coast
      • A Martian Odyssey
    • Classic Genre Movies
    • Miscellaneous Documents >
      • The Balloon-Hoax
      • A Problem in Greek Ethics
      • The Migration of Symbols
      • The Gospel of Intensity
      • De Profundis
      • The Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolf
      • The Bathtub Hoax
      • Crown Prince Rudolf's Letters
      • Position of Viking Women
      • Employment of Homosexuals
      • James Dean's Love Letters
      • The Amazing James Dean Hoax!
    • Free Classic Pseudohistory eBooks
  • About Jason
    • Biography
    • Jason in the Media
    • Contact Jason
    • About JasonColavito.com
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Search

The Business of Selling Ancient Astronauts

11/20/2013

18 Comments

 
For those of you watching Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC last night, you were undoubtedly amused by the program’s discussion of the ancient astronaut theory. This gets into some of the arcana of Marvel comics, which goes far beyond my understanding of the complexities of the various Marvel universes. As I understand it, in the standard issue Marvel universe (Earth-616), the deities of Norse mythology are presented as essentially gods, though they are apparently officially extra-dimensional beings. On the other hand, the Earth X universe (Earth-9997), the Norse gods are shape-shifting aliens from space who took on the personas of the Norse gods thanks to human worship of them. Since the Earth X series dates from 1999, it probably isn’t particularly relevant.

In the comics, the Norse gods are long-lived mortals with godlike powers, but other deities such as the Greek Olympians are (all but) immortal gods. The various pantheons are extra-dimensional (like some of Lovecraft’s Old Ones) and exist in magical realms adjacent to the earth. Another group, the Celestials, are godlike aliens who genetically engineer humans. Created in 1976, they were apparently modeled on the Anunnaki as depicted by Zecharia Sitchin that year.

These various comics continuities are separate again from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or whatever they’re calling it now), which includes some (but not all) of the Marvel superhero movies (Spider-Man, for example, is a notable exception), as well as the Agents series. Last night’s episode was meant to tie in with the recent release of Thor: The Dark World, and it therefore deals with the question of whether the Norse gods are aliens.

In the episode, the characters strongly imply that the Norse gods—which Marvel terms the Asgardians—are space aliens. Agent Coulson specifically states that the Norse gods’ magic items came “from space.” Skye wonders whether other deities like Vishnu (who appears in Marvel comics as a god) are also space aliens in what seems to be a direct reference to Ancient Aliens. The discussion suggests that early humans worshipped space aliens, mistaking their technology for divine magic, a key tenet of Chariots of the Gods and Ancient Aliens.

Normally, I don’t really have a problem with programs that are explicitly meant as entertainment using a fringe idea for entertainment purposes. But when the traditional continuity has been rewritten to explicitly add in the concept of ancient astronauts, it raises a few red flags. Obviously, there is the problem that the show presented the idea matter-of-factly as a scientific given to one of television’s largest audiences. There’s already been an uptick in online activity looking for information on the ancient astronaut theory as a result of the broadcast.

[Note: I have rewritten the following paragraph to clarify what I meant to say.]

While this is most likely a coincidence, Marvel and ABC are owned by Disney, which is also the co-owner (with Hearst) of A+E Networks, parent of the History Channel, whose H2 network shows Ancient Aliens. Ancient Aliens shows up at ComicCon alongside Marvel. We know that Agents series creator Joss Whedon also has a thing for Lovecraft (attested in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cabin in the Woods), and there may be a hint of the Cthulhu Mythos here in the idea that ancient alien artifacts, once uncovered, can wreak great havoc, like the Shining Trapezohedron or the idols of Cthulhu. It’s all a very neat package of mutually-reinforcing ideas that have at their core financial profit. Fringe history makes money across the Disney empire, including even at ABC News, who ran a story earlier this year claiming that ancient aliens were both real and need your gold. If you are an ancient astronaut theorist or a fringe historian, you would call it a conspiracy.

Now I don’t really think Disney cares enough about Ancient Aliens, which they do not produce, on a network they only half-own, to coordinate explicitly, though they did in fact coordinate with ABC to promote the myth of Atlantis in conjunction with the release of Disney’s Atlantis movie, and they have historically been friendly to ancient astronaut claims. In the 1990s, ABC aired an Erich von Däniken TV special, which I believe was the last time a major broadcast network had a nonfiction ancient astronaut program. The network used the special to help funnel viewers to similar programming on A&E and the History Channel, which at the time they had a one-third stake in with Hearst and NBC, another network that had endorsed fringe history with a series of specials touting creationism and lost civilization theories. All of these network documentaries remained in regular rotation on the cable stations down to the mid-2000s. Fringe history makes for fast and easy money.

I wonder, though, what Disney—purveyor of global theme parks—thinks of Erich von Däniken turning Chariots of the Gods into a “brand” that hired Attraktion! Group last year to build a new ancient astronaut theme park (the first, Mystery Park, in Switzerland having closed due to non-interest) to capitalize on the popularity of Ancient Aliens. I can’t imagine they were too happy to be giving free publicity to a competitor’s park. The rollout was supposed to include a (presumably fictional) Chariots TV series, a feature film, a book series, shopping mall mini-parks, video games, and “trans-media” properties. Although this was announced in January 2012, as of today, nothing has happened.

Von Däniken apparently sold the intellectual property of Chariots of the Gods—and what might that be since it is supposedly “fact” and therefore not controllable?—to a shadowy group called Media Invest Entertainment, a Liechtenstein-registered company that exists solely to exploit Chariots of the Gods. It intended to turn Chariots into a global brand. In 2009, they filed for a U.S. trademark for audio recordings, video games, computer games, clothing, and other materials—and they filed just after the premiere of Ancient Aliens, which von Däniken obviously saw a comeback vehicle that would return him to prominence. The original pilot of Ancient Aliens was explicitly designed as an exploration of von Däniken’s ideas, but Giorgio Tsoukalos somehow stole the spotlight from his master and is now the “face” of ancient astronautics.

However, despite receiving trademark approval in 2010, Media Invest waited almost two years to announce its plans, and to this day still claims to be trolling for “investors” to help make a Chariots a global brand. I wonder if A+E, Disney, or Prometheus Entertainment (owner of the name “Ancient Aliens”) discovered that von Däniken would be using Ancient Aliens to promote a new TV series and a theme park in direct competition with their properties. Or maybe thanks to Ancient Aliens nobody under 40 remembers Chariots of the Gods. Either way, von Däniken’s plans seem to have fallen through while his offshoot, Ancient Aliens, soldiers on.

But what exactly is the “intellectual property” von Däniken transferred to Media Invest?

It can’t be his book, because Media Invest has a disclaimer that they don’t own that—his German publisher does. It can’t be the concept of ancient astronauts since von Däniken didn’t invent them (H. P. Blavatsky, Garrett P. Serviss, Charles Fort, H. P. Lovecraft, Jacques Bergier, Louis Pauwels, Robert Charroux, and others have prior claim). It can’t really even be the name “Chariots of the Gods” since that phrase is taken from Bulfinch’s Mythology and Victorian translations of Plato and was a common phrase before von Däniken’s publisher found it. At any rate, he did not own the trademark before Media Invest applied for one. The only thing it can really be is Erich von Däniken’s own celebrity, for what that’s worth.

Perhaps this is why Attraktion! Group, the company hired by Media Invest to produce its “entertainment” has taken to calling Chariots a “novel”—since novels have characters that can be considered intellectual property, while nonfiction does not.

In theory, anyone could open an ancient astronaut theme park or sell ancient astronaut clothing since ideas can’t be copyrighted. My book was called The Cult of Alien Gods, and I’d be happy to rent the name “Alien Gods” for a modest fee! (I’m kidding, of course: I don’t actually own “Alien Gods”—yet.)

Interestingly, in June of this year Spencer Lane Corporation, an entity registered to Douglas Lodato of Santa Monica, California, tried to trademark the name Ancient Aliens for a line of video games and a massively multiplayer online ancient astronaut gaming world. I do not know his relationship to Prometheus Entertainment, but apparently he tried to file independently of the TV series, since Prometheus Entertainment failed to request a trademark for Ancient Aliens for anything beyond television documentaries. The Trademark and Patent Office, however, just issued a few weeks ago a final refusal because the trademark infringes on Prometheus’ trademark, but the claim isn’t officially dead because Lotado could still file an appeal.

18 Comments
David Kaz link
11/20/2013 07:10:47 am

Having been a Marvel reader since the early 70's the idea of ancient aliens is long with them. Humans were created by the Celestials ( http://marvel.com/universe/Celestials ) who come back to judge if the life is 'worth' keeping. The idea of any of the gods being aliens also goes back before the AA or SHEILD series and before Disney bought Marvel.

A note I am wholly on your side, I just don't think there is any direct connection.

Reply
Jason Colavito link
11/20/2013 07:15:59 am

Ancient astronauts have been in comics since before von Daniken, and I doubt that anyone is coordinating an ancient astronaut agenda. It just seemed weirdly out of place given the way Asgardians have (albeit not consistently) been depicted in recent years. It's interesting, though, that the Celestials were invented to do prehistoric genetic testing right after Zecharia Sitchin proposed the same for the Anunnaki in 1976.

Reply
Scott Hamilton
11/20/2013 07:22:34 am

"I’m sure it’s completely coincidental that Marvel and ABC are owned by Disney, which is also the co-owner (with Hearst) of A+E Networks, parent of the History Channel, whose H2 network shows Ancient Aliens..."

Well, yes, it IS completely coincidental (assuming those were sarcastic italics), because Disney bought Marvel in 2009, and Thor had been in various stages of production since 2008, and furthermore was distributed by Paramount when it came out in 2011. I think it's pretty safe to assume that the "magic and science are the same thing on Asgard" approach the movie took was more about avoiding the uncomfortable implications that have always been there when Marvel and DC feature pagan pantheons as characters: If Odin and Zeus are real (not to mention all the various versions of the Devil), where does that leave the Christian God? Why doesn't he show up? And who would he side with: Catholics or Protestants? Or neither? ("Sorry, the Jews were right.") You can get away with just sort of ignoring the more blasphemous aspects in the insular world of comic books, but in the wider culture someone would have probably made a stink about it. Heck, someone check Bill Donohue's website, I bet he did.

The ancient alien influence on Marvel comics is deep. Back in the 1960s Jack Kirby tended to draw Asgard as a technological realm, especially later in his run. When Chariots of the Gods came out he embraced its ideas fully, and during his second stint at Marvel in the late 1970s he created a series based on 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Eternals, both of which were awash with ancient alien ideas. I have no idea if he actually believed any of the theories - even if he did that would make him only the second nuttiest classic comic artist. (Neal Adams, largely responsible for the modern vision of Batman, believes that plate tectonics is a myth and the Earth is actually constantly expanding.)

Reply
Jason Colavito link
11/20/2013 08:39:20 am

Sorry, my attempts to be humorous don't always come across clearly. I have rewritten the offending paragraph to make clear that while, yes, this is a coincidence, it's also true that fringe history ideas make money across the many Disney properties.

Scott Adams of Dilbert fame also advocated the expanding-earth idea for a while, too. Weird.

Reply
Aaron Adair link
11/20/2013 02:50:45 pm

I had to check that Scott Adams did believe such things. I knew about Neal Adams, but Scott as well? Apparently so. Then again, he does fall into other weird mindsets, including evolution denial.

Thane
11/20/2013 10:35:20 am

Marvel has a long history of mixing magic and science, sometimes as competing powers and other times as just forms of the same thing.

Since the Marvel Universe really never had a single "architect", every writer brought his own thing and view of the Marvel Universe for the character they were responsible. Characters have gone thought so many re-imagings and reinventions...some stuck, some didn't and others were the reasons they needed to create all the alternate universes and histories.

I would posit that the Marvel Universe is a reflection of the cultural influence of AA and alternate history at various times in the past 50 years. It will continue to reflect that influence as there is the continue churn of creative talent.

Reply
Only Me
11/20/2013 02:07:52 pm

You also have to remember that Kirby created the New Gods for DC. While possessing godly powers and abilities, they were also highly advanced technologically, Mother Box and Boom Tubes, for example.

I believe after the Asgardians became mainstays in the Marvel mythos, later artists began portraying Asgard and its inhabitants more in the style it had always portrayed the Olympians...as older cultures with the architecture and landscape reflecting the expected Norse and ancient Greek "look".

As to God, Marvel has made reference to a Power far beyond even the cosmic beings that hold so much influence in the known universe. If I remember correctly, this Power was simply named The One. Perhaps this was Marvel's way of leaving the door open for acknowledging the existence of God, since older pantheons are established to be real.

Reply
The Other J.
11/22/2013 05:26:22 pm

More on the Jack Kirby connection:

There's also the 1958 pre-Marvel comic he did, Race For The Moon #2, which was subtitled The Face On Mars. In it, explorers discover a giant megalith shaped like a face staring upward on the surface of Mars -- 18 years prior to any Viking missions to Mars, thus prior to any photos of supposed megalithic faces on the Red Planet that would later generate so many ancient aliens conspiracy theories.

Beyond anything else, Kirby was a bit of a visionary.

Reply
Clint Knapp
11/20/2013 11:43:08 am

The first Thor movie touched on this idea a little bit when explaining what Bifrost is and turned it into a directed wormhole technology connecting nine planets. The first time I saw the movie I just rolled my eyes and went on without even considering the AA angle, I was too busy being annoyed by the unusual way the producers decided to try being racially diverse.

By inserting only two non-white cast members into a pantheon that can legitimately be cast white without raising the race question, they actually seemed to be making a more racially awkward statement than if they'd left it alone or done their strange balancing act in the human side instead. Perhaps, in light of the AA connection, one could make the argument they were attempting to distance from "white aliens gave everyone everything" side of the AA story.

Of course, that Idris Elba- an amazing talent who tends to get lackluster roles- was greatly under-used despite this odd casting decision was a whole other gripe. It does, however, make at least two AA-inspired roles I know of (Prometheus the more blatant) that he's had in recent memory. Alien conspiracy, or is Idris a Sitchinite? For my sanity's sake, I'll assume he just gets crappy offers.

All that aside, though, I really saw no reason for the descent into technological alien claptrap. Thor's always been one of my favorite titles because it's high-fantasy in comic form, and frankly the Cinematic Universe could've done just fine to leave it that way. Instead of a precarious balance between the forces of science and the forces of magic (often coming together as in the current form Asgard takes in the 616; a technological city built by Tony Stark populated and enhanced by magical beings), they've reduced the entire thing to an unending series of alien invasions.

I didn't watch this episode of Agents, but I gave up on the show after the first two. The Marvel multiverse is usually a fun way to explore different tellings, but they just lost me on this one. Perhaps the new Netflix shows will be better, though in light of this AA connection I'm now wondering if the heavily-mystical, kung-fu movie inspired Iron Fist's Seven Cities of Heaven are just going to become alien spaceships floating around in orbit.

Reply
Shane Sullivan
11/20/2013 01:09:03 pm

"By inserting only two non-white cast members into a pantheon that can legitimately be cast white without raising the race question, they actually seemed to be making a more racially awkward statement than if they'd left it alone or done their strange balancing act in the human side instead."

If I may play devil's advocate for a moment, Tadanobu Asano, who played Hogun in that film, is partly of Northern European descent (Swedish, on his grandfather's side). Theoretically, he's more qualified to play a Norse god than Tom Hiddleston or Anthony Hopkins. =P

Reply
thane
11/20/2013 02:20:38 pm

I usually have a conflict the time Agents is on and so have only seen two episodes.

I really enjoy the Marvel Universe (though I haven't really read the comics post the mid-80's) and I have enjoyed all the movies so far but Agents has left me cold. I like Agent Colson but other characters....eh. The stories has also been .....flat. They haven't found a good sense of humor, adventure, and/or intrigue.

Maybe I'm hypercritical.

Reply
james
11/24/2013 06:54:01 am

Racial sensitivity offends you does it?

Reply
Beau Davis
11/26/2013 10:06:05 am

While I do not believe in the Ancient Alien theory, I can see the gods as a special kind of aliens, but they will be vastly different than your run of the mill aliens giving what they have. Also, In the movie "Thor", they shows Asgard as a flat world. Completely impossible according to all the laws of science meaning that you would need magic to make that place possible. Also, Thor said that both magic and science are the same thing on his homeworld.

Reply
mike3
11/29/2013 12:12:39 am

I noticed this:

"Obviously, there is the problem that the show presented the idea matter-of-factly as a scientific given to one of television’s largest audiences."

However, I'm not quite so sure what the big problem here is. It's a _fiction_ show, isn't every other totally-at-odds-with-reality thing in the show presented "matter of fact" for the purposes of telling the fictional story (Though I haven't seen this particular series, so I don't know how it's put together. I'm just going on the fiction stuff I _have_ watched. I don't know why this'd be any different)? When you're giving a fictional performance, you don't say in the middle of the show that it's fiction -- this is presumed to be known by the audience already, and interjecting it would break the immersion of the show. Within the context of the fictional goings-on, everything would be presented "matter-of-fact", no?

Can you clarify this point? Thanks.

Reply
Jason Colavito link
11/29/2013 12:18:16 am

You're right that fiction presents its world as fictional, but traditionally when a piece of fiction references something that isn't true, it makes some effort to justify its position in the fictional universe. For example, H. P. Lovecraft never stops to explain that the Necronomicon was fake, but his stories have to provide fictional background to make the fiction believable. When tossing off an idea as though it were common knowledge, it presumes that the audience already understands and believes the claim to be true, or else that they *should* already believe the claim to be true.

That said, this may be more of a function of the set up of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with which I am not completely familiar.

Reply
Katie
11/29/2013 07:06:44 am

"That said, this may be more of a function of the set up of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with which I am not completely familiar."

Got it in one. The MCU relies fairly heavily on elements which were treated as "magic" in other iterations being merely sufficiently advanced science. Whether Asgard is extra-terrestrial or extra-dimensional is never clarified as firmly as could be - but then, much of the exposition on the subject comes from Thor, who is not precisely an academic expert.

More importantly, however, most of the emphasis on "aliens" in this particular episode was to show that the characters making that assertion believe in science rather than magic. Jemma Simmons, in particular, is careful to emphasize it - and she's routinely played as falling firmly on the side of logic and reason, rather than myth and fantasy. It also neatly parallels some of Jane's behavior from both Thor films - especially the fact that, presented with an Asgardian device called a Soul Forge, she promptly identifies it as a quantum field generator. Jane and Jemma both seem to feel a little comforted by the idea that if they can explain what's going on using scientific principles, they can feel a little more secure and less lost at sea.

So the tl;dr takehome is basically that yes, the MCU/Earth-199999 treats manifestations of the unexplainable as sufficiently advanced science, which is actually one of its distinguishing features as compared to Earth-616 and other variants from the comics and alternate sources.

Roy Propsner link
7/4/2014 08:41:30 am

Space Ship, UFOlogy, Alien (migrant), Extraterrestrial , Flying Saucer themed park concept requires: Location, Site, Developer, Funding.
You Can Find me on Linkedin

Reply
Mike Gancot
4/25/2015 07:53:45 am

Most of the commentators sound either a lot or somewhat educated. I don't believe it that they still read comic books and compare them with reality. Also that they know about the Sumerian Clay Tablets and still believe in different "Religions". Isn't it obvious that all these "gods" are all the same beings and stem from the same place of origin. Just mankind has made each different by their own views and believes and are constantly fighting over who is right. All the supposed "gods" are nothing but ourselves (we where created in the gods image, right)! It took us a long time but we are finally catching up with our creators and have achieved a technological but not ideological level, not quite, but almost equalling the gods.
But when it really comes to talking and thinking about GOD (translate "I will never know" what is behind all that "Nature") we will never find out, no matter how much praying and all that hokus pokus we are doing. "He" is not watching over us and is not helping us, "He (as in Nature) has set things in motion and let it rip. Only us, mankind seems to be capable of upsetting Nature. After all we are "created" in the gods image, aren't we? Otherwise, no matter how powerful, awful, terrible, destructive and especially beautiful Nature is, it always will balance itself out and come back to it's Original and there isn't a damn thing we can do about that. Notice I refer to GOD and gods! Which is what you believe in?

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Blog
    Picture

    Author

    I am an author and researcher focusing on pop culture, science, and history. Bylines: New Republic, Esquire, Slate, etc. There's more about me in the About Jason tab.

    Become a Patron!
    Tweets by JasonColavito
    Picture

    Newsletters

    Enter your email below to subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my latest projects, blog posts, and activities, and subscribe to Culture & Curiosities, my Substack newsletter.

    powered by TinyLetter

    Blog Roll

    Ancient Aliens Debunked
    Picture
    A Hot Cup of Joe
    ArchyFantasies
    Bad UFOs
    Mammoth Tales
    Matthew R. X. Dentith
    PaleoBabble
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Alternative Archaeology
    Alternative Archaeology
    Alternative History
    Alternative History
    America Unearthed
    Ancient Aliens
    Ancient Astronauts
    Ancient History
    Ancient Texts
    Ancient Texts
    Archaeology
    Atlantis
    Conspiracies
    Giants
    Habsburgs
    Horror
    King Arthur
    Knights Templar
    Lovecraft
    Mythology
    Occult
    Popular Culture
    Popular Culture
    Projects
    Pyramids
    Racism
    Science
    Skepticism
    Ufos
    Weird Old Art
    Weird Things
    White Nationalism

    Terms & Conditions

    Please read all applicable terms and conditions before posting a comment on this blog. Posting a comment constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions linked herein.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    RSS Feed

Picture
Home  |  Blog  |  Books  | Contact  |  About Jason | Terms & Conditions
© 2010-2023 Jason Colavito. All rights reserved.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Legends of the Pyramids
    • The Mound Builder Myth
    • Jason and the Argonauts
    • Cult of Alien Gods >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Foundations of Atlantis
    • Knowing Fear >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Hideous Bit of Morbidity >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Cthulhu in World Mythology >
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
      • Necronomicon Fragments
      • Oral Histories
    • Fiction >
      • Short Stories
      • Free Fiction
    • JasonColavito.com Books >
      • Faking History
      • Unearthing the Truth
      • Critical Companion to Ancient Aliens
      • Studies in Ancient Astronautics (Series) >
        • Theosophy on Ancient Astronauts
        • Pyramidiots!
        • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • Fiction Anthologies >
        • Unseen Horror >
          • Contents
          • Excerpt
        • Moon Men! >
          • Contents
      • The Orphic Argonautica >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • The Faust Book >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • Classic Reprints
      • eBook Minis
    • Free eBooks >
      • Origin of the Space Gods
      • Ancient Atom Bombs
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Ancient America
      • Horror & Science
  • Articles
    • Skeptical Xenoarchaeologist Newsletter >
      • Volumes 1-10 Archive >
        • Volume 1 Archive
        • Volume 2 Archive
        • Volume 3 Archive
        • Volume 4 Archive
        • Volume 5 Archive
        • Volume 6 Archive
        • Volume 7 Archive
        • Volume 8 Archive
        • Volume 9 Archive
        • Volume 10 Archive
      • Volumes 11-20 Archive >
        • Volume 11 Archive
        • Volume 12 Archive
        • Volume 13 Archive
        • Volume 14 Archive
        • Volume 15 Archive
        • Volume 16 Archive
        • Volume 17 Archive
        • Volume 18 Archive
        • Volume 19 Archive
        • Volume 20 Archive
      • Volumes 21-30 Archive >
        • Volume 21 Archive
        • Volume 22 Archive
    • Television Reviews >
      • Ancient Aliens Reviews
      • In Search of Aliens Reviews
      • America Unearthed
      • Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar
      • Search for the Lost Giants
      • Forbidden History Reviews
      • Expedition Unknown Reviews
      • Legends of the Lost
      • Unexplained + Unexplored
      • Rob Riggle: Global Investigator
    • Book Reviews
    • Galleries >
      • Bad Archaeology
      • Ancient Civilizations >
        • Ancient Egypt
        • Ancient Greece
        • Ancient Near East
        • Ancient Americas
      • Supernatural History
      • Book Image Galleries
    • Videos
    • Collection: Ancient Alien Fraud >
      • Chariots of the Gods at 50
      • Secret History of Ancient Astronauts
      • Of Atlantis and Aliens
      • Aliens and Ancient Texts
      • Profiles in Ancient Astronautics >
        • Erich von Däniken
        • Robert Temple
        • Giorgio Tsoukalos
        • David Childress
      • Blunders in the Sky
      • The Case of the False Quotes
      • Alternative Authors' Quote Fraud
      • David Childress & the Aliens
      • Faking Ancient Art in Uzbekistan
      • Intimations of Persecution
      • Zecharia Sitchin's World
      • Jesus' Alien Ancestors?
      • Extraterrestrial Evolution?
    • Collection: Skeptic Magazine >
      • America Before Review
      • Native American Discovery of Europe
      • Interview: Scott Sigler
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Oh the Horror
      • Discovery of America
      • Supernatural Television
      • Review of Civilization One
      • Who Lost the Middle Ages
      • Charioteer of the Gods
    • Collection: Ancient History >
      • Prehistoric Nuclear War
      • The China Syndrome
      • Atlantis, Mu, and the Maya
      • Easter Island Exposed
      • Who Built the Sphinx?
      • Who Built the Great Pyramid?
      • Archaeological Cover Up?
    • Collection: The Lovecraft Legacy >
      • Pauwels, Bergier, and Lovecraft
      • Lovecraft in Bergier
      • Lovecraft and Scientology
    • Collection: UFOs >
      • Alien Abduction at the Outer Limits
      • Aliens and Anal Probes
      • Ultra-Terrestrials and UFOs
      • Rebels, Queers, and Aliens
    • Scholomance: The Devil's School
    • Prehistory of Chupacabra
    • The Templars, the Holy Grail, & Henry Sinclair
    • Magicians of the Gods Review
    • The Curse of the Pharaohs
    • The Antediluvian Pyramid Myth
    • Whitewashing American Prehistory
    • James Dean's Cursed Porsche
  • The Library
    • Ancient Mysteries >
      • Ancient Texts >
        • Mesopotamian Texts >
          • Atrahasis Epic
          • Epic of Gilgamesh
          • Kutha Creation Legend
          • Babylonian Creation Myth
          • Descent of Ishtar
          • Berossus
          • Comparison of Antediluvian Histories
        • Egyptian Texts >
          • The Shipwrecked Sailor
          • Dream Stela of Thutmose IV
          • The Papyrus of Ani
          • Classical Accounts of the Pyramids
          • Inventory Stela
          • Manetho
          • Eratosthenes' King List
          • The Story of Setna
          • Leon of Pella
          • Diodorus on Egyptian History
          • On Isis and Osiris
          • Famine Stela
          • Old Egyptian Chronicle
          • The Book of Sothis
          • Horapollo
          • Al-Maqrizi's King List
        • Teshub and the Dragon
        • Hermetica >
          • The Three Hermeses
          • Kore Kosmou
          • Corpus Hermeticum
          • The Asclepius
          • The Emerald Tablet
          • Hermetic Fragments
          • Prologue to the Kyranides
          • The Secret of Creation
          • Ancient Alphabets Explained
          • Prologue to Ibn Umayl's Silvery Water
          • Book of the 24 Philosophers
          • Aurora of the Philosophers
        • Hesiod's Theogony
        • Periplus of Hanno
        • Ctesias' Indica
        • Sanchuniathon
        • Sima Qian
        • Syncellus's Enoch Fragments
        • The Book of Enoch
        • Slavonic Enoch
        • Sepher Yetzirah
        • Tacitus' Germania
        • De Dea Syria
        • Aelian's Various Histories
        • Julius Africanus' Chronography
        • Eusebius' Chronicle
        • Chinese Accounts of Rome
        • Ancient Chinese Automaton
        • The Orphic Argonautica
        • Fragments of Panodorus
        • Annianus on the Watchers
        • The Watchers and Antediluvian Wisdom
      • Medieval Texts >
        • Medieval Legends of Ancient Egypt >
          • Medieval Pyramid Lore
          • John Malalas on Ancient Egypt
          • Fragments of Abenephius
          • Akhbar al-zaman
          • Ibrahim ibn Wasif Shah
          • Murtada ibn al-‘Afif
          • Al-Maqrizi on the Pyramids
          • Al-Suyuti on the Pyramids
        • The Hunt for Noah's Ark
        • Isidore of Seville
        • Book of Liang: Fusang
        • Agobard on Magonia
        • Book of Thousands
        • Voyage of Saint Brendan
        • Power of Art and of Nature
        • Travels of Sir John Mandeville
        • Yazidi Revelation and Black Book
        • Al-Biruni on the Great Flood
        • Voyage of the Zeno Brothers
        • The Kensington Runestone (Hoax)
        • Islamic Discovery of America
        • The Aztec Creation Myth
      • Lost Civilizations >
        • Atlantis >
          • Plato's Atlantis Dialogues >
            • Timaeus
            • Critias
          • Fragments on Atlantis
          • Panchaea: The Other Atlantis
          • Eumalos on Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Gómara on Atlantis
          • Sardinia and Atlantis
          • Santorini and Atlantis
          • The Mound Builders and Atlantis
          • Donnelly's Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Morocco
          • Atlantis and the Sea Peoples
          • W. Scott-Elliot >
            • The Story of Atlantis
            • The Lost Lemuria
          • The Lost Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Africa
          • How I Found Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Termier on Atlantis
          • The Critias and Minoan Crete
          • Rebuttal to Termier
          • Further Responses to Termier
          • Flinders Petrie on Atlantis
        • Lost Cities >
          • Miscellaneous Lost Cities
          • The Seven Cities
          • The Lost City of Paititi
          • Manuscript 512
          • The Idolatrous City of Iximaya (Hoax)
          • The 1885 Moberly Lost City Hoax
          • The Elephants of Paredon (Hoax)
        • OOPARTs
        • Oronteus Finaeus Antarctica Map
        • Caucasians in Panama
        • Jefferson's Excavation
        • Fictitious Discoveries in America
        • Against Diffusionism
        • Tunnels Under Peru
        • The Parahyba Inscription (Hoax)
        • Mound Builders
        • Gunung Padang
        • Tales of Enchanted Islands
        • The 1907 Ancient World Map Hoax
        • The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax
        • The Interglacial Period
        • Solving Oak Island
      • Religious Conspiracies >
        • Pantera, Father of Jesus?
        • Toledot Yeshu
        • Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay on Cathars
        • Testimony of Jean de Châlons
        • Rosslyn Chapel and the 'Prentice's Pillar
        • The Many Wives of Jesus
        • Templar Infiltration of Labor
        • Louis Martin & the Holy Bloodline
        • The Life of St. Issa (Hoax)
        • On the Person of Jesus Christ
      • Giants in the Earth >
        • Fossil Origins of Myths >
          • Fossil Teeth and Bones of Elephants
          • Fossil Elephants
          • Fossil Bones of Teutobochus
          • Fossil Mammoths and Giants
          • Giants' Bones Dug Out of the Earth
          • Fossils and the Supernatural
          • Fossils, Myth, and Pseudo-History
          • Man During the Stone Age
          • Fossil Bones and Giants
          • American Elephant Myths
          • The Mammoth and the Flood
          • Fossils and Myth
          • Fossil Origin of the Cyclops
          • Mastodon, Mammoth, and Man
        • Fragments on Giants
        • Manichaean Book of Giants
        • Geoffrey on British Giants
        • Alfonso X's Hermetic History of Giants
        • Boccaccio and the Fossil 'Giant'
        • Book of Howth
        • Purchas His Pilgrimage
        • Edmond Temple's 1827 Giant Investigation
        • The Giants of Sardinia
        • Giants and the Sons of God
        • The Magnetism of Evil
        • Tertiary Giants
        • Smithsonian Giant Reports
        • Early American Giants
        • The Giant of Coahuila
        • Jewish Encyclopedia on Giants
        • Index of Giants
        • Newspaper Accounts of Giants
        • Lanier's A Book of Giants
      • Science and History >
        • Halley on Noah's Comet
        • The Newport Tower
        • Iron: The Stone from Heaven
        • Ararat and the Ark
        • Pyramid Facts and Fancies
        • Argonauts before Homer
        • The Deluge
        • Crown Prince Rudolf on the Pyramids
        • Old Mythology in New Apparel
        • Blavatsky on Dinosaurs
        • Teddy Roosevelt on Bigfoot
        • Devil Worship in France
        • Maspero's Review of Akhbar al-zaman
        • The Holy Grail as Lucifer's Crown Jewel
        • The Mutinous Sea
        • The Rock Wall of Rockwall
        • Fabulous Zoology
        • The Origins of Talos
        • Mexican Mythology
        • Chinese Pyramids
        • Maqrizi's Names of the Pharaohs
      • Extreme History >
        • Roman Empire Hoax
        • American Antiquities
        • American Cataclysms
        • England, the Remnant of Judah
        • Historical Chronology of the Mexicans
        • Maspero on the Predynastic Sphinx
        • Vestiges of the Mayas
        • Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel
        • Origins of the Egyptian People
        • The Secret Doctrine >
          • Volume 1: Cosmogenesis
          • Volume 2: Anthropogenesis
        • Phoenicians in America
        • The Electric Ark
        • Traces of European Influence
        • Prince Henry Sinclair
        • Pyramid Prophecies
        • Templars of Ancient Mexico
        • Chronology and the "Riddle of the Sphinx"
        • The Faith of Ancient Egypt
        • Spirit of the Hour in Archaeology
        • Book of the Damned
        • Great Pyramid As Noah's Ark
        • Richard Shaver's Proofs
    • Alien Encounters >
      • US Government Ancient Astronaut Files >
        • Fortean Society and Columbus
        • Inquiry into Shaver and Palmer
        • The Skyfort Document
        • Whirling Wheels
        • Denver Ancient Astronaut Lecture
        • Soviet Search for Lemuria
        • Visitors from Outer Space
        • Unidentified Flying Objects (Abstract)
        • "Flying Saucers"? They're a Myth
        • UFO Hypothesis Survival Questions
        • Air Force Academy UFO Textbook
        • The Condon Report on Ancient Astronauts
        • Atlantis Discovery Telegrams
        • Ancient Astronaut Society Telegram
        • Noah's Ark Cables
        • The Von Daniken Letter
        • CIA Psychic Probe of Ancient Mars
        • Scott Wolter Lawsuit
        • UFOs in Ancient China
        • CIA Report on Noah's Ark
        • CIA Noah's Ark Memos
        • Congressional Ancient Aliens Testimony
        • Ancient Astronaut and Nibiru Email
        • Congressional Ancient Mars Hearing
        • House UFO Hearing
      • Ancient Extraterrestrials >
        • Premodern UFO Sightings
        • The Moon Hoax
        • Inhabitants of Other Planets
        • Blavatsky on Ancient Astronauts
        • The Stanzas of Dzyan (Hoax)
        • Aerolites and Religion
        • What Is Theosophy?
        • Plane of Ether
        • The Adepts from Venus
      • A Message from Mars
      • Saucer Mystery Solved?
      • Orville Wright on UFOs
      • Interdimensional Flying Saucers
      • Flying Saucers Are Real
      • Report on UFOs
    • The Supernatural >
      • The Devils of Loudun
      • Sublime and Beautiful
      • Voltaire on Vampires
      • Demonology and Witchcraft
      • Thaumaturgia
      • Bulgarian Vampires
      • Religion and Evolution
      • Transylvanian Superstitions
      • Defining a Zombie
      • Dread of the Supernatural
      • Vampires
      • Werewolves and Vampires and Ghouls
      • Science and Fairy Stories
      • The Cursed Car
    • Classic Fiction >
      • Lucian's True History
      • Some Words with a Mummy
      • The Coming Race
      • King Solomon's Mines
      • An Inhabitant of Carcosa
      • The Xipéhuz
      • Lot No. 249
      • The Novel of the Black Seal
      • The Island of Doctor Moreau
      • Pharaoh's Curse
      • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • The Lost Continent
      • Count Magnus
      • The Mysterious Stranger
      • The Wendigo
      • Sredni Vashtar
      • The Lost World
      • The Red One
      • H. P. Lovecraft >
        • Dagon
        • The Call of Cthulhu
        • History of the Necronomicon
        • At the Mountains of Madness
        • Lovecraft's Library in 1932
      • The Skeptical Poltergeist
      • The Corpse on the Grating
      • The Second Satellite
      • Queen of the Black Coast
      • A Martian Odyssey
    • Classic Genre Movies
    • Miscellaneous Documents >
      • The Balloon-Hoax
      • A Problem in Greek Ethics
      • The Migration of Symbols
      • The Gospel of Intensity
      • De Profundis
      • The Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolf
      • The Bathtub Hoax
      • Crown Prince Rudolf's Letters
      • Position of Viking Women
      • Employment of Homosexuals
      • James Dean's Love Letters
      • The Amazing James Dean Hoax!
    • Free Classic Pseudohistory eBooks
  • About Jason
    • Biography
    • Jason in the Media
    • Contact Jason
    • About JasonColavito.com
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Search