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Chariots of the Gods?

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"Chariots of the Gods" redirects here. For other uses, see Chariots of the Gods (disambiguation).
For the 1970 documentary film, see Chariots of the Gods (film).
Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past
Cover of 1971 Bantam paperback edition, United States, in English
EditorWilhelm Utermann as Wilhelm Roggersdorf
AuthorErich von Däniken
Original titleErinnerungen an die Zukunft: Ungelöste Rätsel der Vergangenheit
LanguageGerman
PublisherEcon-Verlag (Germany), Putnam (US)
Publication date
1968
Publication placeGermany
Media typePrint
Pages267
Followed byThe Eyes of the Sphinx 

Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past (German: Erinnerungen an die Zukunft: Ungelöste Rätsel der Vergangenheit, lit. 'Memories of the Future: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past') is a book written in 1968 by Erich von Däniken and translated from the original German by Michael Heron. It involves the hypothesis that the technologies and religions of many ancient civilizations were given to them by ancient astronauts who were welcomed as gods.

The first draft of the publication had been rejected by a variety of publishers. The book was extensively rewritten by its editor, Wilhelm Roggersdorf (a pen name of the German screenwriter Wilhelm Utermann).[1][2]

It has been described by several academics as pseudoscience and pseudoarchaeology,[3][4] and as being racist due to the fact it assumes that accomplishments made by civilisations in solely in Africa and South America (excluding Europe) could not have been accomplished by the civilisations themselves,[5][6][4][7] such as in the case of the Nazca and Maya geoglyphs and petroglyphs, and the Giza pyramid complex.

Its alleged racism has also been linked with Wilhelm Utermann's[1] links to the German Nazi Party as a contributor to the Nazi Völkischer Beobachter newspaper.[7]

Summary

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Statue from the late Jōmon period (1000–400 BCE) in Japan, interpreted by von Däniken as depicting an alien visitor
Von Däniken suggests that the Nazca lines (200 BCE – CE 700) in Peru could be "landing strips" for alien spacecraft

The main thesis of Chariots of the Gods is that extraterrestrial beings influenced ancient technology. Von Däniken suggests that some ancient structures and artifacts appear to reflect more sophisticated technological knowledge than is known or presumed to have existed at the times they were manufactured. Von Däniken maintains that these artifacts were produced either by extraterrestrial visitors or by humans who learned the necessary knowledge from extraterrestrials.[1][8][9]

Such artifacts include the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, and the Moai of Easter Island.[10][11] Further examples include an early world map known as the Piri Reis map, which von Däniken describes as showing Earth as it is seen from space,[12] and the Nazca Lines in Peru, which he suggests may have been constructed by humans as crude replicas of previous alien structures, as a way to call the aliens back to Earth.[13][14][15] He uses this same explanation to argue that cart ruts in Malta may have had extraterrestrial purposes along with similar lines in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the Aral Sea.[13][16]

The book also suggests that ancient artwork throughout the world can be interpreted as depicting astronauts, air and space vehicles, extraterrestrials, and complex technology. Von Däniken describes elements that he believes are similar in the art of unrelated cultures.[1][17][18] Among the artwork he describes are ancient Japanese Dogū figurines (which he believes to resemble astronauts in spacesuits) and 3,000-year-old carvings in an Egyptian New Kingdom Temple that appear to depict helicopter-like machines.[12]

The book further suggests that the origins of many religions, including interpretations of the Old Testament of the Bible, are reactions to contact with an alien race. According to von Däniken, humans considered the technology of the aliens to be supernatural and the aliens themselves to be gods. Von Däniken asks if the oral and literal traditions of most religions contain references to visitors from stars and vehicles traveling through air and space. These, he says, should be interpreted as literal descriptions which have changed during the passage of time and become more obscure.[1][2][8][19]

Examples include Ezekiel's vision of the angels and the wheels, which Von Däniken interprets as a description of a spacecraft; the Ark of the Covenant, which is explained as a device intended for communication with an alien race; and the destruction of Sodom by fire and brimstone, which is interpreted as a nuclear explosion.[1][19][20][21] Von Däniken attempts to draw an analogy with the "cargo cults" that formed during and after World War II, when once-isolated tribes in the South Pacific mistook the advanced American and Japanese soldiers for gods.[2][17]

Von Däniken also spends around one-third of the book discussing the possibility that humans could theoretically offer primitive civilizations on interstellar worlds advanced technology by the year 2100. This would, he writes, mimic the ancient extraterrestrial contact von Däniken believes to have occurred on Earth.[9][22]

Reception

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Carl Sagan's response in "The Space Gods Revealed"

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Astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan also wrote a response to the book in a book published by Ronald Story in 1976 called The Space Gods Revealed, in which he criticised the book for its pseudoscience and sloppy thinking, stating that the book was largely religious in its arguments, relying on a group of all-powerful, all-knowing, all-benevolent creatures which came from the sky to save the human race from itself.[1]

Sagan stated that because many people would not have seen mainstream criticisms of the book, that therefore many people may make the assumption that it is true, and that the arguments presented in the book were dangerous because, like a quack doctor would prevent people from being treated properly and may lead them into delusions about the state of their health, similarly people would view pseudoarcheology and make similarly incorrect conclusions about the history of the human species.[1]

He also mentioned that he and other scientists took the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence seriously and that it should be subject to science and rationality and that despite how interesting the concept may be that our hopes and wishes should not cloud the reality of human history that archeology has helped uncover.[1]

Academic responses

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Von Däniken's book, and much of his subsequent publications such as Gods from Outer Space and The Gold of the Gods, have drawn largely negative receptions from the academic mainstream despite being popular best-sellers. Many scientists and historians have rejected his ideas, claiming that the book's conclusions were based on faulty, pseudoscientific evidence, some of which was later demonstrated to be fraudulent or fabricated, and under illogical premises.

An internationally bestselling book by Clifford Wilson, Crash Go the Chariots, was published in 1972. Ronald Story's 1976 book rebutting von Däniken's ideas was titled The Space Gods Revealed.

Professor Kenneth Feder's response in Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries (2018)

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In 2018, a three-pronged response to the hypothesis was presented by emeritus professor of archaeology at Central Connecticut State University, Kenneth Feder in his book Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries in the chapter "Gods In Fiery Chariots" in response to the book, outlining the three main claims it made with humorous headings within the chapter in response:

  1. The Inkblot Hypothesis - Claims made that ancient drawings supposedly depicted advanced technologies from extraterrestrial visitors.[23]
  2. The Amorous Astronaut Hypothesis - Claims made that the biological development of humans cannot be explained without the involvement of a scientifically-advanced extraterrestrial civilisation.[23]
  3. The “Our Ancestors, the Dummies” Hypothesis - Related claim that the archeological record is replete with examples of said advanced technologies beyond the capabilities of ancient humans which were purposefully introduced to humans by extraterrestrial beings.[23]
Response to claims of extraterrestrials from ancient petroglyphs and geoglyphs ("The inkblot hypothesis")
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The Nazca Lines, an example provided in the book, were created by the Nazca peoples using a smaller figure which was then translated into coordinates over larger distances.[23]

In The Inkblot Hypothesis, Feder's main argument against the claims presented is that Von Däniken's interpretations resemble more of a person describing a Rorschach test, in the sense that his explanation says more about what was going on in Von Däniken's mind rather than a sincere attempt to try to understand what was going on in the mind of the ancient humans who produced the drawings, arguing that Von Däniken does not attempt to take into account the religious, artistic or cultural context of the drawings which were produced and consumed within an entirely different culture.[23]

Feder states that Von Däniken in his book interprets modern artifacts such as antennae or space helmets from 60s science fiction, rather than the far more likely depiction, of humans wearing deer antlers which is common among ancient humans in a variety of cultures.[23]

In response to the claim of Nazca culture's Nazca lines of giant spiders being a clear indication of extraterrestrial intervention through the use of aircraft to direct their construction, Feder states that this ignores the large amounts of evidence present at the site which clearly outlined its social hierarchy which made possible the organisation of labor required to construct the geoglyphs[23] which would have been directed by the Nazca elite class, located in another archeological site, La Muna.

Furthermore, he states that the claim of aircraft being used to direct their construction can easily be dismissed by occams razor because all sufficient evidence of their construction is already readily available in the site itself and in other archeological locations which easily explains the construction of the geoglyphs which does not point to extraterrestrial origins.[23] Feder states again the importance of the religious, cultural and artistic context which is present in other similar sites which represent a tradition of large-scale earth drawings such as those also found in Peru, which were ceremonial roads which lead to their sacred origin places and which were used for religious and cultural ceremonies in several cultures across ancient Latin America.[23][24][25]

The claim that an aircraft directed by extraterrestrials requires many more suppositions to be proven and that evidence does not exist for the any of the suppositions provided, namely that: extraterrestrials visited earth, that they communicated with the Nazca people on land (without the use of airfields), then directed the construction of airfields, and then directed them to construct enormous representations of species on earth.[23]

Response to claims of Mayan ruler Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal being an astronaut ("The inkblot hypothesis")
[edit]

In Von Däniken's book, he claims that the figure of Mayan king Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal, depicted on a sarcophagus at the Mayan Temple of the Inscriptions in the ancient city of Palenque, is a depiction of an astronaut with an oxygen mask and antennae and is therefore an extraterrestrial astronaut. Feder's response to this is that as with the Nazca Lines, this is another example of Von Däniken's own interpretation of the image on the sarcophagus lid which lacks any understanding of Mayan culture, history, religious beliefs, art or cosmogony.[23]

Feder states that the depiction is clear among scholars of Mayan cosmogony and culture that it depicts the king poised between life and death on his journey to the afterlife and that Von Däniken's book is wholly ignorant of the Mayan perspective or culture.[23] Feder also cites the large amount of evidence that has been uncovered about the king, some of which had been detailed on the sarcophagus in question, including his ancestors, accomplishments during his time as ruler. Feder lamented that the story of Pakal did not need to be explained by extraterrestrial origins due to the large body of evidence in archeology and history which has detailed a vibrant history and image of the ruler.[23]

Plagiarism controversies

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Soon after the publication of Chariots of the Gods?, von Däniken was accused of stealing the ideas of French author Robert Charroux.[26]

A 2004 article in Skeptic magazine[27] states that von Däniken plagiarized many of the book's concepts from The Morning of the Magicians, that this book in turn was heavily influenced by the Cthulhu Mythos, and that the core of the ancient astronaut theory originates in H. P. Lovecraft's stories "The Call of Cthulhu" and At the Mountains of Madness.

Discredited artifact

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The iron pillar of Delhi, erected by Chandragupta II the Great, which von Däniken claimed did not rust

One artifact offered as evidence in the book has been disclaimed by von Däniken himself. Chariots asserts that a supposedly rust-free iron pillar in India was evidence of extraterrestrial influence, but von Däniken admitted in a Playboy interview that the pillar was man-made and that as far as supporting his theories goes "we can forget about this iron thing." Neither this nor any other discredited evidence, however, has been removed from subsequent editions of Chariots of the Gods?[28][29]

[edit]

Chariots of the Gods? was on The New York Times bestseller list and helped to launch von Däniken's career as a public speaker. Von Däniken had sold 70 million copies of his books as of January 2017.[11][30][31]

Adaptations

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The book was adapted as a German documentary film, Chariots of the Gods, produced by Terra-Filmkunst. The film was released in 1970 in West Germany and first appeared in the United States the following year. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 43rd Academy Awards in 1971.[18][32]

In 1972, an edited version of the film appeared as a TV documentary called In Search of Ancient Astronauts on NBC and was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions. The documentary was narrated by Rod Serling.[33] A follow-up called In Search of Ancient Mysteries aired the following year, also narrated by Serling.[34] The documentary series In Search Of..., which Leonard Nimoy hosted (Serling having died in 1975), was premiered on the basis of those two "pilot" films.

A different TV documentary, Horizon Special: The Case of the Ancient Astronauts directed by Graham Massey, was released in 1977 and examined von Däniken's claims.[35][36][37]

In 1977 an eight part Polish comic adaptation of the book was created by Alfred Gorny, Arnold Mostowicz and artist Boguslaw Polch. The series was translated into 12 languages and the first four volumes were translated into English and released by Methuen Children’s Books. In 2015, the full 400 story was released in Polish by Proszynski Media under the title Ekspedycja (“The Expedition”).[38]

In 1993, von Däniken produced a 25-part series titled Auf den Spuren der All-Mächtigen (Pathways of the Gods) for German television station, Sat.1.[39] In 1996, a one-hour television special called, Chariots Of The Gods – The Mysteries Continue, aired on ABC and was produced by ABC/Kane.[40] ABC/Kane produced another television special with von Däniken the following year called The Mysterious World – Search for Ancient Technology. It aired on the Discovery Channel in the United States and on RTL in Germany.[41]

The global media rights to the book have since been purchased by Media Invest Entertainment which is developing a "360-degree entertainment" franchise entitled Chariots of the Gods.[42][43] Today, documentaries espousing alien mythology can be found on most streaming platforms and are plentiful on YouTube.

Legacy

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Chariots of the Gods? spawned multiple sequels, including Gods from Outer Space and The Gods Were Astronauts. The theory in the original book is said to have influenced a variety of science fiction books, films, and television series. For instance, it is considered the inspiration for the History Channel television series, Ancient Aliens.[44]

The concept of ancient extraterrestrials has been used as a plot element in television shows and movies like Star Trek (which actually addressed the question before von Däniken's book was published), Stargate, The Thing, The X-Files, the Alien franchise (most notably, Prometheus), Neon Genesis Evangelion, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Eternals.[22][45][46][47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Story, Ronald (1976). The space-gods revealed : a close look at the theories of Erich von Däniken. New York: Harper & Row. p. 2. ISBN 0-06-014141-7. Citing Der Spiegel, in issue 12/1969 (March 17, 1969), p. 184 and issue 12/1973 (March 19, 1973), p. 145.
  2. ^ a b c Fritze, Ronald H. (2009), Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions, Reaktion Books, pp. 206, 212, footnote 76 in p. 286, ISBN 978-1-86189-817-3
  3. ^ Legrand, H. E.; Boese, Wayne E. (1975). "Chariots of the Gods? And All That: Pseudo-History in the Classroom". The History Teacher. 8 (3): 359–370. doi:10.2307/491740. ISSN 0018-2745.
  4. ^ a b Bond, Sarah E. (November 13, 2018). "Pseudoarchaeology and the Racism Behind Ancient Aliens". Hyperallergic. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  5. ^ Benoit, Julien (September 17, 2017). "Racism is behind outlandish theories about Africa's ancient architecture". The Conversation. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  6. ^ "Close encounters of the racist kind". Southern Poverty Law Center. January 2, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Horne, Mark (February 24, 2021). "Blackpool's 'Chariots of the Gods' park is built on racist assumptions about the past". The Skeptic. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Legrand, H.E.; Boese, Wayne E. (May 1975). "Chariots of the Gods? And All That: Pseudo-History in the Classroom". The History Teacher. 8 (3): 359–370. doi:10.2307/491740. JSTOR 491740.
  9. ^ a b Clegg, Brian (June 5, 2007). "Review – Chariots of the Gods – Erich von Daniken". Popular Science. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  10. ^ Bolton, Doug (December 7, 2015). "Stonehenge: The most unusual theories about why the mysterious monument was built". The Independent. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Lingeman, Richard R. (March 31, 1974). "Erich von Daniken's Genesis". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Kroth, Jerry (November 1, 2010). Aliens and Man? A Synopsis of Facts and Beliefs. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0875868165.
  13. ^ a b Lehmann, Fritz (April 7, 2015). "Beatenberg: "Besuche von Ausserirdischen würden nicht schaden"". Berner Zeitung (in German). Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  14. ^ Magin, Ulrich (February 10, 2002). "Nazca – Ein Flughafen für die Götter?" (in German). Mysteria3000. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  15. ^ "Die Nazca – Linien" (in German). Astrolymp. April 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Vassallo, Raphael (January 3, 2017). "Unearthing the mysteries of the past". Malta Today. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Krassa, Peter (1978), Erich von Däniken: Disciple of the Gods, London: W.H. Allen & Co, pp. 82–83, ISBN 0-352-30262-3
  18. ^ a b Weiler, A.H. (February 28, 1974). "Sifting Past for Space Visitors' Tracks". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Eschhofen, Dave (March 25, 1974). "Stellar Spectra". The Bryan Times. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  20. ^ Price, Randall (2005). Searching for the Ark of the Covenant: Latest Discoveries and Research. Harvest House. ISBN 978-0736910521.
  21. ^ Ingray, G.M. (September 24, 1972). "'Chariots' theory – how valid?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  22. ^ a b Frederiksen, Seth (May 29, 2016). "Book Review: Chariots Of The Gods". ComiConverse. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Feder, Kenneth (2018). Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries. Oxford Press. pp. 187–190. ISBN 978-0190629656.
  24. ^ Bruhns, Karen Olsen (1996). Ancient South America. Cambridge world archaeology (Repr ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-521-27761-7.
  25. ^ Bray, Warwick (June 1989). "David J. Wilson. Prehispanic settlement patterns in the Lower Santa Valley, Peru; a regional perspective on the origins and development of complex North Coast society. xx + 590 pages, 280 figures, 18 plates. 1988. Washington (DC): Smithsonian Institution Press; ISBN 0-87474-984-0 hardback $55". Antiquity. 63 (239): 385–386. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00076146. ISSN 0003-598X.
  26. ^ "Däniken: Wer von Wem?". Der Spiegel: 184–185. March 17, 1969. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012.
  27. ^ "Charioteer of the Gods". Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  28. ^ "The Case of the Ancient Astronauts". BBC 2. 1977. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  29. ^ "Playboy". Playboy. 21 (8): 64. August 1974. von Däniken: "Oh, God, I have so many times tried to correct things, and my experience has been that the corrections are almost never made."
  30. ^ "A UFO convention is heading for Manchester". About Winchester. January 5, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  31. ^ "'Aliens will return to Earth within 20 years', Chariots of the Gods author predicts". Yahoo UK. November 4, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  32. ^ "The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  33. ^ "Ancient Astronaut Theory Examined". The Mobile Press. September 1, 1973. p. 33. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Lambert, David (September 7, 2012). "In Search of... – High-Res Package Art and Exciting New Details for 'The Complete Collection' DVDs!". TVShowsonDVD. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  35. ^ "The Case of the Ancient Astronauts". BBC 2. 1977. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  36. ^ "Horizon Special". BBC. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  37. ^ "Horizon Special". BBC. November 25, 1977. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  38. ^ Freeman, John (July 7, 2015). "Erich Von Däniken's "Chariots of the Gods" comics re-published in Poland". down the tubes. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  39. ^ "Erich von Däniken: "Die Außerirdischen werden wiederkommen" - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  40. ^ "'Chariots of the Gods' Theories Take to Airwaves Once More". The Daily Oklahoman. September 22, 1996. p. 202. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Tales of Ancient Aliens With Erich von Däniken (Episode 49, GFM Media)". Global Freedom Movement. July 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  42. ^ Ostojic, Magdalena (October 18, 2013). "Von Däniken wieder fest im Sattel". Jungfrau Zeitung (in German). Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  43. ^ "Kinofilm, Videospiel, TV-Serie: Ufologe von Däniken bald übernatürlich präsent" (in German). Focus. July 9, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  44. ^ Shermer, Michael (July 2013). "How Beliefs in Extraterrestrials and Intelligent Design Are Similar". Scientific American. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  45. ^ "50 best cult books". The Daily Telegraph. March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  46. ^ "Secrets of Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus': An Earthquake, Never-Seen Photos and Nightmarish Monster". The Hollywood Reporter. May 16, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  47. ^ Darlage, Dale (2011). "Odyssey of the Gods: The History of Extraterrestrial Contact in Ancient Greece". The SF Site. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
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