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English, German (translation)
- GenresNonfictionHistory
363 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Erich von Däniken
325 books897 followersGreek: Έριχ φον Νταίνικεν
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (1935–2026) was a Swiss author of several pseudoscientific books which made claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling Chariots of the Gods?, published in 1968. Däniken was one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the "paleo-contact" and ancient astronauts hypotheses.
The ideas put forth in his books are rejected by virtually all scientists and academics, who categorize his work as pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and pseudoscience. Early in his career, he was convicted and served time for several counts of fraud or embezzlement, and wrote one of his books in prison.
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (1935–2026) was a Swiss author of several pseudoscientific books which made claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling Chariots of the Gods?, published in 1968. Däniken was one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the "paleo-contact" and ancient astronauts hypotheses.
The ideas put forth in his books are rejected by virtually all scientists and academics, who categorize his work as pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and pseudoscience. Early in his career, he was convicted and served time for several counts of fraud or embezzlement, and wrote one of his books in prison.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 28, 2021
What happens if you cross a curious book-loving twelve-year-old with their Dad's eccentric library? My first duck march to the headmaster's office, that's what. Offence: Bible Instruction project: Moses receiving a table of commandments atop Mount Sinai. The interpretation I submitted included a UFO beaming down humanity's (first?) standard operating procedures. Thanks Erich. The book didn't inspire my buy-in to its hypothesis, rather, introduced me to religious narrow-mindedness, which, in 1986, felt endemic in the small mining town I lived in. Fortunately, this memory has become a fond one in middle age.
August 22, 2023
VON DÄNIKEN SUBMITS HIS ‘EVIDENCE’ FOR HIS THEORIES
Erich von Daniken wrote in an introductory section of this 1977 book, “MY THEORY: In prehistoric and early historic times the Earth was visited by unknown beings from the cosmos. These unknown beings created human intelligence by a deliberate genetic mutation. The extraterrestrials ennobled hominids ‘in their own image.’ That is why we resemble them---not they us. These visits to Earth by alien beings from the cosmos were recorded and handed down in religions, mythologies and popular legends. In some places the extraterrestrials also deposited physical signs of their presence on Earth.”
In the first chapter, he explains, “In addition to the objects and documents produced, I naturally use experts to supply circumstantial evidence. Experts supply empirical principles or opinions based on research. Unfortunately one is always learning that experts can make mistakes. So perhaps ‘my’ experts will make mistakes, but the other side too, is only human and not exempt from error… My critics… act as if they were the guardians of ultimate truth. Surely they are often only the perpetuators of alleged ‘truth’ that they take over from their ancestors and continue to carry? Truth, perceptions, knowledge and ‘facts’ … are often overtaken by timem and time shows that they are errors. Time is constantly consigning yesterday’s knowledge to the rubbish heap of scientific aberrations.” (Pg. 3) Later, he adds, “Wide awake journalists, who are always on the alert when it comes to politics, willingly accept the total anaesthetic of this publications system and so become blind and see one of the biggest and most admirable achievements of the inhabitants of the ivory tower.” (Pg. 6)
He continues, “About 35,000 articles that have been published all over the world about me and my theories are simmering in my files… I try to remember that even a tape does not protect one from deliberate distortion of the facts… My supporters tell me that I could protect myself. That would be possible if I could read such articles IMMEDIATELY, but I am traveling for 300 days of the year. I do not see them in print until I happen to be home again. Then it is too late for a reply; the news has spread… The opportunity to reply has gone past… I have worked out my own rules for interviews. I ask in advance for a written agreement about the text to be published.” (Pg. 12-13)
He states, “As the basis for my theory, I am quite satisfied with the calculations of the two leading America astronomers, Professor Frank Drake and Professor Carl Sagan, who assume that there are about ONE MILLION highly developed civilizations in our galactic system alone. I make only modest claims: one million highly developed civilizations in our stellar neighborhood? Greetings, dear colleagues, on the other planets.” (Pg. 23) Later, he adds, “It remains only for me to ask my stock question. Why should not older intelligent beings, far superior to us in every respect, have been able to use our EXISTING technological achievements in THEIR space undertakings?” (Pg. 44)
He argues, “The man of today wants KNOWLEDGE, not FAITH. There are no longer many men who find real peace in prayer. Like unbelievers, they too seek genuine answers… I am convinced that such truths exist if only we accept the traditions of the very remote past as realities and laying bare the core of them, throw light on our past and at the same time… remove fears of the future… I put on record the following: The creation myths of every people all over the world resemble each other closely. The OLDEST gods responsible for creation ALWAYS some from space and return there once their work is done… The early gods have flying apparatuses which are unanimously described as egg-shaped… radiant, lighting up the dark night, spreading noise, taking off and landing with rolls of thunder, objects with a tail of fire… flying with the power of giant birds or golden fiery horses… The gods of creation make the blue planet hospitable… Ancient gods produce intelligent men… instruct them in the use of tools… Ancient gods always return home to the universe when their work is done and promise to come back to earth again.” (Pg. 131-132) Later, he adds, “I postulate that the gods were people of flesh and blood.” (Pg. 138)
Of Professor Eigen’s theories about chemical theory of evolution, he comments, “I can’t and won’t swallow it… I was confirmed in my skepticism by a conversation with Professor [A.] Ernest Wilder-Smith, an eminent scholar, who gave the new theory a critical microscopic examination… Professor Wilder-Smith is a very, very religious man… which does not prevent him from being an exact scientist... He does not think much of the theories of his colleague Professor Eigen…” (Pg. 202)
But then, he asserts, “The clearly preserved tracks of dinosaurs’ feet were found in the river bed of the Paluxy River near Glen Rose in Texas… The footprints of a man were found in the same stratum, close to the dinosaurs’ footprints! It looked exactly as if the man had pursued the dinosaur. There is no doubt that this man saw a living dinosaur!” (Pg. 221)
Iin the final chapter, he states, “I am no UFO fan. I have never seen a flying saucer, even in the distance. After reading many serious works on the subject and after countless conversations with people who have all their wits about them, I know that inexplicable phenomena are piling up in alarming numbers… we are all agreed… no one knows what the Unknown Flying Objects are… I am not claiming that UFOs are always extraterrestrial phenomena but I plead, in the name of all those who have seen them, for the fact that they exist… My critics ask: why do they not land officially if they exist and are possibly of cosmic origin… We can assume empirically that the extraterrestrials proceed with equal method and use similar strategies. After all we are their images. That might be a reason why patrols using small space craft carry out research … it seems only right to me that we should be studied as we really are. As soon as we appear officially, we shall stop acting ‘naturally.’ … I should like to say that we know nothing FOR CERTAIN, but EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. We must wait and see…” (Pg. 259-261)
He argues, “In 1972 I wrote [in ‘Gold of the Gods’] that I had been in a cave with a side entrance. Down below there was a ‘metal library’ … In 1976, a Scottish expedition penetrated five kilometers into one of the … caves… This expedition found ‘no trace of extraterrestrials.’ Saw ‘no gold’… Did [Neil] Armstrong know he was being duped? He obviously did not… He did not, after all, say it himself. It was simply invented, put in his mouth… There are hundreds of caves in Ecuador… Why didn’t the Scottish expedition take with them, if not myself, at least the discoverer of the cave Juan Moricz?... Why did they not arrange to put the native cave expert on the trail that I followed?” (Pg. 261-263)
He acknowledges, “You can safely credit me with a lot of imagination. Nevertheless the ancient sagas about flying dragons and heavenly snakes do not stem from my pen. I did not come into the world until 1935. Those traditions had a few thousand years behind them by then.” (Pg. 289-290)
He concludes, “I consider it beneath my dignity of the [critics] to dismiss my circumstantial evidence as … pure imagination. When will new theories be put forward, the evidence for which can be PHOTOGRAPHED! Do the [critics] realize that after my books two long documentary films were shot? Films that put the facts on celluloid on the spot and projected them on to the TV screen for everyone to see?... I have woven a thick chain of circumstantial evidence. I produced authentic sources. I exhibited illustrations support the theme of my proof. I gave first-class experts the floor… Let the [critics] make THEIR circumstantial evidence that extraterrestrials did NOT stay on Earth equally convincing!” (Pg. 291-292)
While this book will hardly persuade the skeptics, von Däniken at least addressed SOME of the objections to his theories.
Erich von Daniken wrote in an introductory section of this 1977 book, “MY THEORY: In prehistoric and early historic times the Earth was visited by unknown beings from the cosmos. These unknown beings created human intelligence by a deliberate genetic mutation. The extraterrestrials ennobled hominids ‘in their own image.’ That is why we resemble them---not they us. These visits to Earth by alien beings from the cosmos were recorded and handed down in religions, mythologies and popular legends. In some places the extraterrestrials also deposited physical signs of their presence on Earth.”
In the first chapter, he explains, “In addition to the objects and documents produced, I naturally use experts to supply circumstantial evidence. Experts supply empirical principles or opinions based on research. Unfortunately one is always learning that experts can make mistakes. So perhaps ‘my’ experts will make mistakes, but the other side too, is only human and not exempt from error… My critics… act as if they were the guardians of ultimate truth. Surely they are often only the perpetuators of alleged ‘truth’ that they take over from their ancestors and continue to carry? Truth, perceptions, knowledge and ‘facts’ … are often overtaken by timem and time shows that they are errors. Time is constantly consigning yesterday’s knowledge to the rubbish heap of scientific aberrations.” (Pg. 3) Later, he adds, “Wide awake journalists, who are always on the alert when it comes to politics, willingly accept the total anaesthetic of this publications system and so become blind and see one of the biggest and most admirable achievements of the inhabitants of the ivory tower.” (Pg. 6)
He continues, “About 35,000 articles that have been published all over the world about me and my theories are simmering in my files… I try to remember that even a tape does not protect one from deliberate distortion of the facts… My supporters tell me that I could protect myself. That would be possible if I could read such articles IMMEDIATELY, but I am traveling for 300 days of the year. I do not see them in print until I happen to be home again. Then it is too late for a reply; the news has spread… The opportunity to reply has gone past… I have worked out my own rules for interviews. I ask in advance for a written agreement about the text to be published.” (Pg. 12-13)
He states, “As the basis for my theory, I am quite satisfied with the calculations of the two leading America astronomers, Professor Frank Drake and Professor Carl Sagan, who assume that there are about ONE MILLION highly developed civilizations in our galactic system alone. I make only modest claims: one million highly developed civilizations in our stellar neighborhood? Greetings, dear colleagues, on the other planets.” (Pg. 23) Later, he adds, “It remains only for me to ask my stock question. Why should not older intelligent beings, far superior to us in every respect, have been able to use our EXISTING technological achievements in THEIR space undertakings?” (Pg. 44)
He argues, “The man of today wants KNOWLEDGE, not FAITH. There are no longer many men who find real peace in prayer. Like unbelievers, they too seek genuine answers… I am convinced that such truths exist if only we accept the traditions of the very remote past as realities and laying bare the core of them, throw light on our past and at the same time… remove fears of the future… I put on record the following: The creation myths of every people all over the world resemble each other closely. The OLDEST gods responsible for creation ALWAYS some from space and return there once their work is done… The early gods have flying apparatuses which are unanimously described as egg-shaped… radiant, lighting up the dark night, spreading noise, taking off and landing with rolls of thunder, objects with a tail of fire… flying with the power of giant birds or golden fiery horses… The gods of creation make the blue planet hospitable… Ancient gods produce intelligent men… instruct them in the use of tools… Ancient gods always return home to the universe when their work is done and promise to come back to earth again.” (Pg. 131-132) Later, he adds, “I postulate that the gods were people of flesh and blood.” (Pg. 138)
Of Professor Eigen’s theories about chemical theory of evolution, he comments, “I can’t and won’t swallow it… I was confirmed in my skepticism by a conversation with Professor [A.] Ernest Wilder-Smith, an eminent scholar, who gave the new theory a critical microscopic examination… Professor Wilder-Smith is a very, very religious man… which does not prevent him from being an exact scientist... He does not think much of the theories of his colleague Professor Eigen…” (Pg. 202)
But then, he asserts, “The clearly preserved tracks of dinosaurs’ feet were found in the river bed of the Paluxy River near Glen Rose in Texas… The footprints of a man were found in the same stratum, close to the dinosaurs’ footprints! It looked exactly as if the man had pursued the dinosaur. There is no doubt that this man saw a living dinosaur!” (Pg. 221)
Iin the final chapter, he states, “I am no UFO fan. I have never seen a flying saucer, even in the distance. After reading many serious works on the subject and after countless conversations with people who have all their wits about them, I know that inexplicable phenomena are piling up in alarming numbers… we are all agreed… no one knows what the Unknown Flying Objects are… I am not claiming that UFOs are always extraterrestrial phenomena but I plead, in the name of all those who have seen them, for the fact that they exist… My critics ask: why do they not land officially if they exist and are possibly of cosmic origin… We can assume empirically that the extraterrestrials proceed with equal method and use similar strategies. After all we are their images. That might be a reason why patrols using small space craft carry out research … it seems only right to me that we should be studied as we really are. As soon as we appear officially, we shall stop acting ‘naturally.’ … I should like to say that we know nothing FOR CERTAIN, but EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. We must wait and see…” (Pg. 259-261)
He argues, “In 1972 I wrote [in ‘Gold of the Gods’] that I had been in a cave with a side entrance. Down below there was a ‘metal library’ … In 1976, a Scottish expedition penetrated five kilometers into one of the … caves… This expedition found ‘no trace of extraterrestrials.’ Saw ‘no gold’… Did [Neil] Armstrong know he was being duped? He obviously did not… He did not, after all, say it himself. It was simply invented, put in his mouth… There are hundreds of caves in Ecuador… Why didn’t the Scottish expedition take with them, if not myself, at least the discoverer of the cave Juan Moricz?... Why did they not arrange to put the native cave expert on the trail that I followed?” (Pg. 261-263)
He acknowledges, “You can safely credit me with a lot of imagination. Nevertheless the ancient sagas about flying dragons and heavenly snakes do not stem from my pen. I did not come into the world until 1935. Those traditions had a few thousand years behind them by then.” (Pg. 289-290)
He concludes, “I consider it beneath my dignity of the [critics] to dismiss my circumstantial evidence as … pure imagination. When will new theories be put forward, the evidence for which can be PHOTOGRAPHED! Do the [critics] realize that after my books two long documentary films were shot? Films that put the facts on celluloid on the spot and projected them on to the TV screen for everyone to see?... I have woven a thick chain of circumstantial evidence. I produced authentic sources. I exhibited illustrations support the theme of my proof. I gave first-class experts the floor… Let the [critics] make THEIR circumstantial evidence that extraterrestrials did NOT stay on Earth equally convincing!” (Pg. 291-292)
While this book will hardly persuade the skeptics, von Däniken at least addressed SOME of the objections to his theories.
March 11, 2021
The book presents lot of theories regarding various rituals from around the world that can have an extraterrestrial connect scientifically.
He has clearly tried to establish various evidences based on scientific facts that can also be coincidental for eg the story of ascension of Babylonia and various other evidences from Ramayana.
But the book was an interesting read considering it included so many short narrations related to many cultures facts and about the various Gods and scientific theories.
The book proposes let them prove if there exists no extraterrestrial which I feel is upto the reader to decide ...In the end you might still dwell upon one or the other but it definitely rouses interst in some of the areas. Its an interesting read.
He has clearly tried to establish various evidences based on scientific facts that can also be coincidental for eg the story of ascension of Babylonia and various other evidences from Ramayana.
But the book was an interesting read considering it included so many short narrations related to many cultures facts and about the various Gods and scientific theories.
The book proposes let them prove if there exists no extraterrestrial which I feel is upto the reader to decide ...In the end you might still dwell upon one or the other but it definitely rouses interst in some of the areas. Its an interesting read.
December 21, 2009
More facts that outer beings visited our Earth, taught us and then vanished, without any reason .....
June 5, 2018
Thought provoking intelligent book.
February 2, 2020
Some people say that there is no evidence that extra-territorials exist. I agree with Daniken, let people show proof that they do not exist.
To quote Daniken "Let the plaintiffs make their circumstantial evidence that extra-terrestrials did not stay on earth equally convincing"
To quote Daniken "Let the plaintiffs make their circumstantial evidence that extra-terrestrials did not stay on earth equally convincing"
October 3, 2011
Obaczaj jakiego ma czerwonego ryja na zdjeciu. Pewnie od exterestrialnych promieni kosmicznych wyprodukowanych przez obcych w porozumieniu ze Sfinxem.
January 8, 2016
Bisa dibilang Daniken di sini menjelaskan poin kecil daripada bukunya yang pertama, Chariots of Gods, secara lebih detail dan mendalam.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews