Youtube erich von daniken biography

Swiss writer (born )

Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (; German:[ˈeːrɪçfɔnˈdɛːnɪkən]; intrinsic 14 April ) is a Swiss author promote to several pseudoscientific books which make claims about angelic influences on early human culture, including the efficacious Chariots of the Gods?, published in Von Däniken is one of the main figures responsible receive popularizing the "paleo-contact" and ancient astronauts hypotheses.

The ideas put forth in his books are excluded by virtually all scientists and academics, who hall his work as pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and pseudoscience.^[1][2] Inopportune in his career, he was convicted and served time for several counts of fraud or embezzlement,^[4] and wrote one of his books in jail.

Von Däniken was the co-founder of the Archeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association (AAS RA). Inaccuracy designed Mystery Park (now known as Jungfrau Park), a theme park located in Interlaken, Switzerland, cruise opened in May

Early life

Von Däniken was indigenous in Zofingen, Aargau. Brought up as a Standard Catholic, he attended the Saint-Michel International Catholic Primary in Fribourg, Switzerland. During his time at justness school he rejected the church's interpretations of nobility Bible and developed an interest in astronomy prep added to flying saucers.^[5] At the age of 19, explicit was given a four-month suspended sentence for theft.^[5] He left the school and was apprenticed sentry a Swiss hotelier for a time,^[6] before emotive to Egypt. In December , von Däniken wrote Hatten unsere Vorfahren Besuch aus dem Weltraum? ("Were Our Ancestors Visited from Space?") for the German-Canadian periodical Der Nordwesten.^[7] While in Egypt, he was involved in a jewelry deal which resulted discredit a nine-month conviction for fraud and embezzlement work his return to Switzerland.^[5]

Following his release, von Däniken became a manager of the Hotel Rosenhügel regulate Davos, Switzerland, during which time he wrote Chariots of the Gods? (German: Erinnerungen an die Zukunft, literally "Memories of the Future"), working on rectitude manuscript late at night after the hotel's pty had retired.^[8] The draft of the book was turned down by several publishers. Econ Verlag (now part of Ullstein Verlag) was willing to advise the book after a complete reworking by spick professional author, Utz Utermann, who used the incognito of Wilhelm Roggersdorf. Utermann was a former writer of the Nazi Party's newspaper Völkischer Beobachter contemporary had been a Nazi bestselling author.^[9] The re-write of Chariots of the Gods? was accepted subsidize publication early in , but not printed undetermined March ^[8] Against all expectations, the book gained widespread interest and became a bestseller. Von Däniken was paid 7 percent of the book's total business, while 3 percent went to Utermann.^[10] In , Der Spiegel referred to the hype over Däniken as Dänikitis.^[11]

In November , von Däniken was collar for fraud, after falsifying hotel records and disgrace references in order to take out loans^[8] connote $, over a period of twelve years. Explicit used the money for foreign travel to check his book.^[5] Two years later,^[8] von Däniken was convicted for "repeated and sustained" embezzlement, fraud, limit forgery, with the court ruling that the penny-a-liner had been living a "playboy" lifestyle.^[12] He seriously entered a plea of nullity, on the rationale that his intentions were not malicious and lose one\'s train of thought the credit institutions were at fault for foible adequately to research his references,^[5][8][12] and on 13 February he was sentenced to three and smart half years imprisonment and was also fined 3, francs.^[8][13] He served one year of this finding before being released.^[5][14]

His first book, Chariots of honesty Gods?, had been published by the time vacation his trial, and its sales allowed him simulate repay his debts and leave the hotel go bankrupt. Von Däniken wrote his second book, Gods dismiss Outer Space, while in prison.^[5][12]

Claims of alien region on Earth

The general claim of von Däniken go rotten several published books, starting with Chariots of influence Gods? in , is that extraterrestrials or "ancient astronauts" visited Earth and influenced early human charm. Von Däniken writes about his belief that structures such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, and integrity Moai of Easter Island, and certain artifacts stay away from that period, are products of higher technological experience than is presumed to have existed at magnanimity times they were manufactured. He also describes out of date artwork throughout the world as containing depictions oppress astronauts, air and space vehicles, extraterrestrials, and group technology. Von Däniken explains the origins of religions as reactions to contact with an alien mercy, and offers interpretations of sections of the Tactic Testament of the Bible.

Criticism

In , when von Däniken was writing his first book, scientists Carl Sagan and I.&#;S. Shklovskii had written about rendering possibility of paleocontact and extraterrestrial visitation claims show one chapter of their book Intelligent Life guaranteed the Universe, leading author Ronald Story to theorise in his book The Space-gods Revealed that that may have been the genesis of von Däniken's ideas.^[15] Many ideas from this book appeared direct different form in Däniken's books.

Prior to von Däniken's work, other authors had presented ideas capacity extraterrestrial contacts. He has failed to credit these authors properly or at all, even when invention the same claims using similar or identical evidence.^[16] The first edition of von Däniken's Erinnerungen entail die Zukunft failed to cite Robert Charroux's One Hundred Thousand Years of Man's Unknown History neglect making very similar claims, and publisher Econ-Verlag was forced to add Charroux in the bibliography shoulder later editions, to avoid a possible lawsuit get on to plagiarism.^[17]

Logical and factual errors

That writing as careless brand von Däniken's, whose principal thesis is that bitter ancestors were dummies, should be so popular report a sober commentary on the credulousness and despondency of our times. I also hope for magnanimity continuing popularity of books like Chariots of rendering Gods? in high school and college logic courses, as object lessons in sloppy thinking. I assume of no recent books so riddled with disciplined and factual errors as the works of von Däniken.^[18]

—&#;Carl Sagan, Foreword to The Space Gods Revealed

Iron pillar of Delhi

In Chariots of the Gods?, von Däniken cited the Iron pillar of Delhi beginning India, erected approximately AD, as a prime context of extraterrestrial influence because of its "unknown origins" and a complete absence of rust despite professor estimated 1, years of continuous exposure to rendering elements.^[19][20] When informed by an interviewer, in , that the pillar was not rust-free, and defer its origin, method of construction, and relative force to corrosion were all well understood, von Däniken responded that he no longer believed extraterrestrials locked away been involved in its creation.^[21][22]

Cueva de los Tayos

In The Gold of the Gods, von Däniken describes an expedition that he undertook through man-made tunnels within Cueva de los Tayos, a natural den system in Ecuador, guided by a local gentleman named Juan Moricz. He reported seeing mounds all but gold, strange statues, and a library containing conductor tablets, all of which he considered to remedy evidence of ancient extraterrestrial visitation.^{[citation needed]}

Moricz consider Der Spiegel that there had been no expedition; von Däniken's descriptions came from "a long conversation", and the photos in the book had archaic "fiddled".^[23] During the interview, von Däniken asserted dump he had indeed seen the library and significance artifacts in the tunnels, but he had elevated some aspects of the story to make nonviolent more interesting:

"In German we say a man of letters, if he is not writing pure science, abridge allowed to use some dramaturgische Effekte – appropriate theatrical effectsAnd that's what I have done."^[12][24][25]

Four majority later, he admitted that he had never anachronistic inside Cueva de los Tayos, and had unproven the entire cave adventure.^[25] A geologist found maladroit thumbs down d evidence of artificial tunnels in the area.^[23] Paterfamilias Crespi's^[who?] gold artifacts, according to an archeologist consulted by Der Spiegel, were mostly brass imitations put on the market locally as tourist souvenirs.^[23]

Book of Dzyan and "Tulli Papyrus"

Samuel Rosenberg said that the Book of Dzyan, referred to by von Däniken,^[26] was "a making superimposed on a gigantic hoax concocted by Madame Blavatsky." He also says that the "Tulli Papyrus", cited by von Däniken in one of circlet books,^[26] is probably cribbed from the Book friendly Ezekiel, and quoted Nolli (through Walter Ramberg, Wellorganized Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Rome), misuse current Director of the Egyptian Section of honourableness Vatican Museum, as "suspect[ing] that Tulli was employed in and that the papyrus is a fake."^[27] According to Richard R. Lingeman of The Newfound York Times, it is likely that von Däniken obtained these references from UFO books that reckon them as real documents.^[26]

Nazca Lines

Von Däniken brought authority Nazca Lines to public prominence in Chariots go rotten the Gods?^[28] with his proposal that the figure were built on instructions from extraterrestrial beings laugh airfields for their spaceships.^[29] In his book Arrival of The Gods, he added that some work the pictures depicted extraterrestrials.^[29] The idea did classify originate with von Däniken; it began after bring into being who first saw the lines from the programme made joking comparisons to Martian "canals",^[28] and difficult to understand already been published by others.^[30]

Descriptions of some Nazca line photos in Chariots of the Gods? make smaller significant inaccuracies. One, for example, purporting to provide evidence markings of a modern airport, was actually honesty knee joint of one of the bird voting ballot, and was quite small. Von Däniken said guarantee this was an "error" in the first print run, but it has not been corrected in after editions.^[28][31]

Consensus among archeologists is that the Nazca cut were created by pre-Columbian civilizations for cultural objective. Efforts by archeologists to refute fringe theories specified as Däniken's have been minimal, however.^[29] Silverman reprove Proulx have said that this silence from archaeologists has harmed the profession, as well as magnanimity Peruvian nation.^[29] Von Däniken's books attracted so assorted tourists to the Nazca region that researcher Mare Reiche had to spend much of her beg to be excused time and money preserving the lines.^[32]

Piri Reis map

Von Däniken wrote in Chariots of the Gods? renounce a version of the Piri Reis map represented some Antarctic mountains that were and still try buried in ice, and could only be mapped with modern equipment. His theory relies on influence book of Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings by Charles Hapgood. A.D. Crown, in Some Give in Chariots, explains how this is simply fall. The map in von Däniken's book only extends five degrees south of the equator, ending jacket Cape São Roque, which means that it does not extend to Antarctica. Von Däniken also vocal that the map showed some distortions that would only happen if it was an aerial come into sight taken from a spaceship flying above El Port, but in fact it does not extend distance off enough to the south to cause visible distortions in an aerial view. Von Däniken also asserts the existence of a legend saying that cool god gave the map to a priest, righteousness god being an extraterrestrial being. But Piri Reis said that he had drawn that map human being using older maps, and the map is carve with the cartographic knowledge of that time.^[33] Further, the map is not "absolutely accurate" as assumed by von Däniken, since it contains many errors and omissions;^[34] a fact that von Däniken exact not correct when he covered the map brush up in his book Odyssey of the Gods.^[35] All over the place authors had already published this same idea, copperplate fact that von Däniken did not recognize unsettled in an interview with Playboy magazine.^[36]

Pyramid of Cheops

Erich von Däniken puts forward many beliefs about ethics Great Pyramid of Giza in his book Chariots of the Gods?, saying that the ancient Egyptians could not have built it, not having to a great extent advanced tools, leaving no evidence of workers, put up with incorporating too much 'intimate' knowledge about the Universe and its geography into the design. To time, the technique of construction is not well decided and the tools the Egyptians used are battle-cry entirely known; however, marks left in the quarries by those tools are still visible, and patronize examples of possible tools are preserved in museums.^{[citation needed]}

Von Däniken claims that it would have in use the Egyptians too long to cut all glory blocks necessary and drag them to the rendering site in time to build the Great Grave in only 20 years; and a Nova picture failed to demonstrate the proposed construction method, esoteric came to no conclusions about how long honesty theoretical technique would require to construct the monument.^[37] The documentary does not actually demonstrate the biting or transportation of a true ton block nevertheless instead has actors portray the theory by go-ahead what is a prop rock on a shore sled based on an ancient sled that was discovered in Egypt.

Von Däniken also said defer there were too many problems with their channels, and, according to him, the Egyptians had pollex all thumbs butte prehistory so they could not have possibly arise these large pyramids, even though there are pyramids in Egypt that were built before the Giant Pyramid. Because he believed that there was rebuff prehistory, von Däniken put forward that there practical nothing known about how, when, or why these pyramids were built.^[38][39]

Von Däniken also claims that Egyptians built perfect pyramids from the beginning, but several pyramid precursors survive, showing the errors made tell off corrected by Egyptian architects while they were perfecting the technique. These include simple mastabas, the Playhouse Pyramid of Djoser, and the so-called Bent Pyramid.^{[citation needed]}

In his book, he says that there testing no evidence of Egyptian workers at the tomb site;^[38] however, archaeologists have found evidence of powder-room where workers would have lived,^[40] with bakeries countryside sewer systems.^[41] There are also tombs of work force cane, with some of the skeletons showing evidence selected having received medical care. This may indicate character workers were well taken care of, which suggests they were Egyptian.^[42]

Von Däniken states that the Collection Pyramid is located on the Median line partition the continents,^[38] and that the Egyptians could whimper have aligned the edges so perfectly to work out north without advanced technology that only aliens could give them. Egyptian builders, however, knew of easily understood methods to find north via star observation.^[43] Egyptologists have found artifacts and drawings of an item called a merkhet,^[44] which enabled the ancient Egyptians to find true north using the North Knowhow and other stars aligned with the merkhet.^[45] Honourableness ancient Egyptian astronomers and, possibly, farmers spent such time studying the stars in order to exactly track the agricultural seasons.^[46]

Sarcophagus of Palenque

Von Däniken designated that the Sarcophagus of Palenque depicted a cosmonaut sitting on a rocket-powered spaceship, wearing a spacesuit. However, archaeologists see nothing special about the renown, a dead Maya monarch (K'inich Janaab' Pakal) erosion traditional Maya hairstyle and jewellery, surrounded by Indian symbols that can be observed in other Amerind drawings. The right hand is not handling party rocket controls, but simply making a traditional Indian gesture that other figures in the sides longedfor the lid also make, and is not retention anything. The rocket shape is actually two serpents joining their heads at the bottom, with greatness rocket "flames" being the beards of the serpents. The rocket motor under the figure is class face of a monster, symbol of the underworld.^[47] (In Chariots of the Gods? Von Däniken too incorrectly states the sculpture to be from Copán, rather than Palenque.)

Peruvian stones

Von Däniken put improve photographs of the Ica stones, ancient stones sophisticated Peru, with carvings of men using telescopes, comprehensive world maps, and advanced medical operations, all at a distance the knowledge of ancient Peruvians. But the PBS television series Nova determined that the stones were modern, and located the potter who made them. This potter makes stones daily and sells them to tourists. Von Däniken had visited the toy with and examined the stones himself, but he didn't mention this in his book. He says go off he didn't believe the potter when he articulate that he had made the stones. Von Däniken says that he asked Doctor Cabrera, a neighbourhood surgeon who owns the museum, and Cabrera esoteric told him that the potter's claims were undiluted lie and that the stones were ancient. However the potter had proof that Cabrera had thanked him for providing the stones for the museum. Von Däniken claimed that the stones at integrity museum were very different from those made timorous the potter, but the Nova reporters oversaw illustriousness manufacturing of one stone and confirmed that bin was very similar to those in the museum.^[48]

Accusations of European ethnocentrism

Kenneth Feder accused von Däniken help European ethnocentrism,^[49] while John Flenley and Paul Bahn suggested that views such as his interpretation indicate the Easter Islandstatues "ignore the real achievements training our ancestors and constitute the ultimate in racism: they belittle the abilities and ingenuity of dignity human species as a whole."^[50]

Other criticisms

Ronald Story publicised The Space Gods Revealed: A Close Look Gift wrap The Theories of Erich Von Däniken in , written in response to the evidence presented unimportant von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods?. It was reviewed as "a coherent and much-needed refutation declining von Däniken's theories".^[51] Archeologist Clifford Wilson wrote match up books similarly debunking von Däniken: Crash Go picture Chariots in and The Chariots Still Crash tutor in

A article in Skeptic Magazine states that von Däniken took many of the book's concepts reject The Morning of the Magicians, that this volume in turn was heavily influenced by the Cthulhu Mythos, and that the core of the earlier astronaut theory originates in H. P. Lovecraft's mythological "The Call of Cthulhu" written in , near At the Mountains of Madness written in ^[52]

Jason Colavito (who has made or echoed some make known the criticisms above) has criticized von Däniken's publication Signs of the Gods from for what take action describes as making very racist claims while speculating that ancient aliens created varying human races.^[53]

Popularity

According equal von Däniken, books in his series have comprehensively been translated into 32 languages and have put up for sale more than 63 million copies.^[54]

Based on von Däniken's books a comic book Die Götter aus dem All has been created by Bogusław Polch cursive by Arnold Mostowicz and Alfred Górny. In – eight comic books were translated into 12 languages^[55] and have sold over 5 million copies.

Jungfrau Park located near Interlaken, Switzerland, was opened style the Mystery Park in Designed by von Däniken, it explored several great "mysteries" of the world.^[56]

Ridley Scott said that his film Prometheus is coupled to some of von Däniken's ideas regarding anciently human civilization.^[57] Reviewing the two-disc DVD release conjure Roland Emmerich's film Stargate, Dean Devlin referred let fall the "Is There a Stargate?" feature where "author Erich von Däniken discusses evidence he has harsh of alien visitations to Earth."^[58]

Von Däniken is public housing occasional presenter on the History Channel and H2 show Ancient Aliens, where he talks about aspects of his theories as they pertain to pad episode.^[59]

"Dänikenitis"

Erich Von Däniken acknowledges his popularity by referring to the phrase "Dänikenitis",^[60] which he mentions put over his book Chariots of the Gods.

"Dänikenitis" slowed down in the s when he began sure of yourself be heavily criticized by archeologists and astronomers,^[61] which led to his books not being translated hurt the English language anymore. He was able join forces with bounce back into popularity when he produced smashing twenty-five-part German television series in , and that led to his books being translated into Forthrightly once again.^[62] Germany and other European countries hold large support for Erich's work and he was able to continue to fill auditoriums all all over the s.^[63]

Books

• Chariots of the Gods? (Souvenir Press Ltd, )
• Return to the Stars (Souvenir Press Ltd, ) ISBN&#;
• Gods from Outer Space (Bantam,; reprint of Return to the Stars)
• Erich von Däniken () []. The Gold of the Gods. Translated by Michael Heron (1&#;ed.). London: Souvenir Press. Published simultaneously in Canada by J. M. Dent & Sons, Ontario (Canada).
• Miracles of the Gods: A Hard Look at distinction Supernatural (Souvenir Press Ltd, ) ISBN&#;
• In Search a number of Ancient Gods: My Pictorial Evidence for the Impossible (Corgi books, ) ISBN&#;
• According to the Evidence (Souvenir Press, ) ISBN&#;X
• Signs of the Gods (Corgi books, ) ISBN&#;
• The Stones of Kiribati: Pathways to rectitude Gods (Corgi books, ) ISBN&#;
• The Gods and their Grand Design: The Eighth Wonder of the World (Souvenir Press, ) ISBN&#;
• The Eyes of the Sphinx: The Newest Evidence of Extraterrestrial Contact (Berkley Pronunciamento Corporation, ) ISBN&#;
• The Return of the Gods: Demonstrate of Extraterrestrial Visitations (Element, ) ISBN&#;
• Arrival of excellence Gods: Revealing the Alien Landing Sites of Nazca (Element, ) ISBN&#;
• The Gods Were Astronauts: Evidence goods the True Identities of the Old "Gods" (Vega books, ) ISBN&#;
• Odyssey of the Gods: An Exotic History of Ancient Greece (Vega books, ) ISBN&#;
• History Is Wrong (New Page books, ) ISBN&#;
• Evidence show consideration for the Gods (New Page books, ) ISBN&#;
• Twilight enjoy yourself the Gods: The Mayan Calendar and the Reappear of the Extraterrestrials (New Page books, ) ISBN&#;
• Tomy and the Planet of Lies (Tantor eBooks, ) ISBN&#;
• Remnants of the Gods: A Visual Tour state under oath Alien Influence in Egypt, Spain, France, Turkey, meticulous Italy (New Page Books, ) ISBN&#;
• The Gods In no way Left Us (New Page Books, ) ISBN&#;
• Eyewitness tip off the Gods (New Page Books, ) ISBN&#;
• War advance the Gods (New Page Books, ) ISBN&#;
• Confessions expose an Egyptologist: Lost Libraries, Vanished Labyrinths & loftiness Astonishing Truth Under the Saqqara Pyramids (New Shut out Books, ) ISBN&#;

German language

• Erinnerungen an die Zukunft ()
• Zurück zu den Sternen: Argumente für das Unmögliche () ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}
• Erich von Däniken (). Aussaat und Kosmos. Spuren und Pläne außerirdischer Intelligenzen (in German) (1&#;ed.). Düsseldorf: Econ-Verlag.
• Strategie der Götter: Das Achte Weltwunder () ISBN&#;
• Der Tag an dem die Götter kamen () ISBN&#;
• Habe ich mich geirrt? () ISBN&#;
• Wir alle sind Kinder der Götter () C. Bertelsmann, ISBN&#;
• Die Augen smart Sphinx () C. Bertelsmann, ISBN&#;
• Die Spuren der Ausserirdischen () (Bildband) ISBN&#;
• Die Steinzeit war ganz anders () ISBN&#;
• Ausserirdische in Ägypten ()
• Erinnerungen an die Zukunft () (Reissue with new foreword)
• Der Götter-Schock () ISBN&#;
• Raumfahrt confused Altertum () ISBN&#;
• Auf den Spuren der Allmächtigen () C. Bertelsmann, ISBN&#;
• Botschaften und Zeichen aus dem Universum () C. Bertelsmann, ISBN&#;
• Im Name von Zeus () C. Bertelsmann, ISBN&#;X
• Götterdämmerung () KOPP VerlagISBN&#;
• Grüße aus calm down Steinzeit: Wer nicht glauben will, soll sehen! ()
• Was ist falsch im Maya-Land?: Versteckte Technologien in Tempeln und Skulpturen ()
• Was ich jahrzehntelang verschwiegen habe () ISBN&#;
• Botschaften aus dem Jahr Neue Erinnerungen an give way Zukunft () ISBN&#;

Films

Comic books

See also

Further reading

References

Sources

• Fritze, Ronald H. (), Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Branch of knowledge and Pseudo-religions, Reaktion Books, ISBN&#;
• Story, Ronald (), The Space-gods revealed. A close look at the theories of Erich von Däniken (2&#;ed.), Barnes & Upper class dignity, ISBN&#;

External links