There seems to exist, in the UFO/Alien time line, a grey area.
At the beginning of recorded human history (some would say, before the beginning
) there was apparently extraterrestrial contact, now known as the
Ancient Alien theory. Proponents of this theory point to things like the Egyptian Pyramids, ancient petroglyphs, numerous 'out-of-place artifacts'
and weird and wonderful extracts from ancient scriptures from all over the world.
So far, so good.
Next we come to the other end of the time line....today. Being a little less specific, the last hundred years, give or take, when the UFO/Alien
hypothesis really came into it's own. These modern examples include such hits as Roswell, Rendlesham Forest, The Phoenix Lights and the Betty and
Barney Hill abduction case.
However, it must be noted that without the modern examples, the ancient examples would never have come to light, for it is through a pair of Roswell
tinted sunglasses that people began picking and prodding at the past for clues. Up until this modern era, the Egyptian Pyramids were just tombs for
the Pharoahs, not mystical star maps or fantastical super weapons in disguise. And cave paintings were just crude human stick figures, not grey aliens
from Zeta Reticuli.
But I digress...
What I want to know is, where on Earth (or more likely outer space) did these ET's go in the hundreds of years between these two periods?
Of course, it is at this point that people mention the now famous examples of "UFO's" in Renaissance artwork, paintings like
The
Annunciation,
The Madonna with Saint Giovannino and numerous Crucifixion paintings of this era.
For me, these paintings (and paintings from earlier/later) have been
explained succinctly. Once
again, it seems we are viewing the past through Roswell tinted sunglasses.
Having said this, I did come across a particularly interesting article/blog that could put forward another possible UFO/Alien theory, one that DOES
coincide with this forgotten/ignored period in ET folklore. It highlights how "medieval 'witches' had much in common with today's 'abductees',
and the witch hunters also resemble some of today's abduction 'researchers' in surprisingly consistent ways."
Witchcraft and Aliens (Source)
Without taking it all too literally, here goes...
How to Identify a Witch or Abductee
Marks on the Body.
Abductees and witches are both thought to be physically marked in some way. In the case of witches the mark might be a mole or birthmark, or if no
such mark was found, the examiner declared the discovery of 'an invisible mark.' In the case of abductees, researchers look for scoop marks,
triangle-shaped scars, or evidence of alien implants.
Supernatural Sex.
Witches were believed to have sexual intercourse with inhuman agents of the Devil called incubi (male demons) and succubi (female demons). Abductees
are often believed to have intercourse with inhuman or half human alien beings during the abduction experience.
Flying by Night.
Witches had the ability to fly through the night sky. Alien abductees often have vivid memories of flying or being transported through the sky or
through space.
Messing with Animals.
Witches were said to possess the ability to kill farm animals without drawing blood. Alien abductions are often associated with bloodless cattle
mutilations or the draining of blood from small farm animals (chupacabra incidents are often paired with UFO sightings).
Miscarriage and Disappearing Fetuses.
Witches were believed to have the ability to cause miscarriage or cause fetuses to disappear. Alien abductees often report disappearing pregnancies or
mysterious anomalous events involving human reproduction.
Circular Meetings in the Deep Woods.
Witches were thought to meet with the Devil in the woods, holding highly sexualized rituals naked in a stone circle. (See drawing above.) Abductees
are taken into a circular craft, often from remote or wooded locations, where they are then examined naked on stone or metal slab.
The Devil and the Greys.
The physical description of the 'Devil' of the medieval witchcraft trials (to whom witches were said to agree to a pact or contract) bears
remarkable similarities to the tall Greys described by abductees. Tan or grey in color, the Devil and the tall Grey both have cloven feet, strange
skin, and demand perverse sexual allegiance. The Devil's eyes are said to 'pierce' the eyes of women and control them in this way. The Greys
control by means of their hypnotic huge eyes.
Associations with Bright Lights in the Sky.
Both Satan and aliens are associated with bright lights in the sky. Satan was said to be the "brightest angel in the sky" before he fell to earth
for rebelling against God. Alien abductions are often (though not always) associated with brilliant lights in the sky (UFOs) that come down to earth
to release frighting Greys with a baffling sexual agenda.
Like I said, it is not to be taken too literally. Rather, it explores the possibility that at least some universal myths and legends appeared to be an
attempt to convey the content of a genuine experience in the language of the culture and time in which the experience occurred.
Which is why the writer also notes the phenomena of sleep paralysis, which is another subject that is heavily associated with alien
visitation/abduction.
I think it is a sobering reminder that we must always take our current cultural context into consideration when assessing things of this nature.
What are the chances that our current cultural filter is any more correct than the medieval one that ascribed these phenomena to devils, or the
ancient one that ascribed them to Isis, or the medical one that ascribes them to a mysterious brain disorder called sleep paralysis, or the northern
Scandavian one that ascribes them to the appearance of the 'Old Hag' (a folkloric harbinger of death)?
But just as important, we must also note, as is mentioned in the article/blog, that behind the symbolism, behind the folklore and the myth, there does
seem to exist an inherent truth, or as folklorist David Hufford puts it, "
a real human experience."
Overall, I thought it was a very interesting and thought provoking article/blog, one that I felt should be shared with the good people on ATS.
Also, if anyone could provide me with some decent UFO/Alien examples/speculations from the "forgotten" time period I mentioned earlier, that would
be super
