Connections

Vol. 1, Issue 3 , 11 February 2003

Ancient Chinese UFO

UFO researches often cite the vision of Ezekiel of chariots of fire when arguing for the existence of UFOs. Others report on the elaborate and detailed designs for flying vehicles described in ancient Hindu texts, including the tale of a war in heaven between great technological powers.

I recently stumbled across another ancient source, one that I have never seen mentioned in the UFO literature. Then again, I've never delved too deeply into the literature, so maybe someone has covered this already. Still, it is a fascinating addition to the UFO mythos - for two reasons. First, it describes an ancient flying ship. And second, it describes the scam that quickly follows.

First, the sighting: From Outlaws of the Marsh, a 14th Century Chinese novel written by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong, about events that happened during the Song dynasty, ca 12th Century.

Chapter 71

Suddenly, there was a sound like the ripping of fabric in the northwest corner of the sky. Everyone looked. They saw an object resembling an up-ended golden platter, narrow at both ends and broad in the middle. Known as Heaven's Gate, or Heaven's Eye, it was dazzingly bright and resplendent as sunset clouds. A column of fire, shaped like a willow basket, twirled down from the center of the Eye towards the altar. It circled the altar once, then plunged into the earth near the southern end of the hall.

Heaven's Eye had closed by then, and the Taoist priests descended from their altar. Song Jiang ordered men to dig with shovels and mattocks where the fire had vanished. At a depth of three feet, they found a stone tablet. It was inscribed on both sides with mystic writing.

... It was covered with weird squiggles, like tadpoles, which no one could decipher.

A remarkable sighting, which leads the heroes to the discovery of an alien artifact, right? However, as soon as everyone is awestruck by this miraculous but wordly encounter with beings from another world, someone immediately steps up to 'interpret' it in spiritual terms. For a profit, of course.

But one of the priests, named Ho, was skilled in the occult.

"I have a set of books at home, handed down from my ancestors," he said, "which teaches how to read Heavenly writing. Since ancient times, it has always been this tadpole script, and I've learned how to decipher it. Let me have a look and I'll tell you what it says."

Notice that the priest, whose name is appropriately "Ho" has a book of heavenly wisdom that can decipher the script. Of course, it's at home, where no one else can use it decipher the script for themselves. Therefore, they'll have to rely on him. Isn't it strange how the original copy of holy scripts always seems to be somewhere else? And isn't it convenient that a scholar of uninterpretable Heavenly tadpole script just happens to be there when a tablet is found?

Pleased, Song Jiang handed over the tablet. The priest perused it for some time. Finally, he spoke.

"These are the names of all you gallant warriors. On one side it says, 'Act in Heaven's Behalf.' On the other: 'Complete Loyalty and Righteousness.' At the top are diagrams of the Great and Small Dippers. Below that are your names."

The priest then reads off the names of the 108 heroes, written on the tablets according to rank and authority, beginning with Song Jiang. Now that the priest has done his duty, it falls to the leader to take advantage of this interpretation to establish his authority as being bestowed by the wisdom of the gods in heaven.

When he had finished, the chieftains stared at the list in amazement. "Who would have thought," Song Jiang mused, "that a petty functionary like me would be the highest of all stars. Today, Heaven has indicated that it is right for us to be united in chivalry. We've reached our full number, and our ranks have been decided by Heaven, with a general division into higher and lower. Each of you chieftains must keep to his particular rank. Let there be no squabbling. Heaven's edict must be obeyed."

"Who would dare go against Heaven's Will!" said the chieftains.

Song Jiang rewarded priest Ho with fifty ounces of gold.

It didn't take long, did it? And the priest got his check. This story proves that nothing changes. In this way, with infinite variations, powerful men have always established their authority, from Arthur's Excalibur to George W. Bush's 9/11. And in each case, it is obvious that authority is established more easily when miraculous events can be manipulated to achieve a desired effect. If one is to lead, one cannot count on providence to provide the crystalizing event that defines ones' leadership. Nothing happens by accident in politics.

The Ruins of Mars

Around 1991, the Boeing company produced a poster and distributed it among the scientific and NASA community to generate interest in a manned exploration of Mars. Here is the poster:

At first glance, this seems like an innocent if fanciful bit of graphic art. But upon close look, one notices something strange about that outcropping of rock in the foreground. It isn't an outcropping of rock at all.

It's ruins. Notice the joints in the stone blocks, and the carvings? But wait, there's more.

There's a face. A strangely Egyptian face, with the nose knocked off, just like the Great Sphynx.

So why did Boeing distribute a poster of NASA astronauts exploring ancient Egyptian ruins on the surface of Mars? And why did George W. Bush use his 2003 budget to declare that there may be space aliens yet to be discovered?

Maybe they plan to find a stone tablet that only they can interpret. After all, nothing happens by accident in politics.

Click here to view the poster up close and personal, including the quote from George H. W. Bush at the bottom.

Ancient Chinese UFO

The Ruins of Mars

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