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Fleeing from the wrath of her brother Aac, Queen Móo directed her course toward the rising sun, in the hope of finding shelter in some of the remnants of the Land of Mu, as the Azores, for instance. Failing to fall in with such place of refuge as she was seeking, she continued her journey eastward, and at last reached the Maya colonies that for many years had been established on the banks of the Nile. The settlers received her with open arms, called her the "little sister," iɔin (Isis), and proclaimed her their queen.

Before leaving her mother-country in the West she had caused to be erected, not only a memorial hall to the memory of her brother-husband, but also a superb mausoleum in which were placed his remains and a statue representing him. On the top of the monument was his totem, a dying leopard with a human head-a veritable sphinx. Once established in the land of her adoption, did she order the erection of another of his totems-again a leopard with human head-to preserve his memory among her followers? The names inscribed on the base of the Egyptian sphinx seem to suggest this conjecture. Through the ages, this Egyptian sphinx has been the enigma of history. Has its solution at last been given by the ancient Maya archives?

In the appendix are presented, for the first time in modern ages, the cosmogonic notions of the ancient Mayas, re-discovered by me. They will be found identical with those of the other civilized nations of antiquity. In them are embodied many of the secret doctrines communicated, in their initiations, to the adepts in India, Chaldea, Egypt, and Samothracia-the origin of the worship of the cross, of that of the tree and of the serpent, introduced in India by the Nagas, who

raised such a magnificent temple in Cambodia, in the city of Angor-Thom, to their god, the seven-headed serpent, the Ahac-chapat of the Mayas, and afterward carried its worship to Akkad and to Babylon. In these cosmogonic notions we also find the reason why the number ten was held most sacred by all civilized nations of antiquity; and why the Mayas, who in their scheme of numeration adopted the decimal system, did not reckon by tens but by fives and twenties; and why they used the twenty-millionth part of half the meridian as standard of lineal measures.

In the following pages I simply offer to my readers the relation of certain facts I have learned from the sculptures, the monumental inscriptions carved on the walls of the ruined palaces of the Mayas; the record of which is likewise contained in such of their books as have reached us. I venture only such explanations as will make clear their identity with the conceptions, on the same subjects, of the wise men of India, Chaldea, Egypt, and Greece. I do not ask my readers to accept à priori my own conclusions, but to follow the sound advice contained in the Indian saying quoted at the beginning of this preface, Verify by experience what you have learned;" then, and only then, form your own opinion. When formed, hold fast to it, although it may be contrary to your preconceived ideas. In order to help in the verification of the facts herein presented, I have illustrated this book with photographs taken in situ, drawings and plans according to actual, careful surveys, made by me, of the monuments. The accuracy of said drawings and plans can be easily proved on the photographs themselves. I have besides given many references whose correctness it is not difficult to ascertain.

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This is not a book of romance or imagination; but a work

one of a series-intended to give ancient America its proper place in the universal history of the world.)

I have been accused of promulgating notions on ancient America contrary to the opinion of men regarded as authorities on American archæology. And so it is, indeed. Mine is not the fault, however, although it may be my misfortune, since it has surely entailed upon me their enmity and its consequences. But who are those pretended authorities? Certainly not the doctors and professors at the head of the universities and colleges in the United States; for not only do they know absolutely nothing of ancient American civilization, but, judging from letters in my possession, the majority of them refuse to learn anything concerning it.

Do

It may be inquired, On what ground can those who have published books on the subject, in Europe or in the United States, establish their claim to be regarded as authorities? What do they know of the ancient Mayas, of their customs and manners, of their scientific or artistic attainments? they understand the Maya language? Can they interpret one single sentence of the books in which the learning of the Maya sages, their cosmogonic, geographical, religious, and scientific attainments, are recorded? From what source have they derived their pretended knowledge? Not from the writings of the Spanish chroniclers, surely. These only

wrote of the natives as they found them at the time of, and long after, the conquest of America by their countrymen, whose fanatical priests destroyed by fire the only sources of information-the books and ancient records of the Maya philosophers and historians. Father Lopez de Cogolludo, in his "Historia de Yucathan,"1 frankly admits that in his time 'Cogolludo, Historia de Yucathan, lib. iv., cap. iii., p. 177.

no information could be obtained concerning the ancient history of the Mayas. He says: "Of the peoples who first settled in this kingdom of Yucathan, or their ancient history, I have been unable to obtain any other data than those which follow." The Spanish chroniclers do not give one reliable word about the manners and customs of the builders of the grand antique edifices, that were objects of admiration to them as they are to modern travellers. The only answer of the natives to the inquiries of the Spaniards as to who the builders were, invariably was, We do not know.

For fear of wounding the pride of the pseudo-authorities, shall the truth learned from the works of the Maya sages and the inscriptions carved on the walls of their deserted temples and palaces be withheld from the world? Must the errors they propagate be allowed to stand, and the propagators not be called upon to prove the truth of their statements?

The so-called learned men of our days are the first to oppose new ideas and the bearers of these. This opposition will continue to exist until the arrogance and self-conceit of superficial learning that still hover within the walls of colleges and universities have completely vanished; until the generality of intelligent men, taking the trouble to think for themselves, cease to accept as implicit truth the ipse dixit of any quidam who, pretending to know all about a certain subject, pronounces magisterially upon it; until intelligent men no longer follow blindly such self-appointed teachers, always keeping in mind that "to accept any authority as final, and to dispense with the necessity of independent investigation, is destructive of all progress." For, as Dr. Paley says: "There is a principle which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance; this principle is contempt prior to examination."

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