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THE UNDERGROUND EMPIRE

In his book 'SHAMBHALA' (1930. Frederick A. Stokes Co., N.Y.), writer and traveler Nicholas Roerich adds some additional insights into human habitation of underground regions of central Asia. In his chapter 'SUBTERRANEAN DWELLERS' (pp. 210-219) we read the following words:

Once on our travels we reached a half-ruined village. There was a glimmer of light in only two houses. In a small room, an old man sat cleaning a utensil. He became our host for the night. I asked him the reason for his isolation. He answered, 'Every one has departed. They have found more suitable sites for their dwellings. They were strong and enterprising. Something new attracted them. But I knew that nothing new exists on earth. And I did not wish to change the place of my death.'

Thus the strongest ones depart. The decaying ones patiently await death. Is this not the story of all migrations, of all enterprises?

The subject of the great migrations is the most fascinating in the history of humanity. What spirit was it that thus moved whole nations and innumerable tribes? What cataclysm drove the hordes from their familiar steppes? What new happiness and privileges did they anticipate in the blue mist of the immense desert?

On rocks in Dardistan we saw ancient drawings. We also saw the same kind of drawings upon the rocks near the Brahmaputra, as well as on the rocks of Orkon in Mongolia, and in the tumuli of Minusinsk in Siberia. And finally we discerned the same creative psychology in the halristningars of Sweden and Norway. And later we stopped in admiration before the mighty signs of the early Romanesque which we found, based on the same creative aspirations of the great migrators.

In every city, in every encampment of Asia, I tried to discover what memories were being cherished in the folk-memory. Through these guarded and preserved tales you can recognize the reality of the past. In every spark of folk-lore, there is a drop of great Truth adorned or distorted. Not long ago we were too vain to appreciate these treasures of folk-lore. 'What could these illiterate people know!' But afterwards we learned that even the great Rig-Vedas were written down only in the comparatively recent past, and perhaps for many centuries they were passed down by word of mouth. We thought that the flying carpet of fairy-tales belonged only to the children but we soon recognized that although each fantasy, in its own individual way, weaves a beautiful carpet ornamenting life, nevertheless the very carpet bears the footprints of great reality of the past.

Among the innumerable legends and fairy tales of various countries may be found the tales of lost tribes and subterranean dwellers. In wide and diverse directions, people are speaking of the identical facts. But in correlating them you can readily see that these are but chapters from the one story. At first it seems impossible that there should exist any scientific connection between these distorted whispers under the light of the desert bonfires. But afterwards you begin to grasp the peculiar coincidence of these manifold legends related by peoples who are even ignorant of each other's names.

You recognize the same relationship in the folk-lores of Tibet, Mongolia, China, Turkestan, Kashmir, Persia, Altai, Siberia, the Ural, Caucasia, the Russian steppes, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Germany, France; from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans. You will hear wonderfully elaborated tales in the Tourfan district. They tell you how the people, not willing to submit to the cruelty, closed themselves in subterranean mountains. They even ask you if you want to see the entrance to the cave through which the saintly persecuted folk fled.

In Kuchar you will hear of King Po-chan, ruler of the Tokhars, and how, when the enemy approached, he disappeared with all the treasure of his kingdom, leaving only sand, stones and ruins behind him.

...Each entrance to a cave suggests that some one has already entered there. Every creek--especially the subterranean creeks--draw one's fantasy to the underground passages. In many places in Central Asia, they speak of the Agharti, the subterranean people. In numerous beautiful legends they outline the same story of how the best people abandoned the treacherous earth and sought salvation in hidden countries where they acquired new forces and conquered powerful energies.

In the Altai Mountains, in the beautiful upland valley of Uimon, a hoary Old Believer (Starover) said to me: 'I shall prove to you that the tale about the Chud, the subterranean people, is not a fantasy! I shall lead you to the entrance of the subterranean kingdom.'

On the way through the valley surrounded by snowy mountains, my host told us many tales about the Chud. It is remarkable that 'Chud' in Russian has the same origin as the word WONDER. So, perhaps, we may consider the Chud a wonderful tribe. My bearded guide told how 'once upon a time, in this fertile valley lived and flourished the powerful tribe of Chud. They knew how to prospect for minerals and how to reap the best harvest. Most peaceful and most industrious, was this tribe. But then came a White Tzar with innumerable hordes of cruel warriors. The peaceful, industrious Chud could not resist the assaults of the conquerors, and not wishing to lose their liberty, they remained as serfs to the White Tzar. Then, for the first time, a white birch began to grow in this region. And, according to old prophecies, the Chud knew that it was the time for their departure. And the Chud, unwilling to remain subject to the White Tzar, departed under the earth. Only sometimes can you hear the holy people singing; now their bells ring out in the subterranean temples. But there shall come the glorious time of human purification, and in those days, the great Chud shall again appear in full glory.'

Thus the Old Believer concluded. We approached some low stony hill. Proudly he showed me, 'Here we are. Here is the entrance to the great subterranean kingdom! When the Chud entered the subterranean passage they closed the entrance with stones. Now we stand just beside this holy entrance.'

We stood before a huge tomb encircled by great stones, so typical of the period of the great migrations. Such tombs, with the beautiful remains of Gothic relics, we saw in South Russian steppes, in foothills of the Northern Caucasus. Studying this hill, I remembered how during our crossing of the Karakorum pass, my sais, the Ladaki, asked me, 'Do you know that in the subterranean caves here many treasures are hidden and that in them lives a wonderful tribe which abhors the sins of earth?'

And again when we approached Khotan the hoofs of our horses sounded hollow as though we rode above caves or hollows. Our caravan people called attention to this, saying, 'Do you hear what hollow subterranean passages we are crossing? Through these passages, people who are familiar with them can reach far-off countries.' When we saw entrances to caves, our caravaneers told us, 'Long ago people lived there; now they have gone inside; they have found a subterranean passage to the subterranean kingdom. Only rarely do some of them appear again on the earth. At our bazaar such people come with strange, very ancient money, but nobody could ever remember a time when such money was in usage here.' I asked them, if we could also see such people. And they answered, 'Yes, if your thoughts are similarly high and in contact with these holy people, because only sinners are upon the earth and the pure and courageous people pass on to something more beautiful.'

Great is the belief in the Kingdom of the subterranean people. Through all of Asia, through the spaces of all deserts, from the Pacific to the Urals, you can hear the same wondrous tale of the vanished holy people. And even far beyond the Ural Mountains, the echo of the same tale will reach you. Often you hear about subterranean tribes. Sometimes an invisible holy people is said to be living behind a mountain. Sometimes either poisonous or vitalizing gases are spread over the earth, to protect some one. Sometimes you hear how the sands of the great desert shift, and for a moment disclose treasures of the entrances of subterranean kingdoms. But none would dare to touch those treasures. You will hear how, in the rocks, in the most deserted mountain ranges, you can see openings which connect with these subterranean passes, and how beautiful princesses once upon a time occupied these natural castles.

From distances one might take these openings for eries, because all which belongs to the subterranean people is concealed. Sometimes the Holy City is submerged, as in the folk- lore of Netherlands and Switzerland. And there is folk-lore that coincides with actual discoveries in the lakes and along the sea coasts. In Siberia, in Russia, Lithuania and Poland, you find many legends and fairy tales about giants who lived at times in these countries but afterwards, disliking the new customs, disappeared. In these legends, one may recognize the specific foundations of the ancient clans. The giants are brothers. Very often the sisters of the giants live on the other shores of the lakes or the other side of the mountains. Very often they do not like to move from the site but some special event drives them from their patrimonial dwelling. Birds and animals are always near these giants; as witnesses they follow them and announce their departure.

...The endless Kurgans of the southern steppes retain around them numerous stories about the appearance of the unknown warrior, nobody knows from whence. The Carpathian Mountains in Hungary have many similar stories of unknown tribes, giant- warriors and mysterious cities. If, without prejudice, you patiently point out on your map all the legends and stories of this nature you will be astonished at the result. When you collect all the fairy-tales of lost and subterranean tribes, will you not have before you a full map of the migrations?

During the 'Subterranean World' controversy which filled the pages of AMAZING STORIES Magazine in the late 1940's as a result of the writings of Palmer, Shaver and numerous readers who sent in their own contributions, a couple by the name of John & Dorothy de Courcy became involved as well. They had sent in a fictionalized novelette based loosely on the 'Agharti' legends, which was published in the magazine. Sometimes afterwards, in the Dec. 1946 issue of A.S. (p. 173), they submitted another letter describing a strange 'response' to their story:

Sirs.

The most singular thing has happened and we are at a loss to offer an explanation. It might be a prank, but unless someone is willing to spend a good deal of money on a prank, it must be the truth!

On July 29, a tall man wearing a long blue or black overcoat and a dark hat drawn down to conceal his face, went to a former residence of ours in San Francisco asking for us. He was told we had moved and the landlord tried to find a card bearing our forwarding address. Try as he might, he couldn't, nor could he remember even the city, but he said he thought it was Portland. When told, the man answered, 'I quite understand. If you find the address, kindly write them and say, "the man from Agharti" seeks them.'

On August 5 he reappeared in Portland at an apartment house where we had once lived. Again our address was missing and again he left the same message, adding, 'I bear a message for them from the King.'

In both cases, after we had gone, our forwarding addresses were found and both landlords wrote to us immediately apologizing for their oversight. They said he impressed them so much they couldn't forget him. Both of them misspelled Agharti in their letters.

Who is the King? Can he be referring to the fabulous King of the World? The only solution we can suggest is to publish this letter with our address and hope that this time the man from Agharti, if he be such, will find us.

-- John & Dorothy de Courcy., 665 S. W. 113th Place., Seattle 66, Washington.

As further evidence that not ALL subterran societies are of the insidious, reptilian or reptilian-controlled variety, we add the following revelations from 'Commander X', the mysterious anonymous U.S. Intelligence official who has revealed much about 'inside' government knowledge of alien civilization both beyond and beneath the earth. He is the author of the book 'UNDERGROUND ALIEN BASES', published by Tim Beckley's UFO REVIEW-Abelard Press, N.Y. Mr. 'X' was apparently very familiar with the Subterranean-world controversies that surrounded AMAZING STORIES and related publications in the early years, which may explain his present position in U.S. Intelligence. He reveals the following subterranea-related accounts from South America:

..Of all the countries on the face of the Earth, none is more mysterious, or less explored, than is Brazil. Miles upon miles of this country have never been set foot upon by white man. In these areas live whole tribes of savage Indians whose civilizations are said to be akin to those existing at the time of the Stone Age. Many of those who have dared venturing into these pockets of unexplored jungle have never come out. Perhaps the case of Colonel Fawcett will be familiar to readers as an example of what I mean. He supposedly was captured by a tribe of wild Indians while in search of a 'hidden city' said to be located in the confines of the dense jungle...

Before his death, Dr. (Raymond) Bernard had sent this writer many personal letters regarding his findings related to... underground civilization(s). We quote from these communications in the following:

'I arrived in Brazil in 1956 and have been carrying on my research since I met a Theosophical leader who told me about the subterranean cities... that exist in Brazil. He referred to Professor Henrique de Souza, president of the Brazilian Theosophical Society, at Sao Lourenco in the state of Minas Gerais, who erected a temple dedicated to Agharta, which is the Buddhist name of the subterranean World. Here in Brazil live Theosophists from all parts of the world, all of whom believe in the existence of the subterranean cities.

Professor de Souza told me that the great English explorer Colonel Fawcett is still alive, living in a subterranean city in the Roncador Mountains of Matto Grosso, where he found the subterranean city of Atlanteans for which he searched (Note: Bernard refers to the inhabitants of this city as 'Atlanteans', when in fact other accounts suggest that--like the underground cities below the east coast of North America--many of these cavern cities were originally constructed by an ancient antediluvian race which might have been very similar to the lost race spoken of in the 'Atlantis' legendary, and were later re- inhabited after the flood. In 'this' sense they might be referred to as 'Atlanteans' although the present inhabitants of such cities probably do not have any direct 'genetic' ties to the antediluvian 'Atlanteans'. - Branton), but is held prisoner lest he reveal the secret of his whereabouts. He was not killed by Indians as is commonly believed. Professor de Souza claimed he has visited subterranean cities, including Shamballah, the world capital of the subterranean empire of Agharta. I then went to Matto Grosso to find the subterranean city where Fawcett is claimed to be living with his son Jack, but failed to do so. I then returned to Joinville in the state of Santa Catarina, and there continued my research.

Just recently two explorers returned from entering a tunnel near Ponte Grosse in the state of Parana. One of them had recently entered alone and spent five days in the underworld city there. It had about 50 inhabitants plus children. The fruit orchards were recently planted, and the inhabitants received fruit from another subterranean city. During the last visit, the two explorers were met at the entrance of the tunnel by a guardian and the chief of the city, who told them that they should return in two years when the fruit trees will start to bear, but cannot enter now.

The same two explorers entered a tunnel in Rincon, state of Parana, and finally came to a chimney-like structure with four chains hanging down. They descended on the chains but when they came near the bottom a gas with a chemical odor started to come up and forced them to ascend. Obviously the subterranean dwellers tried to keep them from reaching the city (This seems often to be the case - Commander X).

Our explorer J.D. (name on file - Commander X), who is a mountain guide of the Mystery Mountain near Joinville (where there is supposed to be an entrance) said that, several times, he saw a luminous flying saucer ascend from the tunnel opening that leads to a subterranean city inside the mountain, in which he heard the beautiful choral singing of men and women, and also heard the 'canto galo' (rooster crowing), a universal symbol indicating the existence of subterranean cities in Brazil. He said that the saucer was so luminous that it lit up the night sky and converted it into daylight. On one occasion he met a group of subterranean men outside the tunnel. They were short, stocky, with reddish beards and long hair, and very muscular. When he tried to approach them, they vanished. Often he saw strange illuminations in this area at night which were probably produced by flying saucers (We use the name 'Mystery Mountain,' rather than reveal the true name of the mountain, so that unwanted outsiders will not come here to locate it). Throughout my many years of research I have accumulated a vast amount of data which would indicate that these entrances to subterranean cities abound throughout the region.

An elderly man living in Joinville once told me that he had visited a tunnel near Concepiao in the state of Sao Paulo, and saw in the distance a marvelous subterranean city with vehicles darting back and forth, evidently traveling through tunnels from one subterranean city to another.

Although the following report requires confirmation, it was told to me by an explorer named N.C. who said that he had visited a tunnel near Rio Casdor and had met a beautiful young woman appearing to be about 20 years of age. She spoke to him in Portuguese and SAID that she was 2,500 years old. He also met a bearded subterranean man (Note: Often humans encountered in aerial disks or subterranean caverns declare that they are extremely old by humans standards. On the surface this might sound next to impossible, unless a revolutionary scientific breakthrough on the part of these human 'aliens' has allowed them to retard the aging process to an extreme degree, or could the possibly that they are separated from the degenerating radiations of solar rays explain their allegedly greater longevity? Another possibility would be that through bionics/biological transplants/prosthetics, etc. the lifespan of human beings possessing advanced biological and technological sciences might theoretically be increased dramatically. Incidentally, the writer and traveler Robert Stacy-Judd in some of his books described an exploration he and others in his party made of the peripheral areas of the Loltun caves of Yucatan. Legend says that at least one group of people, fleeing persecution, entered en masse into the massive Loltun caves and were never seen again. Stacy-Judd tells of his own encounter with a 'cave hermit' deep in the cavern chambers who claimed to be well over 1000 years old, and who said he was a guardian of the cave and of the treasures--and city?--which lay deep below in the unknown depths, 'unknown' that is, except to the strange 'hermit'. Aside from photographs of this hermit which appeared in some of his works, the author also revealed photographs of 'underground gardens' consisting of areas of the cave which contain small patches of 'jungle', watered and lit through parts of the cavern ceilings which had collapsed, exposing them to the outer world. Whether such claims of longevity are real or whether the "subterranean" people were just playing with the minds of such explorers who encountered them, is uncertain - Branton).

Still another explorer named D.O. visited this same tunnel near Gaspar, Santa Catarina, and behind a wonderful fruit orchard saw a subterranean woman with a child in her arms reading to it aloud from a huge book written in an unknown language... After she read each sentence the child repeated the same and in this way was taught how to read. All of these subterranean cities are illuminated by strange light...'

In relation to the apparent connection between subterranean civilizations and unidentified flying objects (Bernard and de Souza, incidentally, believed 'flying saucers' to be of subterranean origin), we will here quote from Paris Flammonde, author of 'THE AGE OF FLYING SAUCERS' (Hawthorne Books, Inc., N.Y.), who tends to confirm this hypothesis. He in turn quoted Raymond A. Palmer as a major proponent of this belief:

...The new decade was not without a new theory, or, at least, a variation of an old one--that not only were Flying Saucers not originating from beyond the farthest reaches of our planet, they were expelled from within it... Ray Palmer wrote a lengthy article elaborating his interesting and imaginative thesis, and prefaced it with the assertion that he was prepared 'to prove that flying saucers are native to planet earth; that the governments of more than one nation (if not all of them) know this to be the fact; that a concerted effort is being made to learn all about them, and to explore their native land; and that facts already known are considered so important that they are the world's top secret...' The continuation of his contention reads:

...is there any area on Earth which can be regarded as a possible origin for flying saucers? There are...four...the two major, in order of importance, are Antarctica and the Arctic...the two minor areas are South America's Motto Grosso and Asia's Tibetan Highlands.

Raymond Bernard (actual name 'Walter Seigmeister'), writing in the Oct. 1959 issue of SEARCH Magazine, p. 48, described yet another alleged encounter with a subterranean race. What are we to make of all these stories? Are we to assume that some of the individuals who told Bernard such accounts actually made them up, as some suggest, in order to receive the 'reward' Bernard was known to offer on documentable accounts of ancient tunnels? Or, are we to accept these accounts for just what their sources claim them to be, actual encounters with a subterranean world? Bernard stated the following:

...Last week my investigators returned and said they visited their city (i.e. the 'city' of a race of dwarf-humans whom Bernard referred to as the 'Niebelungs', who live in a subterranean region with it's own system of illumination - Branton) and are able to bring any of my American friends to visit it, but I require one condition: absolute secrecy, as I don't want governments to send armies into the tunnel to disturb these peaceful people.

To reach them requires a 3-day journey of about 40 miles through a tunnel. This entire distance is through a tunnel carefully lined with cut stone blocks below, above and on the sides. That was quite an engineering feat. I think the tunnel was made long to keep out curiosity seekers, and only the most determined will travel that distance.

Here is the report of my investigations: (They are two ranchers, father and son, who discovered the tunnel accidentally):

'We left our house 5 A.M. for the tunnel on top of a mountain and reached it 3 P.M. We were tired and camped near the entrance of the tunnel. For three days we proceeded through the tunnel. We told time by our watches, as we could not tell when it was day or night. We went to sleep at 10 P.M. and awoke at 3 A.M. and continued walking. By the third day the tunnel started to go downward by steps. It was built of stone blocks on all sides. By the night of the third day the tunnel suddenly opened into a great space covered with what appeared as a sky with a yellow light that made everything luminous, like daylight. We saw a city with many houses and saw many people in the distance. They were dwarfs with long white beards and long hair and we saw women and children, and heard them crying. The third member of our party got frightened so we had to return.'

"These men found three such tunnels. They entered another for three days, but after hearing voices further in, got scared and returned. Now they are entering the third..."

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