The Lost Continent of Mu

This book purported to reveal the history of an ancient continent of MU which supposedly existed in e Pacific Ocean over 12,000 years ago and was the place where humans originated and where the first human civilization existed. (The author is strongly anti-evolution and maintains humans were originally civilized.) The story is allegedly based on fragmentary clay tablets from India and stone tablets later discovered in Mexico. Considered as history, this was obvious nonsense even when first written, and is even more discredited now, when, for example the genuine ancient Mayan inscriptions can be read.In fairness, a good many of the pictographs Churchward claims to decipher are probably genuine pictographs,but the idea that they are show more logograms of the ancient language of Mu or its descendants is not credible. However, his fantastic Mu history did contribute to the background of fantasies like Lin Carter's Thongor of Lemuria, so we should be grateful for that. show less

This book straddles the line between non fiction & fiction, whilst it's based on actual facts, the conclusions and assertions made by the author verge into the territory of fiction. It's pseudoscience at its 1930s best, really.

It also includes offensive gems such as "The bushman of Northern Australia are probably the lowest type of humanity on earth, lower than the ordinary forest beasts.". All the while concocting an absurd theory that white civilisation came from an immense continent in the middle of the pacific ocean, that just vanished in a disaster leaving only the pacific islands behind. As for why there's no tangible evidence of such? People devolved he claimed, and only the dregs really survived to begin with.

As far as absurd show more early 20th century books go, you're on a winner with this if that's what you're after, but for actual factual information you'll be looking in the wrong place if you pick this up, it belongs in the fiction category more than it does non fiction. show less

If James Churchward was alive today he'd be working for the History channel. This is his theory for a lost continent in the pacific and how all the ancient peoples of the world are linked to this lost country.
One of his great excuses is that the symbolic name for Mu is represented by 3 of something... not 3 of something in particular just 3 of anything. So he goes around the world looking at ancient drawings and writing and whenever he sees 3 of something says 'see they were talking about Mu arn't i a genius!'.
Its like Ancient Aliens but too boring to laugh at.

This was my second reading of the book, probably 50 years apart. As this was originally written in the 1930's you have to take some of his theories with a grain of salt. However, I think that the whole Alaskan Land Bridge that 'science' tries to shove down our throats is pure fantasy. The original Americans, Central, South, and North, came here many, many years ago - from the west and by sea.

I read this book back in high school and I swallowed its premise hook, line, and sinker. I suppose it was around here that I first began getting some inkling that perhaps not everything that is printed is true!!! It was fun being so naive. I have not had the heart to re-examine the book. I daresay I would be abashed at the garbage I accepted so readily back then. More importantly, I need to remember what garbage is accepted now - by myself and by others.