Chariots of the Gods? Explained | Who are the Gods according to Eric Von Däniken?

Chariots of the Gods is one of the most popular books underpinning the theory of alien existence. Authored by Swiss writer, Eric Von Däniken, the book contains the hypothesis that aliens have frequented Earth, and our civilizations, religions, and historical events may have been a result of extraterrestrial intervention.

Though the book drew largely negative reactions, it is one of Von Däniken’s bestsellers and is considered monumental. The book makes multiple claims that nobody has been able to negate scientifically. So, let’s check out Von Däniken’s interpretation of our Earth’s history.


How does Von Däniken relate technology with aliens?

As per Däniken, a number of ancient architectures and artefacts couldn’t have been the work of humans given the infant state of technology those days and limited human knowledge in the area. Some of those architectural marvels are going to prove to be difficult to build even by today’s standards. The writer mentions the Nazca Lines of Peru, Stonehenge, and Egyptian Pyramids to support his claims.

That’s not all as Däniken also highlights striking similarities between such ancient elements and our advanced machines. The book explains how the Ottoman Empire’s Piri Reis map might be a copy of a shot of Earth from space.


Who are the Gods?

According to Chariots of the Gods, aliens who visited Earth and showed the path to our primitive civilization might actually be the gods we worship today. Von Däniken has an extraterrestrial explanation for some of the things mentioned in the Bible too including the Ark of the Covenant.

Von Däniken says the Ark of the Covenant might have been a device to connect with the alien race. Similarly, he describes Ezekiel’s vision of angels and the wheels as a spacecraft and Sodom’s destruction as the implementation of nuclear power.


How did early humans react to aliens?

Von Däniken makes it clear that for humans, gods are beings with extraordinary, supernatural powers. Since humans on Earth are incapable of possessing such powers, the only logical explanation for the execution of such powers, according to Von Däniken, is that some intelligent beings from faraway lands walk down the earth.

As they made our lives easier using their miraculous powers, we, humans, couldn’t help but regard them as gods. They did their job, and they left. Probably they keep an eye on us too just like gods.


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