TALBOTT'S BOOK, THE SATURN MYTH

Summary

CONTENTS — FIND IN PAGE

POLAR SATURN

EVIDENCE FOR POLAR SATURN

CARDONA & TALBOTT INDEPENDENTLY SAME THEORY

NOT SATURN, BUT MARS

POLAR SATURN

David Talbott's The Saturn Myth explores the profound influence of the planet Saturn on ancient mythology, cosmology, and human civilization. Talbott, a comparative mythologist influenced by Immanuel Velikovsky, argues that myths from diverse cultures are not mere allegories but records of real celestial events involving Saturn, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. He proposes that these planets were once in a unique configuration visible from Earth, with Saturn occupying a dominant position in the sky as a "polar sun" at the North Pole1,2.

Talbott suggests that Saturn's era was remembered as a golden age of cosmic harmony, marked by abundance and peace. During this epoch, Saturn was revered as the Universal Monarch and ideal king, whose rule coincided with humanity's leap from barbarism to civilization. Ancient texts describe Saturn as a radiant body that illuminated the night sky when the solar orb set, creating an archaic day beginning at sunset. This imagery of Saturn as a central light is echoed in myths across Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Greece, and the Americas1,3.

A key aspect of Talbott's theory is the "polar configuration," where Saturn appeared fixed above Earth's North Pole, surrounded by secondary lights or celestial phenomena resembling a spoked wheel or dot within a circle. Talbott interprets these symbols as representations of electromagnetic disturbances caused by Saturn's proximity to Earth during this period. He asserts that these visible phenomena inspired many ancient rites and symbols2,3.

Talbott takes ancient myths literally, challenging conventional interpretations that view them as metaphorical or symbolic. He argues that descriptions of Saturn as an unmoving god atop a fiery sea or a paradisal island reflect historical planetary formations rather than fantastical imaginations. This approach seeks to decode myths as records of catastrophic celestial events that shaped early human perceptions and cultural expressions1,3.

The book also delves into the coherence of Saturn's identity across cultures and its depiction as the "greatest sun." Talbott highlights how myths describe Saturn as dimming and brightening in place rather than rising or setting like the current Sun. This incomprehensible phenomenon is central to his hypothesis about a radically different planetary order in antiquity1,3.

Talbott unifies mythological symbols and events through his polar configuration model, explaining seemingly irrational couplings of concepts like gods battling or regenerating perpetually. He ties these motifs to catastrophic disruptions in the planetary system, which ancient peoples interpreted through mythological narratives of creation, destruction, and renewal1,3.

Critics have both praised and dismissed The Saturn Myth. Supporters admire its ambitious attempt to integrate mythology with celestial mechanics, while detractors argue it lacks scientific rigor and relies heavily on speculative interpretations. Nonetheless, Talbott's work remains influential among alternative historians and mythologists exploring connections between ancient cosmology and planetary science1,3.

Ultimately, The Saturn Myth invites readers to reconsider ancient myths as potential records of extraordinary celestial events involving Saturn. By taking these accounts literally and exploring their symbolic coherence across cultures, Talbott offers a radical reinterpretation of humanity's primordial relationship with the cosmos1,2.

EVIDENCE FOR POLAR SATURN

David Talbott's primary evidence in The Saturn Myth for Saturn's position above Earth's North Pole stems from comparative mythology and ancient symbolism. Here’s a concise breakdown of his key arguments:

1. Polar Configuration: Talbott proposed that Saturn once appeared stationary in Earth’s northern sky, forming a "polar configuration" with Venus and Mars nested within its center. This alignment was depicted globally as a central sun surrounded by concentric circles or spokes, echoed in myths of a "world axis" or "cosmic mountain" fixed at the pole1,5,7.

2. Mythological Consistency: Ancient texts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica describe a primeval sun (Ra, Kronos, etc.) that neither rose nor set but dimmed and brightened in place—behavior inconsistent with the current Sun but matching Talbott’s model of a luminous Saturn2,5,7. For instance, Egyptian texts describe Ra as "coming forth" and "receding" while remaining em hetep ("at rest")5.

3. Symbolic Artifacts: Universal symbols like the spoked wheel, dot-in-circle, and sacred trees/mountains align with Talbott’s reconstruction of Saturn’s plasma discharges or "polar column," which ancient cultures memorialized as a luminous pillar connecting Earth to the celestial center6,7.

4. Celestial References: Cross-cultural myths place Saturn at the "north of heaven" (Egyptian Ra), as the "Niggard from the North" (Celtic Bran), or sharing names with the Pole Star (Chinese Saturn)5. These traditions contradict modern astronomy but fit a polar Saturn1,5.

5. Catastrophic Transition: Talbott ties Saturn’s displacement to violent planetary rearrangements, explaining myths of a fallen "golden age" and cosmic upheavals—events Velikovsky also linked to planetary chaos3,7.

Critics note the lack of astrophysical evidence, but Talbott’s case rests on the coherence of mythic patterns, arguing they encode a lost celestial order1,3,7.

CARDONA & TALBOTT INDEPENDENTLY SAME THEORY

Dwardu Cardona told me he contacted Dave Talbott, I think in 1973, when he learned that Dave had a similar Saturn theory to his own. This made it seem to me like the theory was likely to be correct, especially when Ev Cochrane also initially accepted it. Ev said he even gave Dwardu a lot of the info that Dwardu latched onto. But eventually Ev found that they were likely wrong to some extent.

NOT SATURN, BUT MARS

Ev Cochrane says Shamash, Humbaba and Huwawa were the only gods who can be traced to Saturn and they were late. He has found that what was thought to be Saturn was actually Mars, with Venus behind it. I previously assumed that Saturn was entirely visible, but if the crescent was mainly visible, then the rest of Saturn must have been either very faint or invisible, like the crescent Moon. One difference between the two is that Saturn may have given off light in ancient times, which would have made it perhaps dimly visible. If Saturn provided the crescent which appeared to revolve, Mars and Venus would have been the sun-god around which the crescent ship sailed each day and night. So let me adjust my thinking on that.

I may add a summary of Talbott’s The Ship of Heaven to this before long. I want to see how much of his model may remain intact.