All language subtitles for Ancient.Aliens.Special.Presentation.S01E13.Strange.Visitors.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR:
Throughout the ancient world,

there were tales of
flying serpents and dragons

that descended from the sky.

Ancient cultures were visited
by the same beings

Ancient cultures were visited
by the same beings flying the same craft.

flying the same craft.

NARRATOR:
Stories were told of god-like beings

establishing the first
civilizations on Earth.

These gods came from the stars
to provide knowledge.

NARRATOR:
And accounts were documented

of strange
otherworldly entities.

They're small and green.

They abduct people.
They have advanced technology.

They abduct people. They have advanced technology.
NARRATOR: Is it possible

NARRATOR:
Is it possible

that the legends
of our ancestors

are not fanciful mythology,

but evidence that
for thousands of years

humans have been sharing
the planet

humans have been sharing
the planet with extraterrestrials?

with extraterrestrials?

WILLIAM HENRY:
These beings were here.

WILLIAM HENRY:
These beings were here. They had a hand in our evolution

They had a hand in our evolution

and they're probably
still visiting us today.

NARRATOR:
There is a doorway in the universe.

Beyond it is
the promise of truth.

It demands
we question everything

It demands
we question everything we have ever been taught.

we have ever been taught.

The evidence is all around us.

The future is
right before our eyes.

We are not alone.

We are not alone.
We have never been alone.

We have never been alone.

Shaanxi Province, China.

April 5, 2019.

In the ceremonial courtyard

of the Mausoleum
of the Yellow Emperor,

10,000 people gathered to watch
a traditional Dragon Dance.

KATHLEEN McGOWAN: The Dragon
Dance is an ancient ceremony

which, for thousands of years

has been a representation
of the dragons

coming from the sky
and returning to the sky.

PAUL STONEHILL: This is part
of the Chinese culture,

of the Chinese civilization.

So, it's very important for
the Chinese to have this dance.

The Chinese people

from the very little--
from toddlers on,

from the very little--
from toddlers on, know about the dragons.

know about the dragons.

know about the dragons.
The dragons are ever present.

The dragons are ever present.

Ancient China was
a land where humans lived

in tandem with the divine
beings, with the gods.

And the gods rode upon dragons.

And so, for this reason,
the dragon became revered

as a sacred symbol
throughout China.

NARRATOR:
Here in Shaanxi,

in what is known as
the Qingming Festival,

the ceremony celebrates
the deity

considered to be the father
of all Chinese people.

The Yellow Emperor,
also known as Huangdi,

is a legendary ruler
who founded Chinese civilization

is a legendary ruler
who founded Chinese civilization nearly 5,000 years ago.

nearly 5,000 years ago.

DOMINIC STEAVO: The Yellow
Emperor Huangdi is this

semi-mythical figure
in Chinese history.

He's an originator of Chinese
civilization and culture.

And he is credited
with numerous inventions

that came to define
Chinese civilization.

Anything
from domesticating animals

to the calendar and various
astronomical sciences.

The Yellow Emperor
also crafted a magical cauldron.

The Yellow Emperor
also crafted a magical cauldron. And one version of the story

And one version of the story

And one version of the story
has a dragon emerging from the cauldron,

has a dragon emerging
from the cauldron,

and then the Yellow Emperor
jumps on the dragon's back.

And the dragon ascends up
to heaven.

JUDY CHUNGWA HO:
The Chinese would say

we're the descendants
of the Yellow Emperor.

That's one way of putting
how Chinese believe him to be

the very founder
of Chinese civilization.

In fact,
just about everything that you

would think as the basic
elements of civilization

is somehow associated
with the Yellow Emperor.

is somehow associated
with the Yellow Emperor. (speaking Chinese)

(speaking Chinese)

(translated):
We Chinese people

consider ourselves
the descendants of the dragon.

So, there should be
a certain connection

between the identities
of the Chinese people

both as the descendants
of the Yellow Emperor,

and as the descendants
of the dragon.

NARRATOR:
At the end of the Qingming Festival,

the dragon is released
into the sky,

symbolizing Huangdi's
departure from Earth

to the heavenly realm.

The Yellow Emperor is believed
to have flown up to the sky,

and dwell in the Pole Star
at the very center of the sky.

And there he actually
would live forever.

The idea of a dragon,

a metaphysical being
who looked very real,

a metaphysical being
who looked very real, had to come from somewhere.

had to come from somewhere.

They could not just imagine

a complicated being
like Chinese dragons.

They had to see objects that
were flying at incredible speeds

and the superior beings
riding on them.

TSOUKAULOS: Now, from the
ancient astronaut perspective,

TSOUKAULOS: Now, from the
ancient astronaut perspective, the dragon was never a dragon.

the dragon was never a dragon.

It was a flying craft.

It is only natural
that our ancestors

would describe these things
as living creatures

would describe these things
as living creatures with fire and smoke.

with fire and smoke.

They had never seen
anything like it before.

One has to wonder if Huangdi
himself was misinterpreted

and that he was
an extraterrestrial

and he arrived
in an extraterrestrial craft.

and he arrived
in an extraterrestrial craft. (Sun Shili speaking Chinese)

(Sun Shili speaking Chinese)

(translated):
In China, in UFO research,

a dragon is the symbol
of aircraft.

There is a view
that the Yellow Emperor

arrived in the wonderful land
of China

through an aircraft,
and he flew back afterwards.

NARRATOR:
Could the story of Huangdi travelling on a dragon

be an account
of an extraterrestrial

be an account
of an extraterrestrial travelling in a spaceship,

travelling in a spaceship,

as ancient astronaut
theorists suggest?

In the modern world,
tales of dragons

In the modern world,
tales of dragons are widely considered to be

are widely considered to be

strictly a product
of the imagination.

strictly a product
of the imagination. But some researchers believe

But some researchers believe

physical evidence exists
that suggests

the ancient stories
of dragons could be true.

The Baian-Kara-Ula Mountains,

The Baian-Kara-Ula Mountains,
Qinghai Province, China.

Qinghai Province, China.

According to an article
published in 1962

in the German magazine,
Das Vegetarisches Universum,

Beijing University
archaeologist, Dr. Tsum Um Nui

was leading an expedition
here in 1936,

when he and his team

came upon neat rows of graves
inside a cave.

The archaeologists reported
that the graves contained

the corpses of small creatures
resembling humans,

but with spindly arms and legs
and huge skulls.

And buried with them were
hundreds of strange stone discs.

TSOUKALOS: There's a fascinating
story in China

where allegedly a cave was
found with hundreds of discs.

And these discs
were about this wide

and it seemed that they had
some type of a groove in them

reminding of modern-day
vinyl records.

And what's interesting
is that, allegedly...

...some of these
grooves contained

really tiny types of writing,
hieroglyphics or something.

HENRY:
And when archaeologists finally deciphered

or translated this writing,

it told this incredible story

of extraterrestrial beings
called the Dropas

and how they had come from
the stars, crash-landed on Earth

and were unable
to rebuild a spacecraft

in order to return
to their home.

NARRATOR:
Unfortunately, after the initial research

in the early 1960s, the discs--

known today as
the Dropa Stones-- vanished.

But mysteriously, in 1974,
photographs surfaced

of what were alleged
to be two Dropa Stones,

on display at the Banpo Museum
in Xi'an City, China.

In 1994 a colleague of mine,
Hartwig Hausdorf

and his colleague, Peter Crusa,
went to China

to ask the whereabouts
of these stone discs.

During the '60s and '70s,

there was a big cultural
revolution in China,

where lots of cultural relics
were destroyed.

And that's possibly
the reason that

And that's possibly the reason that
two of the more than 700 stone discs

two of the more than
700 stone discs

could have found
their way down to Xi'an

into this little museum.

In spring of 1994,
my way led me also into

this little Banpo Museum,
where I got to speak with

the present curator
of the museum.

I showed him the photographs
that were taken

I showed him the photographs
that were taken 20 years ago in his museum,

20 years ago in his museum,

and he told me the former
manageress of the museum,

along with two stone discs
that were on display,

they have disappeared
without any trace.

And up to now,
no one knows where this lady

and the two stone discs
have gone.

We can speculate that
most of the stone discs

are still inside those caves
in Baian-Kara-Ula Mountains.

NARRATOR:
Could there be additional Dropa Stones

still hidden somewhere in
the Baian-Kara-Ula Mountains?

For ancient astronaut theorists,
another intriguing aspect

of the story is
that the Qinghai Province,

which is home
to this mountain range,

which is home
to this mountain range, has a connection to dragons.

has a connection to dragons.

HENRY: What's interesting
about the Dropa Stones

is that the region
they were discovered in

is very close
to the Qinghai Lake

which has its patron
as a dragon god.

CHILDRESS:
You have the fascinating story

of the Dragon King
of the West Sea,

the Qinghai Lake.

And Qinghai is also
in the same area

where the Dropa Stones
allegedly came from.

Now one of the fascinating
connections here is that

the Dragon Kings were
also said to be cloud breathers.

And one of the things that we
see in the actual translation

from the Dropa Stones
is that the Dropa people

came forth in their clouds
from the sky.

NARRATOR:
Could it be that the dragon,

which remains sacred and iconic
in China to this day,

commemorates
an extraterrestrial visitation

that occurred
thousands of years ago,

and was allegedly recorded
on the Dropa Stones?

Perhaps further clues
can be found by examining

other ancient traditions all
over the world of dragon gods.

NARRATOR:
Kyoto, Japan.

An imposing statue of a dragon
guards the West Gate

of the Buddhist Temple
known as Kiyomizudera.

It is just one of the many
dragons that adorn the shrine,

and according to temple legends,
every night a dragon descends

from the sky to drink
at the temple's waterfall.

In Japan, dragons,
sometimes known as Naga,

are not only revered as deities,

they are also considered to be

the founders
of Japan's royal family.

It was said in ancient Japan
that the dragon god

lived at
the bottom of the ocean.

His daughter had a daughter

and her child was Jimmu,
the first emperor of Japan.

To be descended from a dragon

is to be from the divine
dimension of nature,

is to be from the divine
dimension of nature, but also from the stars.

but also from the stars.

NARRATOR:
According to legend,

Jimmu, the great-grandson
of the dragon god,

received three divine items
called the Imperial Regalia.

HENRY:
The Imperial Regalia of Japan

was sent
from the heavenly realms.

This was composed of a jewel,
a sword, and a mirror

that was utilized
by all the Japanese emperors

and they're still believed
to exist to this day.

They're considered
to be artifacts

of such incredible power
that ordinary people

are not allowed to come into
contact with them.

TSOUKAULOS:
With this celestial mirror,

it is said that he was able
to see anything that goes on

on planet Earth
without having to go anywhere.

What are we talking about here?

Imagine
that you show your laptop

or your cell phone to
your great-great-grandfather

and, all of a sudden,
you are showing him

a magical mirror because you
can see anything on a laptop.

I think that the celestial
regalia of Jimmu

are extraterrestrial artifacts
that were collected at the time

when the celestial teachers,
referred to as dragons,

when the celestial teachers,
referred to as dragons, were here teaching mankind

were here teaching mankind

and, in this case,
in the area of Japan.

and, in this case,
in the area of Japan. (speaking Japanese)

(speaking Japanese)

(translated): The ancestors of
the Japanese emperor were gods.

Specifically gods in the sky.

They landed on the Earth,

and are linked to the current
Japanese imperial family.

Which means that their family is
related to extraterrestrials.

NARRATOR:
While the dragon is a prominent figure

in East Asian cultures,

many ancient peoples,
who archaeologists believe

had no history of contact,

also revered the supposedly
mythical flying beast.

Dragons are found throughout
Africa and in ancient Egypt.

They were featured in the
earliest traditions of Persia,

Greece and Rome.

And North American folklore

often spoke
of dragon-like creatures.

The dragon is worldwide
because, again,

in Central America,
in Villahermosa,

there's a stone called
The Dragon Monolith.

there's a stone called The Dragon Monolith.
You see a man sitting inside the dragon,

You see a man sitting
inside the dragon,

you see the form of the dragon

with this open mouth
like a snake.

And you see the man is sitting
inside, he has a helmet on.

He uses his hand
to manipulate control.

So the story of the dragon
has come around the world

So the story of the dragon
has come around the world from China to Central America.

from China to Central America.

HUGH NEWMAN:
The dragons are found

all over the world
in ancient traditions.

And there's always an element
of extreme power.

They could destroy, but they
could also become allies.

And they were great teachers,
of very high wisdom,

and have extreme intelligence,
as well, in some cases.

And yet this became a symbol
of different cultures

And yet this became a symbol of different cultures
and different leaders around the world,

and different leaders
around the world,

but was this because
they had witnessed something

emerging from clouds,
from a fiery kind of sky?

And actually this is where

the whole dragon mythos
really came from?

the whole dragon mythos
really came from? Who were the original dragons?

Who were the original dragons?

And why are they always
depicted as flying?

NARRATOR:
For researchers of mythology,

NARRATOR: For researchers of mythology,
an equally intriguing question is why

an equally intriguing
question is why

so many separate cultures

ended up calling these flying
entities by the same name.

Many languages use exactly
the same word for dragon,

or something very similar,
at least.

or something very similar,
at least. You have got in the Middle East,

You have got in the Middle East,

the Philistine god

who looks like a dragon
was called Dagon.

In England, you've got dragon.

In parts of Finland,

you've got "dray-gon,"

and in Eastern Europe,
you've got dracul.

And then a bit further south,
you've got dracu.

NARRATOR:
In Basque,

which is unconnected
to any other language,

the word is dragoi.

In India, it's dregan.

In Swahili, dragoni,

and in ancient Greek, drakon.

PHILLIPS:
They all have similar names.

How can this be?
What's behind all this?

These people were not in touch
with each other,

so how does this come about?

HENRY:
It's very curious, that no matter where we go

we find legends of dragons
with the exact same word

used to describe
this creature or these beings.

It must be that
there was a common source.

And it makes you
wonder if it's possible

that these beings originally
introduced themselves

with this name
that is something like dragon.

NARRATOR:
What can account for

this supposedly
mythical creature

appearing in dozens
of distinct traditions

throughout the ancient world?

As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,

the ubiquity of dragon legends

lends further support
to the notion

that our ancestors
encountered alien vehicles

that our ancestors
encountered alien vehicles descending from the sky.

descending from the sky.

The reason
why countless ancient cultures

have references to dragons,

is because many
of these ancient cultures

were visited by the same beings

flying the same craft.

CHILDRESS:
They're seeing the same thing

in all these different places,

and what they're seeing
is of airships

with fire and thunder
and smoke and huge wings.

And so, they're describing
them in similar ways,

in different parts of the world.

NARRATOR: Could the ubiquity
of dragon worship

throughout the world,

along with the curious
linguistic connection,

provide further evidence

that our ancestors
witnessed something very real

coming down from the sky?

coming down from the sky?
Perhaps further clues can be found

Perhaps further clues
can be found

by examining ancient stone
sculptures from North America

that depict
a legendary flying serpent god,

that depict
a legendary flying serpent god, in a humanoid form?

in a humanoid form?

NARRATOR:
Teotihuacan, Mexico.

Dating back to at the least
the first century AD,

this ancient complex was once
the largest city in Mesoamerica,

with a population of 125,000.

One of the most sacred
temples at this site

is the Temple
of the Feathered Serpent,

is the Temple
of the Feathered Serpent, an enormous step pyramid

an enormous step pyramid

dedicated to the god,
Quetzalquatl.

ED BARNHART: Quetzalquatl,
the feathered serpent,

goes all the way
back to Olmec times,

goes all the way
back to Olmec times, to the BCE period.

to the BCE period.

But the first place
that we really see Quetzalquatl

is in Teotihuacan,

the city just north
of modern Mexico City.

They build an actual pyramid,

a temple of Quetzalquatl,

a temple of Quetzalquatl,
right around 250 AD,

right around 250 AD,

so it's probably Teotihuacan

who really put forward the idea

and the identity
of Quetzalquatl as a deity

for the rest of Mesoamerica.

Quetzalquatl was a creator god.

He was associated
with the planet Venus.

He brought the rain.
He brought water.

He brought civilization.
He brought the arts.

This was the creator divinity
for the Aztec culture.

It was a flying serpent.
It was a dragon.

NEWMAN: Quetzalquatl brought
peace, harmony,

and high wisdom,

and a very high
level of intelligence

and teaching to
this particular land.

He was often depicted
as a human being as well.

He arrived on
a raft of serpents,

and settled on these lands.

BARNHART:
Quetzalquatl also shows up in the post-classic

Maya city of Chichen Itza.

But they give him a Mayan name.

They call him Kukulcan,

which is basically the "holy
feathered serpent" in Maya.

NARRATOR:
The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza

lies roughly
900 miles east of Teotihuacan.

And at its center stands
another massive step pyramid.

This one dedicated
to the Mayan version

of the flying serpent, Kukulcan.

of the flying serpent, Kukulcan. VON DÄNIKEN:
In Chichen Itza, there we have the pyramid of Kukulcan.

VON DÄNIKEN:
In Chichen Itza, there we have the pyramid of Kukulcan.

And every year,
on the 23rd of March,

you see when
the sun is going up,

you see when
the sun is going up, some lights and shadows.

some lights and shadows.

Lights and shadows,
like triangles,

Lights and shadows,
like triangles, climbing down the stairway,

climbing down the stairway,

exactly the stairway
where his head is on.

And on 21st of September,
you see the opposite.

And on 21st of September,
you see the opposite. Kukulcan disappears.

Kukulcan disappears.

And it's only made by light
and shadow of the natural sun.

And it's only made by light and shadow of the natural sun.
So, still today, the message is clear.

So, still today,
the message is clear.

Kukulcan has
descended to the humans.

He teached them
for a short period,

and then he disappeared again.

TSOUKAULOS: So right there,
we have living mythology

TSOUKAULOS: So right there,
we have living mythology in a structure that shows

in a structure that shows

this deity descending
from the sky in stone.

HENRY: You wonder,
if perhaps a craft landed here,

and this light shadow effect
of a serpent making its way,

descending down the staircase,

and then emerging
through a serpent head,

is a recollection
of that original event.

NARRATOR:
Is it possible that the pyramid of Kukulcan

was not built
to honor a mythical dragon god,

was not built
to honor a mythical dragon god, but to commemorate the arrival

but to commemorate the arrival

of an extraterrestrial
spacecraft?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and suggest this isn't
the only dragon-themed structure

that marks
the location of alien contact.

The landscape
of this small Greek island

is spotted with 25 mysterious
megalithic structures

called dragon houses.

TSOUKAULOS:
The main dragon house is at the very top

of one of the tallest
mountains on the island,

called Mount Ochi.

called Mount Ochi.
Mount Ochi comes from the word "ochivare,"

Mount Ochi comes
from the word "ochivare,"

Mount Ochi comes from the word "ochivare,"
which means to descend and to drive.

which means
to descend and to drive.

And so,
this is interesting because,

And so,
this is interesting because, according to legend,

according to legend,

the reason why the dragon house

exists at the top of Mount Ochi

is because Zeus

allegedly descended
from the heavens

on top of that mountain.

NARRATOR:
According to local legend, these stone structures

were built by a giant dragon

to venerate the god Zeus.

In ancient Greece,
the word dragon

was not only used
to describe a flying monster,

but also gods and other figures
that had human-like form,

but possessed superhuman powers.

Now, when
you put all this together,

this sounds like
the dragon house

is a meeting place
of heaven and earth.

In UFO vernacular,
that would be a landing spot.

TSOUKAULOS:
In my opinion,

the dragon was the craft
out of which then,

the creator people,
or the teachers, emerged.

the creator people,
or the teachers, emerged. Our ancestors, basically,

Our ancestors, basically,

they saw a crew
coming out of an airplane.

NARRATOR: According to
ancient astronaut theorists,

some of the structures
themselves serve as evidence

that this was a place
of extraterrestrial contact.

The dragon house
on top of Mount Ochi

contains megalithic blocks

contains megalithic blocks
weighing up to ten tons,

weighing up to ten tons,

and sits at an elevation
of almost 5,000 feet.

TSOUKAULOS:
Archaeologists have a hard time explaining

why it was even built there,

because we're talking of this
gigantic megalithic structure,

with a ceiling
that contains blocks

with a ceiling
that contains blocks that are up to ten feet long,

that are up to ten feet long,

that are up to ten feet long,
two feet thick,

two feet thick,

two feet thick,
at an altitude of 5,000 feet!

at an altitude of 5,000 feet!

How was that done?

In my opinion, this was

In my opinion, this was
an extraterrestrial visitation

an extraterrestrial visitation

where Zeus may have
descended in his craft,

and built a day camp.

NARRATOR:
Could the stone structures found in Greece and Mesoamerica

mark the locations where
otherworldly beings

landed on Earth?

And if carvings
of dragons and winged serpents

And if carvings of dragons and winged serpents
represent misunderstood technology,

represent
misunderstood technology,

just who, or what, was piloting
these flying vehicles?

Ancient astronaut
theorists suggest

details about
these visitors can be found

by examining Native American
accounts of their ancestors,

by examining Native American
accounts of their ancestors, who came from the stars.

who came from the stars.

NARRATOR:
Collinsville, Illinois,

NARRATOR:
Collinsville, Illinois, 15 miles east of St. Louis.

15 miles east of St. Louis.

Towering over
the flat local terrain

is Monks Mound,

the remains of
a massive earthen pyramid.

Built more than 1,000 years ago,

it was the centerpiece

of the ancient
Native American city of Cahokia.

Monks Mound
is the largest building

of the ancient North America,

north of Mexico.

It's called that because
Trappist French monks

lived nearby it.

It stands 100 feet tall today.

It was probably
taller in its heyday.

It was probably
taller in its heyday. It comprises of about

It comprises of about

It comprises of about
22 million cubic feet of dirt,

22 million cubic feet of dirt,

which was millions
and millions of buckets of dirt,

brought one at a time.

Its circumference
on the bottom is larger

Its circumference
on the bottom is larger than the Temple of the Sun,

than the Temple of the Sun,

just north of Mexico City.

NARRATOR:
Monks Mound and other ancient ruins across the Americas

offer clues about
how Native people once lived

offer clues about
how Native people once lived in vast thriving communities.

in vast thriving communities.

Yet very little is known about
the inhabitants of Cahokia,

and many Native cultures,

since most
of their history and traditions

were passed down orally,

were passed down orally,
rather than through written records.

rather than
through written records.

The Native Americans
traditionally

The Native Americans
traditionally use an oral tradition.

use an oral tradition.

Everything is spoken.

The oral traditions actually
go back thousands of years.

It's just the way it was.

And we've maintained
that tradition even to this day.

NARRATOR:
It is unknown what the Native Americans

who inhabited Cahokia
called themselves.

Anthropologists referred
to them as the Mississippians,

a name used to describe
a wide variety of Native peoples

that lived east
of the Mississippi,

in North America.

And although much about
Cahokia remains a mystery,

what is known is that
it thrived centuries before

Europeans ever stepped
foot in the Americas,

as did countless other cities.

BARNHART:
At around 1050,

the city swells
to a population of 15,000.

And including the satellite
communities around it,

almost 30,000.

There were a number
of these cities all around

the eastern part of
what's now the United States.

The general picture
of Native America

before European contact
is that it's some sort of

just nomadic life,

that they were
living in small bands and camps.

The truth is that there
were thousands of people

living in the same place,

living in the same place,
very much the way the Europeans were.

very much the way
the Europeans were.

NARRATOR:
Across North America, vast differences existed

between the Native peoples
in terms of language,

between the Native peoples
in terms of language, customs, and cultural practices.

customs, and cultural practices.

Yet many tribes
shared the tradition

Yet many tribes
shared the tradition of worshipping a powerful being

of worshipping a powerful being

known as the Birdman.

known as the Birdman.
(bird screeching)

(bird screeching)

NARRATOR:
When excavations were performed at Cahokia

in the 20th century, this motif
was found to be abundant.

The most remarkable example

was connected
to the burial of a man

believed to have been
an early Cahokian ruler.

His body had been placed
on an elevated platform,

covered by a bed of more than
20,000 marine-shell disc beads,

arranged in the shape
of a falcon,

with a bird's head
appearing beneath

and beside the man's head,

and its wings and tail
beneath his arms and legs.

The Birdman
of Cahokia is a burial

that was found under a mound
in the center of the city.

And it's called
the Birdman because

there's this
arrangement of shells

that appear to be
in the shape of a bird.

And it makes sense
because we know

that the Mississippians
had a supernatural being,

who may or may not be a god.

But he's
a very powerful creature

that lives up in the sky.

We see depictions on--
also stone tablets.

JONATHAN YOUNG:
Native people believed in the power deity

JONATHAN YOUNG: Native people believed
in the power deity called the Birdman.

called the Birdman.

There are a number of depictions

in the remains
of these cultures,

of this powerful creature

who could fly and could move
among the different realms

and was, essentially,
the ruling god of this reality.

NARRATOR:
Various descriptions of the Birdman can be found

from one tradition to the next.

And some also feature
a similar celestial being

called the Thunderbird.

The Thunderbird
in Zuni is described

The Thunderbird in Zuni is described
as a being that came from the sky,

as a being that
came from the sky,

that could create lightning.

It could create a lot of noise.

And it was represented

as a being with
wings made out of knives.

Now, the Thunderbird
could have been a vehicle.

Now, the Thunderbird
could have been a vehicle. But way back then,

But way back then,

the Indians
had no other reference,

the Indians had no other reference,
so they just said that it is a bird.

so they just said
that it is a bird.

(bird screeching)

One could argue

that this is a representation
of misunderstood technology

that could illustrate
some type of a flying craft.

Because if you
don't have the terminology

for a plane, well, of course,

you're going to call it a bird.

I mean, pilots even today
call their planes birds.

MAHOOTY:
The mound builders, I believe, were those Indian tribes

that had contact with
the extraterrestrials.

The teachers.

The star ancestors
taught the American Indians

about where they came from.

Their different
star systems, constellations,

and how they're supposed
to carry out their rituals,

by referring
to their star system,

whether it be Pleiades,
whether it be the Milky Way,

whether it be Pleiades,
whether it be the Milky Way, whether it be the Big Dipper.

whether it be the Big Dipper.

We don't use the word "gods."

We use the word "creator."

(speaking Indigenous language)

"He who has no name,
and has all the names."

"He's the eye
that oversees everybody."

ROBLES:
The creation story, if you understand it correctly,

ROBLES: The creation story,
if you understand it correctly, we are all from the cosmos.

we are all from the cosmos.

Our ancestors
were extraterrestrial.

The story is told

to Indigenous people
for thousands of years.

Through oral history,

and through the petroglyphs,

and pictographs
and the sacred sites

that continue to be part of
our native cultural traditions.

DOVER:
In talking about star people,

all Native American tribes

have these
traditional oral histories,

that people came
from the stars to visit them.

And it's universal
all across the United States,

that these gods,
as we call them today,

came to Earth and visited
to provide knowledge.

The Cherokee
talked about the star seeds,

and people coming from the sky.

The Zunis and the Hopis talk
about the star people coming.

And the Mississippi Mound people
had the Birdman culture.

So, here we have these cultures,

and their legends and lores

are about star
ancestors coming down,

giving them information,

showing them
science and medicine.

TSOUKAULOS:
Native American people have been very clear

TSOUKAULOS:
Native American people
have been very clear
when they speak
of celestial beings

when they speak
of celestial beings

when they speak
of celestial beings that imparted knowledge.

that imparted knowledge.

And if you compare that
to the ancient astronaut theory,

And if you compare that to the ancient astronaut theory,
that's exactly what it talks about,

that's exactly
what it talks about,

that the knowledge was imparted
by beings who visited us.

NARRATOR:
Could the stories of the Birdmen and Star People

provide an oral history
of alien visitation

among early
Native American tribes?

among early Native American tribes?
Ancient astronaut theorists say yes,

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and propose that while
the Indigenous communities

and propose that while
the Indigenous communities kept no written records,

kept no written records,

a historical account
of exactly what they encountered

a historical account of exactly what they encountered
can be found carved into the landscape

can be found carved
into the landscape

at an ancient
petroglyph site in Arizona.

NARRATOR: In the American
Southwest is a region

known as the Four Corners,
where the boundaries of Arizona,

known as the Four Corners, where the boundaries of Arizona,
New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet.

New Mexico,
Colorado and Utah meet.

Most of this region
belongs to semi-autonomous

Native American nations,
including the Navajo,

Hopi,

Zuni,

Ute and dozens of other
Native American peoples.

They are all
thought to be descendants

of people frequently
called the Ancestral Pueblo,

or Anasazi.

DOVER: The Anasazi
or the old ones

as we like to refer to them,

were here in
the Four Corners region

were here in
the Four Corners region for thousands of years.

for thousands of years.

And they suddenly,
around 1070 AD,

just up and disappear.

Their cities are abandoned.
Their structures.

Everything. Pottery is left.

They don't know
what happened to them.

NARRATOR:
Archaeological evidence shows

that between 1275 and 1300 AD,

the Pueblo people
stopped building entirely,

and the land was left empty.

DOVER: They were
a people that inhabited

this Four Corners region
for thousands of years.

It's still a mystery today.

And it's one
of the big mysteries

And it's one
of the big mysteries in the American Southwest.

in the American Southwest.

NARRATOR:
Similar to the Mississippian tribes to the east,

the Pueblo nations
also described

contact with visitors
from the stars,

contact with visitors
from the stars, and performed rituals to connect

and performed rituals to connect

with sky beings
called the Kachina.

They were objects,
we call them dolls.

But they were sacred objects
that would be similar

to the costumes
worn by the dancers

and imagined to be
the appearance

of these celestial beings.

DOVER: If you look
at the Kachinas,

there are
so many different types.

Different headdresses.

Different headdresses.
Different feathers on them.

Different feathers on them.

Different ways of painting them

to distinguish them
one from another.

And that tells me that
there were a lot of

different types of beings
that were interacting

with early Natives, much more
than we even think.

TSOUKAULOS:
The Kachinas were their first teachers,

the ones that
imparted the knowledge.

The Hopi are very clear
in suggesting that the Kachinas

were physical beings.

MAHOOTY: The Kachina
is a representation

of the actual gods

that used to come into
the villages, eons ago.

Some of them are warriors.

Most of them
are priesthood-type Kachinas,

and they come
from different parts.

In my opinion,
different parts of the universe.

But they actually have
certain places on this planet

that they call it home.

Ours is west of here,
and, of course,

a lot of other pueblos
have their own specific place.

And even to this day,
some of them are here.

NARRATOR:
The story of strange, humanoid beings

NARRATOR: The story of strange,
humanoid beings assisting Native peoples,

assisting Native peoples,

has been recounted for centuries
among the Pueblo nations.

Not only is it a central
part of their oral traditions,

these encounters
were so significant,

they were carved in stone.

DOVER:
I believe that these visitations

have been documented in
pictographs and petroglyphs.

They're not art,
actually, for art's sake.

The petroglyphs
have been done this way

for basically
thousands of years.

NARRATOR:
Do petroglyphs found throughout North America

tell a story of ancient
extraterrestrial contact?

In July 2021,
ancient astronaut theorists

In July 2021, ancient astronaut theorists
Giorgio Tsoukalos and William Henry

Giorgio Tsoukalos
and William Henry

traveled to Rock Art Ranch
in Winslow, Arizona,

to investigate
one of North America's

most extensive collections
of petroglyphs.

most extensive collections of petroglyphs.
TSOUKAULOS: Hey, Giorgio.

TSOUKAULOS:
Hey, Giorgio.

NARRATOR:
Joining them is esteemed

Navajo Tribal Ranger, Jon Dover.

TSOUKAULOS:
It's so great to meet you because

31 years, you've been
a Tribal Navajo Ranger.

- Is that correct?
- Yes, I started in 1980,

to 2011.

And worked most of
the reservation up there,

And worked most of
the reservation up there, 27,000 square miles.

27,000 square miles.

- Wow.
- This ranch is very unique,

because there is
so much archaeology here.

Well, we're sure excited to be
here to get eyes on it with you.

- Okay, well,
let's go take a look. - All right!

NARRATOR:
Rock Art Ranch's 5,000 acres

are home to nearly
3,000 ancient petroglyphs.

And on nearly every panel
are figures

that the Navajo
identify as star people.

TSOUKAULOS:
This is sensational!

Look at that guy right there.

They call that
the birthing mother, right?

That's right.

TSOUKAULOS:
Very fascinating because

I'm looking at that
and immediately my mind

- goes around the world.
- Absolutely.

TSOUKAULOS: This is a depiction
of a mother goddess.

It's like
those big giant statues

that were found over in Europe.

- HENRY: Right.
- TSOUKAULOS: But it also reminds me

of Dogu statues of Japan.

- HENRY: Yeah.
- TSOUKAULOS: And also the Wandjinas.

- HENRY: Right.
- TSOUKAULOS: Very similar.

NARRATOR:
In the Northwest Kimberly region of Australia,

ancient cave art depicts
beings called the Wandjina,

the sky heroes of one of
Australia's indigenous clans.

The stories behind
the Wandjinas goes

that they descended
from the sky,

and gave knowledge
and jump-started civilization

in Australia thousands
and thousands of years ago.

And the Wandjinas
are incredible,

because they have
these gigantic heads,

and these long bodies,
and these arms.

and these long bodies,
and these arms. It seems as if they're inside

It seems as if they're inside

some sort of a pressurized suit.

There are similar
figures all around the world.

Big bulbous heads, big bodies,
floating up in the sky.

In Japan
we have the same things.

In Africa. In Europe.

In North and South America.

So my suggestion is that

the extraterrestrials
that came to Earth

thousands and thousands
of years ago,

didn't just visit Australia.

They visited each
and every continent on Earth,

and that is why
we have the similar motifs.

Look at the concentric
rings up there.

That's the portal symbol.
There's two of them.

And there's guys
around the portal.

TSOUKAULOS:
Interesting, yeah!

Tell me, Jon,

petroglyphs are regarded
as picture books

that tell a story all at once.

That's right, and also
enmeshed in all this

are religious symbols.

Things that tell you something
about how they worshiped.

Things that tell you something
about how they worshiped. Pictures of gods.

Pictures of gods.

- And when you say gods...
- Gods. Right.

...what-- in your culture--
what does that mean?

...what-- in your culture--
what does that mean? It could be anything from

It could be anything from

somebody coming to them
and meeting with them

somebody coming to them
and meeting with them and imparting knowledge.

and imparting knowledge.

And in the case of the Navajo,

that's what
the Yeibichai represent.

In the case of the Hopis,

the Kachinas represent
those gods

that came to Earth
to give them knowledge.

And could one make the argument

that these
may have been visitations

by flesh and blood
extraterrestrials

in ancient times?

Oh, definitely.

Oh, definitely.
From what we understand,

From what we understand,

there's many
different races of alien

that are coming to this world.

that are coming to this world.
That's amazing!

That's amazing!

DOVER:
In the case of some tribes

down in southern Arizona,
you even have a mountain range

called the Estrella Mountains.

In the language
of the people in that area,

Estrella means stargate.

HENRY:
Absolutely. Estrella, star people.

Am I correct to assume that

this is only the tip
of the iceberg,

and that there are so many
more panels like this,

that the world
doesn't even know about?

DOVER:
On the Navajo reservation alone,

there are 300,000 sites
that are recorded.

I mean, we're talking
at least 4000 BC, right?

- That's right.
- Well, this is great!

But I'm just looking on the
other side, and there is more.

I mean, there's more everywhere,

so let's go check out
the other ones as well.

Sure thing.

NARRATOR: Giorgio Tsoukalos
and William Henry

have been granted
special access to Rock Art Ranch

in Winslow, Arizona,

where Navajo Tribal
elder, Jon Dover,

is guiding them through
the ancient petroglyph panels.

is guiding them through the ancient petroglyph panels.
- Wow. - Look at this.

- Wow.
- Look at this.

I mean, look at the hollow body
with the star inside.

- HENRY: Mm-hmm.
- TSOUKAULOS: One hand pointed to the sky,

- HENRY: Mm-hmm. - TSOUKAULOS: One hand
pointed to the sky, the other down to Earth.

the other down to Earth.

And just beneath that,

look at-- that is a gray alien.

TSOUKAULOS:
That triangular head.

- Very strange.
- HENRY: Yeah, it is.

DOVER: You have all kinds
of different types of figures,

different
representations of gods.

Right. I mean, what we have
to fill in with our imagination,

is that these beings
off the wall, 3D,

walking amongst the people.

They're interacting
with these beings.

Right. We don't know
if it's the same time.

- Right.
- Or could be different times.

- Right. - Or could be different times.
HENRY: That's mind-blowing.

HENRY:
That's mind-blowing.

I'm so intrigued by
that double helix up there, too,

beside the trapezoidal figure.

- TSOUKAULOS: Mm-hmm.
- HENRY: I mean...

- TSOUKAULOS: Mm-hmm. - HENRY: I mean...
TSOUKAULOS: As if to indicate,

TSOUKAULOS:
As if to indicate,

because of the creature
on the left, DNA,

you know, had something
to do with this.

- HENRY: Right.
- That's right.

HENRY:
Look at all the different types of beings here.

And then, all the way
across there, you--

you've still got
even more variety.

you've still got
even more variety. I mean, this is almost like

I mean, this is almost like

a meeting place of all these

a meeting place of all these
different worlds and different beings.

different worlds
and different beings.

different worlds
and different beings. So, you know, you have giants,

So, you know, you have giants,

So, you know, you have giants,
you have little people.

you have little people.

And the giants
and the little people

are talked about in the
other world that they came from,

before they came to this world.

And this is the same
with Sego Canyon up in Utah.

You have these massive,

massive carvings
and petroglyphs.

So, the fact that we have these
virtually identical motifs,

to me, suggests they were
all taught by the same teachers.

And the guy here,
with the horns,

which could be rays,
right next to the gray alien.

He's got horns or rays
coming off of his head.

- TSOUKAULOS: Mm-hmm.
- HENRY: We see that at Valcamonica in Italy.

- TSOUKAULOS: Yes, you do.
- HENRY: All kinds of different places.

And, again, pointing
to the idea these could be

luminous or radiant beings
that they're portraying.

TSOUKAULOS: And seeing
creatures here having,

TSOUKAULOS: And seeing
creatures here having, for example, three fingers,

for example, three fingers,

You know, as far as I know,

except for a couple of reptiles,

there aren't any
three-fingered creatures.

- No.
- You know?

- And especially
nothing humanoid. - Right.

- And especially nothing humanoid.
- Right. So, again,

So, again,

our ancestors had impeccable
powers of observation.

- That's true.
- That's all they did all day.

They-- they observed.

And so,
your estimation then, too,

is that this was
not a bunch of kids,

you know, on a Saturday night
not knowing what to do.

Absolutely not.
These-- these were people

that came here with a purpose.

And the purpose was to put

their history on the wall,

showing where they came from,

where they were going.

Jon, this is incredible!

And what I love
the most is the access!

I mean, I've never been
face-to-face like this.

DOVER: There's a lot of places
nobody's allowed to go

except for archaeologists,
medicine men, and rangers.

HENRY:
It's spectacular.

It's one thing to see images
in a book or online,

but to come
face-to-face with it,

feel the energy, see it,
spectacular.

I came away with this deep sense

that this is meant for us
to discover throughout the ages.

that this is meant for us
to discover throughout the ages. That it was super important

That it was super important

to the ancients
to record this information.

To tell us
that these beings were here.

They had
a hand in our evolution.

And they're probably
still visiting us today.

TSOUKAULOS: What I think is
important in this whole thing

is that Jon said these are
our stories of the Star People.

And when
First Nation cultures say

that someone visited from
the sky and imparted knowledge,

I think it's time
that we start to listen.

NARRATOR:
Do the petroglyphs at Rock Art Ranch

NARRATOR: Do the petroglyphs
at Rock Art Ranch provide an historical record

provide an historical record

of extraterrestrial visitation
in North America?

And if so, why does there seem
to be such a strong connection

between Native Americans
and otherworldly beings?

Perhaps further clues can be
found within oral traditions

that describe strange beings
known as the Ant Men.

NARRATOR: In the desolate high
desert of the American Southwest

stand the ruins of the most
important ceremonial site,

of the ancient Pueblo People.

Constructed around 900 AD,

the central feature of this vast
complex is The Great Kiva.

A kiva is basically

A kiva is basically
a Native American version of a church.

a Native American
version of a church.

a Native American
version of a church. It is a circular structure.

It is a circular structure.

Chaco Canyon
has an absolutely giant one

Chaco Canyon
has an absolutely giant one that's located there.

that's located there.

When you enter one,
you're literally entering

another world to commune
with the gods from before.

In ancient Pueblo culture,

every place you went had
a small kiva of some kind.

But they would get together

maybe eight or nine
different kivas, small ones,

into a larger great kiva,

and the great kivas were huge.

When the Spanish came in
in the 1600s,

they took their church
and interposed it

on top of the kiva.

on top of the kiva.
So everywhere in these Hopi villages,

So everywhere
in these Hopi villages,

in the Pueblo villages
that you see a Catholic church,

it's usually
on the high point of land,

it's usually
on the high point of land, where the kiva was destroyed

where the kiva was destroyed

and the church was
built over the top of it.

NARRATOR:
Every kiva includes a feature called a sipapu.

In some kivas, the sipapu

is a small hole
in the subterranean wall.

In kivas that are enclosed,

it is often represented
by a hole in the roof.

In both cases,
it is the most important part

of the structure,
symbolizing the entrance

to a subterranean world.

All of the Pueblos share a story

in which humankind
began under the Earth,

and we slowly,
over generations, crawled up

and we slowly,
over generations, crawled up and out of a hole called Sipapu.

and out of a hole called Sipapu.

And the kivas have this little
hole in it symbolizing that.

NARRATOR:
The descendants of the ancestral Pueblo

share the belief
that Earth was populated

three separate times before
the era of modern humans,

with each previous age ending
in a devastating cataclysm.

The Hopis of Northern Arizona
have a very curious myth,

of surviving the third
of the cataclysms,

by going underground, and living
with what they call the Ant Men.

The stories the Hopi tell
is that the Ant People

The stories the Hopi tell
is that the Ant People rescued them from cataclysm,

rescued them from cataclysm,

by taking them underground,
literally.

And helping the Hopi
to survive underground.

And then,
once it was safe to return

to the surface of the Earth,
the Hopi were taken up

through the Sipapu
by the Ant People,

and repopulated the Earth.

But in all instances,
the Ant People are described

as having a special relationship
with the Hopi,

and also of having a connection
with the star realms.

NARRATOR:
Despite their name, Ant Men are described

not as insects, but rather,
as small humanoid figures.

The reason they call
these creatures Ant Men

is that they lived
under the Earth,

and they would emerge much like
ants crawling out of a hive.

So they called them Ant Men.

But what they were,
were extraterrestrials.

They were entering
our world through the portal.

CHILDRESS:
The Ant Men were underground dwellers

who had a high technology,

and looked
very similar apparently,

to what we would call
Gray Aliens.

So, this is
something of a mystery

of who these Ant Men were.

Many Hopis and the Zunis
have similar belief,

that yes, the Ant Men
were extraterrestrials.

MAHOOTY:
There were beings that are

of the extraterrestrial origin,

that were-- were part of that

that were-- were part of that
whole emergence mythology.

whole emergence mythology.

The entrance
to the fourth world.

NARRATOR:
Could it be that the story of the Ant Men is a genuine

account of extraterrestrials
helping humanity

survive a global cataclysm?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and suggest
that eerily similar accounts

of otherworldly beings that
inhabit an underground realm

can be found nearly
5,000 miles away in Ireland.

NARRATOR:
Ireland.

This lush, green island
in the North Atlantic

has a history of human activity

dating back
more than 33,000 years.

Numerous cultures
have called Ireland home,

from the early Beaker People,
to the Celts and the Gaels.

And the island has
a rich tradition of folklore

that has spread
throughout the world.

But perhaps most notable
is that Ireland

boasts some of the oldest
structures on the planet.

Massive earthen mounds,

many of which date back
more than 5,000 years.

many of which date back
more than 5,000 years.
TOK THOMPSON:
These mounds are constructed.
They're not natural hills.

TOK THOMPSON:
These mounds are constructed. They're not natural hills.

TOK THOMPSON:
These mounds are constructed.
They're not natural hills.
These are
megalithic constructions

These are
megalithic constructions

involving, in the larger sites,
an enormous amount

involving, in the larger sites,
an enormous amount of man hours and labor.

of man hours and labor.

These would have been,
when they were made,

These would have been, when they were made,
just very, very impressive sites.

just very,
very impressive sites.

CHILDRESS: These mounds were
an ancient earth work

that had a tunnel
going through it,

with stones on either side,
and stones on top

and then covered with earth.

THOMPSON:
Ireland has a tremendous amount of these mounds.

These are some
of mankind's oldest,

large structures in the world.

And they anchor
all the land together.

Usually if you visit one
on top of a hill, you go up,

you find one, and you can do
a line of sight to the next one.

There was almost a network,
almost across

the entire island
of these sites.

NARRATOR:
The oldest known writing in Ireland

dates to the sixth century AD,

more than 3,000 years
after the ancient mounds

more than 3,000 years
after the ancient mounds are believed to have been built.

are believed to have been built.

With no written record
about the mounds' construction,

archaeologists and historians
can only speculate

as to who made them,
and for what purpose.

THOMPSON:
These things were built to go inside,

where presumably very, very
important rituals took place.

We don't know,
but much later on,

these sites would have been
used for gatherings,

for rituals, and sort of
keeping the society together.

These were enormously long-lived
sites of cultural importance.

It was enormously
long-lived societies

that used these as focal points.

NARRATOR:
30 miles north of Dublin in County Meath

is Ireland's largest and oldest
mound, called Newgrange.

The ancient structure
consists of over

200,000 tons of stone,

and has a passageway
leading to a central chamber,

in which human
bone fragments have been found.

But archaeologists say
Newgrange also has

an undeniable connection
to the cosmos.

Spiral petroglyphs thought
to symbolize the universe

are found all around it,
and the passageway and chamber

form a cruciform shape
that researchers believe

is based
on the constellation Cygnus.

At the time Newgrange was built,

it was presumed
to be the largest structure

that mankind
had ever built in the world.

Now, one of the most interesting
things about Newgrange

Now, one of the most interesting
things about Newgrange is its celestial alignment.

is its celestial alignment.

is its celestial alignment.
This is still very, very popular.

This is still
very, very popular.

If you go
at the winter solstice,

If you go
at the winter solstice, you have this sun dagger

you have this sun dagger

that it cuts
tremendous distance,

all the way in to brighten up
the inner chamber.

NARRATOR:
Newgrange is unique among Ireland's mounds

in its sophistication,
and was clearly designed

in its sophistication,
and was clearly designed for ritualistic activity.

for ritualistic activity.

But according
to ancient Irish texts,

the mounds
serve a more profound,

and mysterious purpose,
as the dwelling places

of otherworldly beings

traditionally called
the "sidhe."

JENNY BUTLER: The word "sidhe,"
it can mean the mounds,

and also can mean
the otherworld people,

the people of the mounds.

In Irish tradition,
it's bad luck

to use the word "sidhe"
to directly refer

to these otherworld people.

So, there are
many different names.

We have the English word
fairy folk, also elves.

NARRATOR:
Stories of fairies, elves, and even leprechauns,

are rooted
in the ancient folklore

of what the Irish
called the sidhe.

But for many Irish people,

the sidhe are not
merely mythological figures.

MARTY MULLIGAN:
Fairies and leprechauns and all that sort of stuff, like,

too many people kind of laugh
and joke about it at times.

But it's knowledge
that had been passed on

for thousands
and thousands of years.

We have the terrestrial world,

and the sub-terrestrial world,
the human world,

and the sub-terrestrial world, the human world,
and the superhuman or other world.

and the superhuman
or other world.

These worlds exist in parallel.

Occasionally, however,
there is communication

between the two worlds.

NARRATOR:
The mounds are often referred to as fairy forts,

as are stone circles
and tree clusters

that are considered
the property of the sidhe.

This strong cultural belief
that these features

are the domain
of otherworldly beings

has kept them intact
for thousands of years.

And the Irish say
that when they are disturbed,

bad luck always follows.

MULLIGAN:
Sean Quinn was the wealthiest man in Ireland.

He lost everything
because he moved a fairy fort.

He lost everything
because he moved a fairy fort. He damaged a fairy fort,

He damaged a fairy fort,

and he moved it
to another place.

DeLorean car manufacturers,
they came to Belfast

and were making the DeLorean car
up in Northern Ireland.

And they built the factory
on the site of a fairy fort.

And it all came crashing down.

The local people would say,

"Well, you know,
what do you expect?"

Ask any Irish person,
"Would you damage a fairy fort?

What would happen
if you damaged a fairy tree?"

If you gave me ten million bucks

and a Cadillac and a helicopter

and a beautiful house
on Sunset Boulevard,

and said all I had to do
was chop down a fairy tree,

I'd be handing that money
straight back to you.

I wouldn't do it, no one
I know would do it either.

So, do we believe
in the fairies in Ireland?

We do.

NARRATOR:
While modern-day representations of fairies

often depict benevolent,
spritely creatures,

traditional Irish notions
of fairies are much different.

They are considered powerful,

and sometimes dangerous beings.

You don't want to mess
with the Aos Sí.

They're not cute,
cuddly little fairies

like we typically
think of today.

But these are very
extraordinarily powerful people.

Wielders of supernatural powers.

NARRATOR:
The sidhe or fairy folk,

are often referred to
as the Shining Ones.

But do accounts of their
luminous appearance suggest

But do accounts of their
luminous appearance suggest that they are divine beings?

that they are divine beings?

According
to the ancient Irish stories,

while the fairies
have supernatural abilities,

they are not immortal gods.

The inhabitant of the sidhe
is not necessarily immortal

in the narrative,
sometimes they're--

they're killed,
or meet with death.

But they never grow old.

And so, if they are killed,

And so, if they are killed,
or die, they do so while young.

or die, they do so while young.

They're other,
but somewhat humanoid.

Sometimes they're
small and green, they--

they abduct people, they have

either advanced technology
or ancient magic.

And in many ways,
this fairy tradition

reminds me
very much of the UFO tradition

reminds me very much of the UFO tradition
that we have in the United States.

that we have
in the United States.

NEWMAN: When it comes to these
dwellings of the fairy folk,

there's lots of talk
about otherworldly beings

emerging from the mounds.

And also, people get
taken into the mounds

And also, people get
taken into the mounds and, like, disappearing.

and, like, disappearing.

TSOUKAULOS: You hear stories
of lights in the sky,

or even lights
in the forest and the woods

that you see,
so, could it be possible

that the fairy folk
is a description

of extraterrestrials
back in the day?

There is absolutely an argument

that can make that case.

MULLIGAN:
In our stories relating to the sidhe, the fairies,

call them what you will,
all of our stories say

that they came
from the sky world.

NARRATOR:
Is it possible that modern beliefs of fairies and elves

are based on real
otherworldly beings

that the Irish people
encountered centuries ago,

and that may still
inhabit the island today?

And if so,
why are they thought to dwell

within the ancient mounds?

According to legend,

the sidhe did not always
live within the Earth.

And their story begins
with a group of shining beings,

And their story begins
with a group of shining beings, who arrived in flying craft.

who arrived in flying craft.

NARRATOR:
In Ireland, tales of the sidhe,

or fairy folk,
have been passed down orally

for more than 3,000 years.

And in the 11th century,
many of these stories

were documented in a text
called The Book of Invasions.

According to this medieval
account of Irish history

and lore,
thousands of years ago,

a god-like race of beings
called the Tuatha de Danann

landed on a mountaintop
in Ireland.

Often referred to
as the Shining Ones,

they are
the ancestors of the sidhe.

MULLIGAN:
All of our stories relate back to the Tuatha de Danann.

For 3,000 years, at least,
if not more before that,

all of the stories
from mythology

all of the stories from mythology
are all related to Tuatha de Danann.

are all related
to Tuatha de Danann.

They were the Shining Ones.

There is a description
in the mythological material

in the early Irish literature
of the Tuatha de Danann

arriving in cloud ships,

arriving in cloud ships,
arriving in dark clouds,

arriving in dark clouds,

and landing on a mountain.

McGOWAN:
There was a long poem about

the arrival
of the Tuatha de Danann.

And one of the lines says,
"The truth was not known

"beneath the sky of stars,

whether they were
of heaven or of Earth."

DIARMUID JOHNSON: The Tuatha
de Danann are not human.

DIARMUID JOHNSON: The Tuatha
de Danann are not human. They're demigods.

They're demigods.

And not immortal,
not infallible,

not like the gods
of monotheistic tradition

of any
of the Abrahamic religions.

NARRATOR: The Tuatha de Danann
were said to be

luminous beings
of large stature,

who wielded magical powers.

The Tuatha de Danann
had an arsenal

of very
technological-sounding weaponry.

Lugh of the Long Arm,
for example, possessed a spear,

that when he threw it,
he could give a voice command,

and it would automatically
hit whatever target.

Then he'd give
another voice command,

and the spear would
mysteriously return to him.

We have circles of light
that they used

We have circles of light
that they used to travel around Ireland upon.

to travel around Ireland upon.

We have another chieftain
named Nuada

who lost an arm
in a battle against the giants.

And they were able
to replace his arm.

The Tuatha de Danann were
said to have a magical cauldron.

They had a cloak
of invisibility.

They had spears
that shot flames out.

The ancient astronaut theory
tries to look

at ancient stories in which

magic happens
from a modern perspective,

and determine
if that so-called magic

really was
some type of technology.

Then one has to wonder, where
did that technology come from?

Well, there's only
one answer to this,

Well, there's only
one answer to this, and that is extraterrestrials.

and that is extraterrestrials.

NARRATOR:
For ancient astronaut theorists,

another intriguing
aspect of these stories

is how similar they are
to accounts of sky gods

found in other ancient cultures.

The stories of,
let's call them aliens,

descending from clouds
on tops of mountains,

are straight across the cultural
history of human beings.

Let's start
with one of the earliest ones.

The descent on Mount Hermon
in the Golan Heights.

That's where
the Nephilim came down.

Another, in the descent
of the Anunnaki,

they came from clouds.

CHILDRESS:
We have other stories in Tibet,

and other places where
these gods are coming down,

and they land
on top of a mountain.

The gods of Olympus in Greece,
is another example.

COLLINS: The stories
of the Tuatha de Danann,

in these whirlwinds,
or clouds, is something

that we find
in connection with deities

in other parts of the world.

For instance,
across the Middle East,

there is the concept of djinn.

These are supernatural beings,

very often
associated with fire and light,

that can appear in whirlwinds,

and manifest into physical form.

TSOUKALOS:
The fact that we have countless stories

that are not just similar,
but identical,

that are not just similar,
but identical, leads me to think, that perhaps,

leads me to think, that perhaps,

all these
ancient cultures were visited

by the same extraterrestrials.

NARRATOR:
According to ancient astronaut theorists,

the tradition that is most
similar to the Tuatha de Danann

is that of the Anunnaki,

the sky gods
described by the Sumerians,

humankind's earliest
known civilization.

AMIR HUSSAIN: What you've got
with the Sumerians

is the beginnings
of civilization,

people living together, but also
the beginnings of writing.

You know, some of the earliest
written texts that we have

You know, some of the earliest
written texts that we have are texts by these people.

are texts by these people.

YOUNG: These clay tablets
are 5,000 years old

and more,
and they tell of the arrival

of the gods, the Anunnaki.

The pantheon of gods.
The chief was Anu.

This is the sky god
who came along

and created everything.

TSOUKALOS:
The term Anunnaki means,

"those who
from the heavens came,"

and it refers to beings
descending from the sky,

imparting knowledge.

NARRATOR:
In the Irish stories, the Tuatha de Danann

were also responsible
for imparting knowledge

to the ancient people.

Tuatha de Danann
were the masters

of all of the crafts,
masters of all of the arts,

and they introduced knowledge
in the ways of agriculture.

Tuatha de Danann would
always interact with the people.

Tuatha de Danann would
always interact with the people. It's the same as the Anunnaki.

It's the same as the Anunnaki.

NARRATOR:
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest

the iconography
of the Sumerians and Irish

provides additional evidence

that they encountered
the same otherworldly beings.

Both depicted the gods
as being of giant stature

compared to humans.

Both portrayed them in scenes
with hybrid or flying animals.

And both have images of the gods

with horns or antlers
emerging from their heads.

But perhaps
most intriguing of all,

is that there appears to be

a linguistic connection
between the Anunnaki

a linguistic connection
between the Anunnaki and the Tuatha de Danann.

and the Tuatha de Danann.

and the Tuatha de Danann.
According to some accounts,

According to some accounts,

the Tuatha de Danann's
original name

was the Tuatha D'Anu.

The tribe of Anu, or D'Anu.

Linguists
are very intrigued by this,

because this encodes
the name of Anu,

the high god of the Anunnaki
for whom they are formed.

And it suggests that perhaps
the Tuatha de Danann are

the descendants of the Anunnaki.

NARRATOR:
Could the striking similarities that exist

between the stories
of the Tuatha de Danann

and the Anunnaki
reveal that Ireland was visited

by the same otherworldly beings

that are described by humanity's
first known civilization,

roughly 3,000 miles away?

And are these
the same star ancestors

that the Native American
tribes described

as assisting mankind
in the remote past?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and suggest that
extraterrestrial involvement

with human affairs
continues to this day.

NARRATOR:
December 30, 2013.

In an international
television news broadcast,

Former Canadian Minister
of National Defense,

Paul Hellyer,
makes an astonishing statement.

Paul Hellyer,
makes an astonishing statement. He claims to have knowledge

He claims to have knowledge

that extraterrestrials
are visiting Earth.

Why do you say
that UFOs are as real

as the airplanes
flying over our heads?

Well, because I know
that they are.

And they've been
visiting this planet

for thousands of years.

And there is what is called
a federation

of these people,
and they have rules.

NARRATOR: The interview sent
shockwaves through the media.

Viewers questioned
why a high-level official

would make such an announcement.

Paul Hellyer
first came forward in 2005

but it wasn't until
January of 2014

but it wasn't until
January of 2014 that his story truly went viral.

that his story truly went viral.

HELLYER: That gave me
the dubious distinction of being

the first person of cabinet rank
in the G8 group of countries

who ever said categorically,

without reservation,
UFOs are real,

and you have to
accept them as being real.

This is difficult territory.

But I understand
there's a federation

that is monitoring us
most closely,

that is monitoring us
most closely, and keeping tabs on us.

and keeping tabs on us.

NARRATOR:
Could there be truth to Hellyer's statements?

Is it possible that there is
a galactic federation

of extraterrestrials
overseeing Earth?

But if so, what is the evidence

behind such astounding claims?

Edgewood Arsenal,
Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.

1952.

As part of a secret
government program

termed Project Penguin,

medical doctor and psychiatrist
Andrija Puharich

set up a special laboratory

where psychics
and military personnel

gathered to investigate
psychological manipulation

and hallucinogenic drugs.

Perhaps one
of the most compelling

and controversial aspects
of Puharich's research

was channeling,
which involved making contact

with non-physical beings
through the use of psychics.

It's very important
that we understand that

this was a serious
scientific endeavor.

No candles or holy water
or any of that was used.

Puharich used the Faraday cage,

a copper room that was
specially insulated

according to U.S. Naval
standards,

that would prohibit mid-level
electromagnetic waves

that would prohibit mid-level
electromagnetic waves and electrostatic.

and electrostatic.

In this Faraday cage,

individuals would relax
and allow

the mind-over-matter
signal to take place.

NARRATOR:
In December 1952,

Puharich invited Hindu mystic

Puharich invited Hindu mystic
and doctor, D.G. Vinod,

and doctor, D.G. Vinod,

to one of these
channeling sessions.

During the experiment,
Vinod went into a deep trance

and made contact with a group
of entities called The Nine.

At the very beginning,
they just announced themselves

as nine principles
of the universe.

Well, that's pretty big
to start with, but nevertheless,

they said they
were extraterrestrials.

They were forces from beyond.

The Nine said that
they were an eternal presence,

that they had been
watching humanity

that they had been
watching humanity from the very beginning.

from the very beginning.

And that they were gods, guides,

and this was what particularly
interested Puharich.

and this was what particularly
interested Puharich. The idea that, if they are gods,

The idea that, if they are gods,

they, of course, have wisdom.

And Puharich wanted
to ask for guidance.

The Nine came up with a number
of different messages

The Nine came up with a number
of different messages involving their being guardians

involving their being guardians

for the human race,
creators even.

PICKNETT:
Puharich said "What is your name?

Who are you?"

And that was
the great revelation

because the being said,

"I am Atum."

And Atum was the great father
god of ancient Egypt

and introducing
not only the nine principles

but the Nine Great Gods
or the Ennead of ancient Egypt.

NARRATOR:
Is it possible that Puharich actually made contact

with the nine
Great Gods of Egypt?

Could this be evidence
of a longstanding federation

of extraterrestrials
overseeing earthly affairs?

But if so,
just who were these beings?

Heliopolis, Cairo.

Heliopolis, Cairo.
Known as the Sun City,

Known as the Sun City,

this is one of the oldest

and most sacred
sites of ancient Egypt.

Although mostly destroyed,

an obelisk remains,
marking the spot

where the temple
of the sun god Atum once stood.

Here, the ancient pharaohs
would connect to the Ennead,

a council
of nine deities who were said

to have brought technology
and knowledge to mankind.

According
to Egyptian hieroglyphs,

According
to Egyptian hieroglyphs, consultation with the Ennead

consultation with the Ennead

was chief
among the Pharaoh's duties,

and critical
to the success of the nation.

ROBERT BAUVAL:
Heliopolis was the Vatican of ancient Egypt.

This was the seat,
the helm, if you like,

the-- the abode
of the famous Ennead,

the nine gods
that ruled from the sky,

and governed Egypt
from a place in the sky.

The Ennead started
with god Atum,

the god of the solar disc.

God Shu, the god of the wind.

And goddess Tefnut,
the goddess of the water.

God Geb, the god of the land.

And goddess Nut,
the goddess of the sky.

Isis, the mother
to all the kings.

Isis, the mother
to all the kings. God Osiris, the god of good.

God Osiris, the god of good.

God Seth, the god of evil.

And goddess Nephthys,
the goddess of death.

Everything in
ancient Egyptian's world

was revolving
around these nine gods.

So the pharaoh of Egypt
would have to consult

with the nine gods, the Ennead,

with every aspect
in life to make sure

with every aspect
in life to make sure he is doing the right thing.

he is doing the right thing.

And every ancient Egyptian local

would have their full trust

that anything
coming out from the mouth

of the king is the word of God,

of the king is the word of God,
because he already heard it.

because he already heard it.

McGOWAN: The pharaoh was the
special emissary to the gods.

And therefore, the gods
were able to speak

directly through the pharaoh.

A case can be made that
the pharaoh allowing the gods

in to speak through him
is similar to the channeling

that is done
through mediums today.

NARRATOR:
Nine otherworldly beings

speaking through the Pharaoh?

Might the modern-day
channeling sessions

with The Nine,
conducted during the secret

military experiments
in the 1950s,

be mirroring those experienced

be mirroring those experienced
by the ancient Egyptians?

by the ancient Egyptians?

The Ennead were actually
extraterrestrial beings

here to administer
and guide human affairs.

The pyramid texts tell us
that Atum came from Sirius.

It's quite fascinating
to contemplate the possibility

that Dr. Puharich
was part of a long line

of initiates who were
contacted by the Ennead.

WHITEHEAD:
The rulers and the presidents, and the kings and the queens

throughout history
always have these stories

of consulting higher forces.

Could we still have
these extraterrestrial

or pan-dimensional overlords
existing today

that are guiding the rulers
of various nations?

NARRATOR:
Could it really be that Puharich

inadvertently made contact
with the same beings

that were consulted by
the ancient Egyptian pharaohs?

If so, might the myriad
of otherworldly entities

from our past
be directly connected

to the modern UFO phenomena?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and suggest that
according to Native Americans,

their knowledge
of Star People comes not only

from the distant past,

but from
the extraterrestrial activity

that occurs
over Native lands even today.

According to
Zuni elder, Clifford Mahooty,

above this steep mesa
on the Zuni Reservation,

strange lights are seen
in the sky nearly every night.

The UFO activity here

is very, very prevalent

because of the religious system

that we practice every day.

So, all around the whole
Zuni reservation

you can look up in the sky
and they're up there.

And they're not stars.
They're not planets.

There's a lot of our people that
here in Zuni have seen them.

TSOUKALOS: When you talk
to many Native Americans,

they'll tell you that
UFO sightings are common

on their native lands, and you
have to ask, why is that?

Is it because
they have had these traditions

of the Star People
and the Star Ancestors?

Maybe places like the Zuni
territory and Hopi mesas

have been visited
for thousands of years.

NARRATOR:
Today, more UFO incidents are being reported

and captured on camera
than ever before.

But while this recent activity

has captured
the public's imagination

and inspired
sensational headlines,

for many Native Americans,

it is nothing
out of the ordinary.

In my time working
as a Navajo ranger,

we had incidences of UFOs

we had incidences of UFOs
coming and going all the time.

coming and going all the time.

When we talked to people,
they tell us,

"Oh, yeah,
they're here all the time."

"Oh, yeah,
they're here all the time." So, they just accept it.

So, they just accept it.

And as such, with the knowledge
that I have

and the experiences I've had,
I know they're out there.

I've seen them
numerous, numerous times,

I've seen them
numerous, numerous times, and it's just a fact of life.

and it's just a fact of life.

We must reestablish
the connection

between our Star Ancestors
by educating and creating

an awareness
among the humans on Earth.

an awareness
among the humans on Earth. We have to establish an urgency

We have to establish an urgency

We have to establish an urgency
protecting the sacred sites

protecting the sacred sites

and telling the story
of what they mean.

This is the history
of the world.

This is the history
of the world. We are star beings.

We are star beings.

MAHOOTY:
As far as being connected with the star elders,

they gave us
this knowledge and ours

they gave us
this knowledge and ours is a direct relationship

is a direct relationship

with the entities
throughout the universe.

NARRATOR:
Could contact with Star People,

as described
in the Native American

sacred traditions,
still be happening today?

And if so, might the sky gods

of our ancestors
really be the same beings

we now refer to
as extraterrestrials?

The big question here would be,

are these entities
the exact same beings

from ancient times
of thousands of years ago?

And these extraterrestrials
are still here,

still watching us.

still watching us.
And, in some theories,

And, in some theories,

guiding us towards our future.

One could make the argument

that the ancient astronauts
never left.

The same visitors
that we've had back then

The same visitors
that we've had back then are showing themselves again.

are showing themselves again.

Why?
Because we are their offspring.

If you have such a creation,

I don't think
you would just abandon that.

NARRATOR:
Could the modern UFO phenomena

be the latest in a long line

of otherworldly encounters
that stretch back to antiquity?

And if so, does evidence

of a continued extraterrestrial
presence on Earth

suggest an agenda for mankind?

Perhaps when
we finally acknowledge

the visitors to our planet,

our true origins
will be revealed,

and we will join
our alien ancestors

in the cosmos.

CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
A+E NETWORKS