THE ROUND TOWERS OF ATLANTIS [IRELAND]

 

THE ROUND TOWERS OF ATLANTIS [IRELAND]

This book was first published in 1834 as The Round Towers of Ireland or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism, then re-published in 1898 as The Round Towers Or The History Of The Tuatha De Danaans.  It is now again back in print, and is billed by the re-publisher (Adventures Unlimited) as “the first modern study of Atlantis, Round Towers, pre-Christian megalithic architecture, secret societies, Druidic Culture and the origins of modern Celtic Christianity.”  However, it does not have any specific reference to Atlantis (or even Plato) in the book.  The book is written in the turgid style of its time and is not an easy read for the modern reader.  The publisher’s assertion may have a factual basis:  there are numerous parallels in the book to Ignatius Donnelly and James Churchward; Henry O’Brien has done similar research and drawn similar conclusions. The author’s observation that insects have specialized antennae with shapes variant according to communication needs, and that these towers are communications devices also has parallels in Nikola Tesla and Edgar Cayce. Thus, the book is certainly worth reading. 

O'Brien claimed that the round towers (which were a common feature of early Irish Christian monastic sites) were in fact phallic symbols built by the Tuatha De Danann (pre-Christian pagans) as part of an ancient cult he linked with ancient Greece, Egypt, India and Buddhism.  The Tuatha De Danaan appear in ancient Irish mythology and the earliest written histories of Ireland as among the first people to arrive in Ireland. They defeated another people called the Fir Bolg and made Ireland their home. Another wave of settlers called the Milesians, believed to be from Spain and originally Turkey, followed and defeated the Tuatha De Danaan. The Tuatha De Danaan were said to have magical powers and after their defeat retreated into the underworld becoming the fairy folk of popular Irish lore.  O'Brien claimed that the Celtic languages, religion and civilization originated in cultures that existed in ancient India where Buddhism began. He claimed commonalities with ancient Iran, Egypt and Greece, citing similar phallic worship, likening the typical Irish round tower to upright standing stones, monuments and obelisks of the ancient world.  In the 20th and 21st century the consensus among most historians and archaeologists is that the round towers were for refuge from Viking and Gaelic Irish attacks on monasteries. The minority accepted view is that they were used as belfries similar to free standing belfry towers on the Continent.

O'Brien defied orthodoxy linking his mythical lost civilization (not specified to be Atlantis), the round towers, contemporary secret societies, the occult, freemasons and the Tuath De Danaan. His writings are a supposed counter-narrative to those of orthodox historians.  His works have influenced generations of pseudo-historians, science fiction writers and modern day conspiracy theorists.  ISBN 1931882010; 2002 softcover; in ‘as new’ condition.

[UE,DK]ITEM YB53…THE ROUND TOWERS OF ATLANTIS [IRELAND] Henry O’Brien $30