Reptoid

Reptilian humanoids are intelligent, supernatural, or highly developed reptile-like humanoids in mythology, popular fiction, and speculative fringe theories. They also appear in some conspiracy theories, most notably those of David Icke, and in science fiction. Some authors refer to them as reptoids, dinosauroids or lizardmen.

Similarly to the other cryptids, no one has produced proof of the existence of reptilian humanoids, and allegations of their existence can at best be referred to as cryptozoology or pseudoscience.

Mythological references to reptilian humanoids

Several ancient peoples all over the world have described reptilian beings, and some have described reptilian humanoids. Common in numerous mythologies are tales of reptilian creatures (usually not humanoid) who are hostile to human beings. Also rather common are the myths of "Serpents of Wisdom" who enlightened humanity before the dawn of civilization; but it has been noted by mythologists that here "serpent" may only have been used to symbolize strangeness.

The Americas

The Mayan god Gucumatz was described as a "serpent of wisdom" who enlightened humankind, as was his Aztec counterpart Quetzalcoatl.

The Hopi refer to a race of reptilians called the Sheti, or "Snake-Brothers", who live underground. The Cherokee and other Native American peoples also refer to reptilian races.

In pre-columbian mythology from Colombia, Bachue (the primordial woman) transformed into a big snake. She is also sometimes called the "Celestial Snake" (Serpiente Celestial).

Europe

The Last Judgement (detail) by Hieronymus Bosch, after 1482

Cecrops, the legendary first King of Athens was said to have been half man, half snake. The ancient Titans and Gigantes were sometimes depicted as winged man-like beings with serpents instead of legs, for example on a fresco on a temple in Pergamum. In these images from Pergamum, some of which depict the gigantomachy, one sees the giant Klyteios with huge serpents in place of legs.[1]

Boreas (Aquilon to the Romans) was the Greek god of the cold north wind, described by Pausanias as a winged man with serpents for legs.[2]

The European dragon dates back to ancient depictions on various archaeological artifacts. An early instance in literature was the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece in the Voyage of the Argonauts. In the Middle Ages, tales of dragons seem to have become even more common. The dragon in Europe, as a rule, was not conceived as having a humanoid form, and would not qualify as an instance of a reptilian humanoid unless explicitly described as humanoid.

In the middle ages down to modern times, the Devil was often conceived as a humanoid with reptilian characteristics, as were demons in general. The serpent from the Garden of Eden, associated by Christians with Satan, is often portrayed in Western art as a humanoid (woman) with a snake's tail, and sometimes lizard-like feet, as in a detail from Bosch's Last Judgement.

India

In Indian scriptures and legends the Naga (Devnagri: नाग) are reptilian beings said to live underground and interact with human beings on the surface. In some versions, these beings were said to have once lived on a continent in the Pacific Ocean that sank beneath the waves. Indian texts also refer to a reptilian race called the "Sarpa" (Devnagri: सर्प). The Syrictæ (Greek : Skiritai, Latin: Sciritae) of India were a tribe of men with snake-like nostrils in place of noses and bandy serpentine legs.

East Asia

The Chinese, Korean and Japanese speak throughout their history of Lóng (Yong in Korean) or dragons, conceived of in both physical and non-physical forms, but rarely depicted in humanoid form, though they may assume a non-reptilian human form.[3] The Japanese have tales of Kappa, a basically reptilian humanoid.

In China, Korea and Japan, underwater realms where the Dragon Kings and their descendants live are referred to, as well as the lineage of humans from a race of dragons. This lineage was often claimed by Asian Emperors, who were believed to be able to change from human to dragon form at will, much like the modern concept of shape-shifting reptilians. It should be noted, however, that the dragon is seen as good rather than evil in Eastern tradition.[4]

Middle East

In the Middle East, reptilian beings ranging from certain Jinn to dragons and serpent-men have been spoken of since ancient times. In one of the apocryphal books purporting to be the lost Book of Jasher, a serpent race is described.

Africa

In Africa, the shamans claim to bear extensive esoteric knowledge of a race of reptilians called the Chitahuri, whom they say control the Earth. They also claim to have accounts of a reptilian race who created blacks and used them to work their gold mines, extremely similar to the accounts allegedly described in the Sumerian tablets.

The ancient Egyptian god Sobek was portrayed as a man with the head of a crocodile.

Modern claims

Even in modern times, some claim to have encountered reptilian humanoids. In many of these cases, a UFO is part of the encounter; alien abduction narratives sometimes allege contact with reptilian creatures.

Ashland, Nebraska police officer Herbert Schirmer on December 3, 1967 claims to have been taken aboard a UFO that appeared just outside of Ashland, where he encountered humanoid beings, 4 feet 6 inches to 5 feet tall, who wore close-fitting silvery gray uniforms, boots and gloves. Their heads were thin, and longer than a human head. The skin on their faces was grey-white, the nose flat, the mouth merely a slit which did not move, even when they spoke. Their eyes were slightly slanted. While not especially reptilian, the beings bore a "winged serpent" emblem on the left side of their chest. Schirmer alleged that the beings are from another galaxy, and have bases on earth. [5]

Lizard men have allegedly been seen in India, Superstition Mountains (Arizona), "Dulce Base" (New Mexico), and Mount Shasta (California). In addition, lizardmen-human hybrids carrying staves have been spotted in India and Mount Shasta.Template:Citation needed

Inspired by his highly publicized, multiple witness UFO contact which took place in Seattle Washington, September 5th 1987 at 11:35 p.m.,Template:Fact Purple Crow created COHRA, the Council On Human-Reptilian Allegiance (founded in 1987 when he first began public speaking about his ongoing encounters), where he and others present many reptoid contact cases that have taken place throughout history as evidence that not all aliens come from distant worlds or are anything new to the planet Earth. Purple works with many other UFO investigators and exopolitical researchers worldwide Template:Fact in presenting his case for peace between a species that he claims already lives amongst us. He states that the human species is a hybrid race with mixed blood from assorted “ancient gods”, many of which are recorded as reptilian in appearance (Such as reported in the Ancient Sumerian texts, the Indian vedas, the Mexican Acambaro figurines, the Dead sea scrolls, etc). Purple is of the Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English (WISE) Celtic/Druid lineage. He claims to have physical "hybrid scales" (the "badge of the ancient priests") somewhere on his body, which he only shows his most trusted friends. Purple has been quoted by David Icke in the book Children of the Matrix regarding the diverse attitudes of different species and groups of aliens, whether Reptilian in appearance or otherwise. COHRA is his attempt to prepare the population for impending global contact, focusing on reptilian related contact encounters inspired by his own hybrid bloodline and ongoing contacts.

Riley Martin, author of The Coming of Tan and frequent guest of Howard Stern and Coast to Coast AM, claims personal knowledge of Targzissians, a malevolent race of reptilians who manage to coexist with six other types of aliens on a mother ship near Saturn.[6]

According to an interview with David Icke, [7] Christine Fitzgerald, a confidante of Diana, Princess of Wales, claims that Diana told her that the Royal Family were Reptilian aliens, and that they could shapeshift. David Icke and others have claimed that U.S. President George W. Bush and his family are part of this same bloodline. (Icke, 2004)

John Rhodes was the first person to seriously investigate and publically present other people's claims of reptilian-humanoid contact. He established the Reptoids.com Research Center in 1997 to collect, review and present evidence of reptoid activity. Rhodes contends that reptoids are descendants of the dinosaurs and are biological byproducts of Earth evolution. He also reports that conspiracy advocates demonize reptoids because they are an 'easy' sell to an audience that has been conditioned by religious authorities to react negatively to a reptile image.

David Icke claims that people see reptilian humanoids and that reptilian species are the force behind a worldwide conspiracy directed at manipulation and control of humanity. According to Icke, one type of reptilian entity that people see during alleged encounters resembles dinosauroids. Icke theorizes that the reptilians came here from the constellation Draco. Like most conspiracy theories, falsification of Icke's hypotheses is nearly impossible, but Icke continues to sell books and give speaking engagements based on concepts ranging from the New Age to his political opinions.

Cathy O'Brien, who claims to be a victim of CIA MKULTRA mind-control, says in her book "trance-formation of America" (with Mark Phillips) that she witnessed (among others) George Bush physically shapeshift into a Reptilian alien being. She rationalised this as potentially being a holographic illusion as part of her mind control programming.

Paul Shockley, a self-professed psychic, also speaks of malevolent reptilian beings. However, he explains that he does not believe that all reptilians are malevolent, and that there are benevolent members of this species as well.

Patrick Bellringer and other supporters of NESARA also claim that George Bush is a reptilian. In this scenario, the announcement and implementation of NESARA (a law passed in secret) will ultimately end reptilian control over the planet Earth.

Reptilian humanoid aliens figured prominently in the 2003 murder trial of Linda Henning who was eventually convicted of murdering her boyfriends ex-wife, Girly Chew Hossencofft. The trial was covered by Court TV, providing national exposure to the consipracy theories involving such creatures. Henning allegedly believed or was told by co-conspirator Diazien Hossencofft that Girly's killing would serve as good practice for the upcoming showdown with the reptilians. Familiar themes of a Bush Family reptilian connection surfaced in evidence seized in connection with the trial. Both Henning and Hossencofft are serving life sentences.

Claims about the Anunnaki

Template:Infobox Pseudoscience

Zecharia Sitchin, an amateur Assyriologist, claims to have translated Sumerian tablets referring to an alien race which created a race of humans to work as slaves in their mines in Africa. This race is called the Anunnaki (or Abbennakki), and it is specifically stated that the "Black-headed" people of Sumeria were created by these beings by mingling the "life-essences" of "man and beast", often depicting an ape-like creature as the "beast". The "Black-headed people" were considered slaves in the Sumerian caste hierarchy. The Sumerian Tablets refer to the creation of the Black-headed people in the geographical area called 'AB.ZU.', which is said to correspond to West Africa.

The royalty was said to be a combination between "Dragons" and humans, or to be direct descendants of the Sun God, Shamhash. Contrary to the claims of David Icke, the Draconian Sun-God aspect of the royalty does not correspond to the Anunnaki, but to a different set of gods. Anunnaki comprised only 23 gods in the Sumerian pantheon, including Enlil (lord of agriculture) and Enki (lord of life). Other gods were not Anunnaki at all, but were personifications of the Sun, or what were described as 'Sir', or Dragons, in Babylonian. This word, 'Sir', also apparently meant 'great serpent', and is related to the Sanskrit word 'Sarpa', which was also used to describe great "Dragon-Gods" who ruled over, and created, the original Dravidian culture.

Sitchin also suggests that the Annunaki probably still exist in some form or another, with some degree of influence over humanity. These beings are speculated to be either amphibious, reptilian, or quasi-reptilian, from ancient description.

According to Arizona Wilder, who claims to be a former mind-controlled subject of MK-Ultra (much like Cathy O'Brien), Zecharia Sitchin is in league with the reptilians as a disinformation agent. She claims to have seen him with other shape-shifting reptilians at many high level functions attended by the world's "elite".

Laurence Gardner, historian and holder of many other titles (the validity of which have been debated), claims that a "Dragon Bloodline", a "Holy Graal", was created in ancient Sumeria when reptilian aliens called "Anunnakki" descended upon the region and created a royal bloodline through genetic engineering.

Stewart Swerdlow, a self-professed mentalist, claims to possess extensive knowledge of alien intervention in Earth-human society, and describes in detail the activities of a Reptilian race called the Draco, originating in the Draco star system. He also mentions a more benevolent Reptilian race called the Abbennakki, which, he says, created the Black race in Africa. He claims that this is supported by ancient Sumerian tablets, as well as the histories of the indigenous peoples of Africa, such as the Zulu, as well as physical evidence such as ancient mines which have been discovered by the Anglo American Corporation, dating to 60,000 years B.C.

Popular writings about reptilian humanoids

Philip K. Dick, a science fiction writer, in his book, VALIS, wrote about contact with three-eyed amphibious beings from Sirius and their connection to the Soviets and the Illuminati. Dick claimed to have connected these creatures to the Nommo, a race of amphibious deities worshipped by the Dogon tribe of Mali. It is a subject of some debate as to whether or not Dick was suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy. His wife allegedly claimed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at one point in his life. It has been theorised that his reptilian beliefs were due to a brain disorder, the ingestion of painkillers, or his fondness for methamphetamine and entheogens.

Tom Robbins also included the reptilian theory in his fictonal novel Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. Incredibile historical ties and an amazing amount of backstory lead the reader through the entire gambit of reptilian lore, including the Dogon tribe, the Nommo, the being or beings known as Oannes, and the actual biological vestiges of fingers in dolphin fins. While it is unclear as to the personal beliefs of the author, such a mountain of real-world data on the subject of reptilian (or amphibian, in this case) alien interlopers makes one wonder if the book is meant to be a manifesto sotto voce.

Robert Anton Wilson writes about the Illuminati in the Illuminatus trilogy and other books. The book Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati describes his drug-induced experiences with three-eyed beings from Sirius. He is known for stating various forms of conspiracy theory (he also claims to be a high-level initiate of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis).

Timothy Leary also claimed to have contact with three-eyed beings from Sirius.

Timothy Leary, Robert Anton Wilson and Philip K. Dick all have called themselves Pythagoreans.

In the science fiction television series V, Earth was taken over by reptilian aliens who wear artificial skins to pass as humans.

The popular Marvel comic The Ultimates, written by Mark Millar, used a conspiracy of shapeshifting alien reptiles as the primary villains of the 'Homeland Security' arc (issues #7-13). Millar admits this idea was based on the beliefs of David Icke.

Robert Howard, popularly known for his Conan stories, wrote a short story The Shadow Kingdom, which featured shape changing reptilian organisms. They could and did pass as hominids in the imaginary kingdom of Valusia. This was necessitated by the bigoted Valusians' discrimination against Reptilian-Valusians. This story was published in Weird Tales, August 1929, and republished in the collection King Kull, 1967 by Lancer Books.

Conspiracy theories

There are many conspiracy theories centered around, or at least involving, extraterrestrials of reptilian lineage. Many of these posit that the so-called Greys are in fact reptiles, and should be categorized as "Reptoids".

David Icke claims, based on his exploration of genealogical connections to European royalty, that many presidents of the United States have been reptilian humanoids. In his view, United States foreign policy after September 11 is the product of a reptilian conspiracy to enslave humanity, with George W. Bush as its key player. (See also Bush family conspiracy theory.) Some have also claimed that Reptoids are capable of shape-shifting.

Some conspiracy theorists claim to have worked out a "dichotomy of axes" involved in hypothetical interplanetary and intergalactic conflict, and place the reptilians in an evil "Draconian" "axis", while humans are one of the species that belongs in an opposing "Evadamic" "axis". Several other entities and parties have been placed into this conspiracy theory, with some players who switch allegiances between Draconian and Evadamic.

A subterranean Nazi-friendly super race is sometimes associated with accounts of reptilian humanoids, and also with the telekinetic super race depicted in Vril: The Power of the Coming Race.

Political references to reptilians

An article appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 1, 1995, regarding an event in which George Bushnell, head of the American Bar Association, called the Republicans "reptilian bastards". Quote from the article: "The atmosphere in the litigation debate is getting as poisonous as the atmosphere in, well, litigation itself. Eighty-two House members have now called on George Bushnell, Jr., president of the 370,000-lawyer American Bar Association, to resign after he described the Republican leadership of Congress as "those reptilian bastards."[8] While there is no evidence that Bushnell used the term "reptilian" to mean anything other than "reptile-like", this quote is significant in light of the conspiracy theories regarding reptilians in government. (Regular contributors to the site Little Green Footballs sometimes refer to themselves as "lizardoid minions", perhaps as a counter to the pejorative tone of Bushnell's article.)

On September 12, 2003, during the provincial election campaign in Ontario, Canada, a press release disseminated by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party contained a line at the end that referred to rival Ontario Liberal Party leader Dalton McGuinty as an evil reptilian kitten-eater from another planet. Presumably, the release was not intended seriously, but did no good for the Conservative party campaign.

References

Blum, Ralph. Chapter 10. Beyond Earth: Man's Contact with UFOs. Bantam Books, 1974.
Sitchin, Zecharia. The 12th Planet. 1978.