Man's dream to fly is as old as mankind itself. Mythology leaves us the story of the first flyer, Icar, who died tragically in his attempt to realize this dream. The desire to soar freely in the skies did not end with Icar's attempt. Could man have realized this dream before the current age, where aviation is commonplace?
More and more evidence comes to us about ancient flying machines, which were used long ago both for moving from place to place, as well as for purposes of war. Let's explore some of the flying machines from the past, which stories and legends describe.
Flying shields described by the Hopi native Americans
The Hopi native Americans are an indigenous tribe descending from the ancient Pueblo people from the Southeastern part of the US. According to Hopi beliefs, time has various cycles. At the end of each cycle, the gods return to the people. They believe we are now in the 4th cycle of time.
For the past cycle, the 3rd, there's a curious belief. What occurred in the 3rd cycle was the appearance of what they call "flying shields". The people from that cycle were very advanced technologically and created these so-called flying shields. These were complex flying machines, known to them as shields, since they associated them with objects familiar to them - their own shields used in battle.
The flying machines could attack populated areas located very far away, while also flying at great speeds from one place on Earth to another. After a time, other civilizations on the planet created similar machines of war. This led to a war which brought the end of the 3rd cycle of time.
The Rama and Atlantis civilizations and their flying machines
Ancient Hindu writings speak of an ancient civilization called Rama that was highly advanced technologically. The civilization had flying machines called Vimanas. The machines were round, with 2 decks, windows, and a ceiling, forming a dome. They flew using a type of anti-gravity. The flying vehicles could take off vertically like modern helicopters and stay aloft in place. The ancients used them for passenger flights, as well as for war.
The poem Mahabharata tells of the Atlanteans' flying machines, called Vailixi. Both the Atlantean and Rama civilizations made good use of these vehicles but the conflict which erupted between them led to the destruction of human civilization at the time.
The Chinese and their ideas of ancient flying machines
Ancient Chinese texts surviving until today speak of flying machines that were made in ancient China. One of the texts tells how emperor Cheng Tang ordered the construction of a flying machine in 1776 BC. Later however, the emperor ordered it destroyed out of fear that someone else would discover the secret of flight.
Many ancient texts tell of flights in antiquity with the help of flying machines. It just may be that flying was possible in ancient times, and in various parts of the world as well.
