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The Secret Of The Druids
(The Mahabharata Quest #3)
by Christopher C. Doyle.
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As one begins reading, it's gripping, not because it's changing rapidly from an assaulted or murdered - we aren't told which - woman's body vanishing, even as her associate watches; to Julius Caesar across Gaul, to Semiramis at Sindhu attacking India long before Alexander, to excavation of a grave in U.K., to pursuit of an "Order", Stonehenge and "other Henges" all over U.K., Celts and Druids, ... we know it's a trick to grip, the rapid switches and the half glimpses of information before each switch that's not why it's gripping, and the writing is barely adequate, without grace that simple writing can have with better authors.
Gripping is the part of sheer volume of information, from diverse times around globe, that is pouring in as one reads, and the thought that it was connected. It only gets more so towards the end, with piezoelectricity and resonance, Stonehenge like structures and uses thereof by Druids, which is fictional theory by the author like much of it - especially where anything is connected to India in any way, which when not factual is badly imagined.
Funny, one wonders why he's writing about India when it's so obvious he knows nothing. Then it begins to become clear he's attempting to emulate and outdo Dan Brown, but had to find somewhere other than church of Rome to do so, and what's more mysterious - and safer to make mistakes, or lie, about - to Western readership, than India!
Later a slender clue, the connection of ancient prehistory of Druids and connection with India apparent via nomenclature and concepts, emerges. Well, he missed on an obvious one - but then, his education probably wouldn't let him question Macaulay policy of education in India, feeding lies; for, while one assumes this author is of U.S. upbringing, and his post epilogue writing thanking his family and friend clears his connection to India, it's only his photograph finally that reveals he's of Indian ancestry.
And hence his ignorance of facts about India, especially about culture of India since antiquity, is not a casual mistake, but one where he panders to prejudices from outside.
He mentions Semiramis as a young woman who left India due to lack of freedom, where she had to veil herself, to find her own place in the world. India did not force veils on women, it was islamic invaders who brought in the kidnappings, rapes and other vicious aspects of their barbarism that forced occupied parts of India to cope with the insecurity by protecting females. South India was and still is very different in the parts that remained free of Islamic occupation, and women of those regions do not veil their face, or heads.
As for making something of her life, he's being ridiculous. He's talking of millennia before contraceptive devices, and outside India - where a male had right to rape, and a woman no rights to protest before or after - a woman's freedom to become something did not exist.
Much of interesting stuff one could quote is now not possible, because the book has been removed from kindle unlimited.
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"‘You do realise, Ms Turner, that I cannot permit you to physically remove the artefact from the premises of the museum? So I am curious to learn how you will find the answers you seek.’"
Stilted dialogue - wrong in sp very many ways! It's not that he's attempting a piece of literature, he's obviously far from averse to writing this as a ready screenplay a la Chetan Bhagat, and yet here simple, natural dialogue fails him.
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""Who knows what other discoveries we have cast by the wayside just because we want to stick to our academic dogmas? Or because most of us are too afraid to challenge them?’"
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""Who knows what other discoveries we have cast by the wayside just because we want to stick to our academic dogmas? Or because most of us are too afraid to challenge them?’"
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"‘Much of what we know about Semiramis comes from a Greek historian called Diodorus Siculus, who lived around the same time as Julius Caesar. He, in turn, is said to have taken his material for the Semiramis story largely from Ctesias of Cnide. But today, many historians believe that much of his writings, especially the stories concerning Semiramis were a mix of fantasy and legend and had little to do with historical facts. According to Diodorus, King Ninus of Assyria built a city that became Nineveh, which you are familiar with from the Bible. Of course, the Bible attributes the building of Nineveh to Nimrod, a descendent of Noah, better known as the chief instigator of the Tower of Babel. Scholars have placed Ninus or Nimrod at around 2180 B.C. and assumed that both are the same person. There is no historical basis for this.’"
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"After all, hadn’t he discovered secrets from the Mahabharata that had long been assumed to be myths, only to learn that at least some of the so-called myths had a kernel of truth in them, wrapped in mysticism and fantasy? Who knew if this wasn’t the case with Semiramis? A queen forgotten by history, her story buried in obscurity, maybe even deliberately ignored for some reason? It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened.""
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"‘The story on the prism starts with a meeting between Semiramis and a priest of some sort from the north-west, an elderly man who is described in quite a bit of detail actually. He’s bearded, with long hair, fair skin and blue eyes and is dressed in white robes. This priest tells Semiramis about a secret legend that has been passed down for generations by an ancient people referred to as the “Lords of Light”. The legend describes an ancient and powerful device, which is hidden in a secret location in the land where Semiramis was born. He asks her, as the all-powerful ruler of the world, to go back and find this device. He tells her that the “brothers in the east”, whatever that means, guard this device. And he also, quite conveniently, gives her the location of the device—a secret that has been transmitted orally for generations and is known to none but the “brothers”."
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" ... ‘Then, the story gets into more familiar territory, though it goes against the grain of the legend narrated by Diodorus. It narrates how Semiramis musters a large army and marches to the banks of the Indus, which is where the device is hidden. She is challenged by the “brothers of the east” led by a priest king called Sthavarapati who rules a kingdom on the banks of the Indus. A fierce battle follows, in which Semiramis is missing in action. She is nowhere to be found on the battlefield. The inscriptions say that she disappears into the desert without an explanation, leaving her generals to lead the Assyrians into battle. Her army, dispirited by her absence, begins to wilt under the aggression of the opponent. Eventually, they are routed and flee back across the Indus in retreat. This is when Semiramis makes a dramatic appearance, with the device that she has come all this way to find. She reveals her possession of the device to Sthavarapati and the “brothers of the east”, who shrink back and allow her to return in peace. Semiramis returns to Nineveh, defeated in battle but victorious in her mission.
"‘Her joy, however, is short-lived, as her son has been plotting against her in her absence and decides to stake his claim as the true ruler of Assyria. According to the story, Semiramis had once consulted the Oracle of Jupiter-Ammon in Ethiopia and was told that her reign would end when her son rebelled against her. She realises that the prophecy has come to pass and travels to the land of the priests in the northwest, carrying the device with her. The story ends with a description of her death and burial on a hill that is sacred to the priests. There is no mention of what happens to the device.’ ‘Does the story say what the device is?’ Alice wanted to know. ‘None of the myths about Semiramis mention any kind of device though they all seem to agree that Semiramis was routed and almost lost her life in India.’
"‘Not really,’ Goldfeld perused his notes once more. ‘The only clue to the nature of the device lies in what the priest tells Semiramis. He calls it a…’ Goldfeld hesitated as he looked at his notes and then again at the laptop screen. ‘Yes, I guess that’s the best translation I have for what’s on the prism. It says, “sceptre of light”. That’s odd and doesn’t really make sense. The priest says that the “sceptre of light” will enable his people to regain the power that the Lords of Light once possessed in their lands.’"
"Semiramis swept out of Sthavarapati’s palace and rode back across the river to her army. She roused them and instructed them to prepare for war."
This was about Sindhu; where exactly is it so facile to cross it, once it is down from Himaalayan ranges?
Later on, he mentions a bridge - was there one, and if so, why was it considered, by outsiders, so difficult to cross into India? So much so, Alexander was supposed to have turned back, persuaded by his tired soldiers, without crossing Sindhu- they were daunted enough at the thought of rivers mightier further East, such as Gangaa, that they had heard fearsome stories about the flow and might of; was it all a lie, covering up his defeat?
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"‘Don’t worry,’ she said. She was taking a small band of trusted soldiers with her. ‘I know where I am going. It will take me not more than three days to return. Engage with the enemy. Ensure that you do not give ground until I am back, no matter what happens. Once I am back, we will be victorious, I promise you.’
"The generals nodded. But their confidence levels were low. For them, as it was for the people of Assyria, Semiramis was more than a queen. She was Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, war and storms. She was the consort of Baal. If the goddess of war was going to abandon them just before a battle, what chance did they stand?
"Semiramis rode away, filled with misgivings. She knew where to look for the device. The Makran desert was large. But the priest from the northwest had given her clear instructions. His knowledge was derived, through generations of oral transmission, from the time of the Lords of Light. And maybe even before them. From the days of old. When gods, not men, ruled the earth.
"She was going to find the celestial device. And when she had it in her possession, she was truly going to be a goddess."
" ... "going to be" a goddess.""???!!!
If the author had nothing to do with India, or if he hadn't shown Semiramis as someone born and brought up in India, one would excuse the stupidity. Godhood or Goddesshood is not achieved via winning battles, much less via a weapon stolen.
................................................................................................"Goldfeld parked the car and they walked across to the Visitor Centre, which was just opening. They were among the first few people in the queue and quickly boarded the minibus that would take them to the stone circle."
Since when is there a minibus for the two minute walk from visitors centre? We'd have used one if there were one, early in the millennium.
" ... With his connections, the historian had got them access to the inner circle of stones, where semi-darkness lurked in the shadow of some of the larger stones, reflecting the mood of the sky above."
Access to the inner circle? What access? Everyone can, if he means the stone circles. Walk another few feet
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"He gestured around them, to the circular banks of earth, which were clearly delineated, surrounding the circle of stones at the centre, interspersed at intervals with gaps in the structure where the ground was flat rather than concave. ‘This is the original henge. A henge, by the way, refers to the circular banks of earth with a parallel internal ditch, and not to the stones themselves. The stone monument was built around 4500 years ago and was modelled on a timber structure that was built much earlier.’
"‘How do you date stone?’ Vijay wanted to know. ‘I’ve heard of radio carbon dating for organic matter and thermo luminescence dating for shards of pottery, but never of any technique to date stone.’
"‘We don’t actually date the stone,’ Alice explained. ‘We look for organic material—bones, remains of hearths or fires—and pottery shards in the ground under the stones, if they can be lifted; or at the site if the stones are too heavy to lift, as in the case of Stonehenge. If we find animal or human bones or even pottery under the stones, we can date those and since they would have to have been there before the stone was placed at that spot, the structure, rather than the stone, can be dated to the time the organic remains or pottery were buried there.’
"‘But the stones could have been placed there later,’ Vijay observed. ‘For example, if you found bones that you could date to 2500 B.C., the stones could have been put over the bones in 1000 B.C. but you would date the structure to 2500 B.C. That would mean an error of 1500 years in the dating of the structure.’ ‘It is a bit approximate,’ Alice admitted, ‘but that’s the accepted manner of dating all sites where stone is used in construction.’
"‘Not just that,’ Vijay persisted. ‘For something like Stonehenge, if you found organic matter in a ditch and dated it to 2000 B.C., that doesn’t mean the stones were placed there at the same time, right? The stones could have been erected in, say, 5000 B.C. but the organic matter could have been buried 3000 years later. How does that help?’ ‘Actually it isn’t that random, Vijay,’ Alice clarified. ‘It isn’t just about finding organic matter anywhere. For accurate dating, you need organic matter that is closely associated with the stones. For Stonehenge, there was an excavation a few years ago—the first excavation permitted since 1946—when a small patch of turf between the two circles of the sarsen stones was dug up. The objective was to collect organic matter from the original bluestone sockets that are now buried under the monument. A selection of samples from the organic matter was then carbon-dated using modern techniques and a date range of 2400 to 2200 B.C. was arrived at.’ She looked at Vijay and laughed. ‘Does that convince you, Mr Sceptic?’"
................................................................................................"‘The Orkney Islands are quite far,’ Goldfeld replied. ‘Maybe two hours by plane. But if you want to see some good megalithic burial chambers, we could go to Bryn Celli Ddu and Barclodiad y Gawres in Wales. That’s closer. We can take a train to Holyhead, which is on the island of Anglesey, where the most famous mounds are located. We can hire a car there and look around.’"
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"The passage opened up into a small rocky chamber. The rock that had been used to build the walls clearly contained crystals of some sort, since it shone even in the dim light that penetrated through to the chamber."
"‘See these carvings here,’ Goldfeld pointed out the cup marks carved into one of the rock walls. ‘These cup marks and this spiral here,’ he indicated a spiral carved into one of the slabs forming a wall, ‘are very common in these megalithic monuments.’"
Egypt, across South Atlantic, and all over UK.
"The small group reached the banks of the Indus and looked across the river. The bridge across it was in shambles. Bodies floated in the river, testimony to the fierceness of the battle that had been fought here."
Floated in Sindhu? It isn't a placid European stream.
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"With the flag borne high, and with no small amount of trepidation, the emissary from Semiramis rode slowly over the bridge towards the camp of the natives."
Stinking colonial invader.
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Chapter 23 titled Jaungarh Fort.
Do they mean Junagarh?
Is there a Jaungarh?
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Nonsense.
"trail of clues across India, through two-thousand-year-old ruins, and uncovered a secret from the time of Asoka the Great; a secret linked to a secret society called the Brotherhood of the Nine Unknown Men, which Asoka had created. Only, the Nine—as they were commonly known—hadn’t restricted themselves to writing nine books on advanced scientific subjects, as the traditional legend went. Vijay and his friends had discovered that the Nine had been formed by Asoka to protect—and conceal from the world—a secret from the Mahabharata, that Asoka had decided was too dangerous to reveal. It was a secret that could destroy the world, and the emperor wanted to ensure that it never fell into the wrong hands. The traditional legend of the Nine was just a smokescreen to hide their real purpose. The world would believe the story of the nine books and never know the true secret that the Nine had been created to protect and hide away forever."
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Nonsense:-
"The yearning to make her own place in the world, unfettered by the compulsions of society and independent of the status of her parents or her social standing, had been powerful and perceptible.
The author confuses post contraceptive era with ancient days. Worse, he is confusing islamic and arab ways with civilisation that was India.
"The young Semiramis had been defiant to the point of being rebellious. Wild and uncontrollable, she had decided, at the age of fifteen, that she would not be held back anymore. Her life, she had declared, was stifled by the customs of her society, and the obligations of her social standing, where women were veiled and kept behind screens. Never to be seen, only to be heard—little more than possessions for the men to fight over."
Women were not veiled, much less kept behind screens and fought over, in India - not until islamic invaders behaved like wild beasts attacking humans.
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"Julius Caesar frowned at the man sitting in the chair opposite him."
They had chairs?
"The Druid had first made Caesar’s acquaintance on a visit to Rome four years ago, when Divitiacus had appeared before the Roman senate to appeal for help after the conquest of the Aedui by the Sequani who were allied with Ariovistus, the king of the invading Teutonic tribe of the Suebi."
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September 15, 2021 - October 02, 2021.
Purchased August 07, 2021.
Kindle Edition, 426 pages
Published June 21st 2016
by Westland
ASIN:- B01BMD4JF0
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4269082976
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