Lewis Spence : The Problem Of Atlantis
$60
Out of stock
Description
The first book on the Atlantis ” problem ” by Lewis Spence (1875-1955).
Spence, Lewis. The Problem of Atlantis. London: William Rider & Son, 1925. Second Edition.
Early in his career, Lewis Spence, the Scottish historian, folklorist, and occult scholar, moved from popularizing Mayan and Aztec mythology to using it to argue for the existence of a lost continent.
“The Problem of Atlantis”, Spence’s first serious treatment on the subject, moves from the story’s first appearance in Plato into a sweeping survey of world mythology and ancient art. Highlighting the existence of pyramids in both Egypt and the New World, Spence compares Maya, Aztec, and Inca art and stonework to Egyptian examples, as well as the presence of overlapping flora, fauna, and geological formations between the continents. One of the most compelling pieces of Spence’s argument is his suggestion that Atlantis is one and the same with the the island or lakeside city “Atzlan“, the mythical origin place of the Aztec which they fled after a warning from their gods. This possible solution to the problem would form the basis for his next book Atlantis In America, published by Lewis Spence not long afterwards.
8vo, v-xv + 232 pp, red cloth boards. Shelf cocked. Spine and corners bumped, slight soiling to back board. Book block darkened. Contemporary ownership signature on front free endpaper. Small stain affecting lower margin of frontis, title page, and first two pages of Spence’s introduction. Occasional foxing, pp 24-25 stained by newspaper bookmark. Good condition.
If you liked this book, you might also like ” Atlantis In America “, also by Lewis Spence .
