Ancient Civilizations: Lost Worlds of the Past

Avalon – Arthurian Legends and the Isle of Apples

Episode 36 journeys into the legend of Avalon, the Isle of Apples tied to the Arthurian cycle. Famous as the place where King Arthur was taken after his final battle, Avalon is depicted as a paradise of healing, prophecy, and eternal youth. Sometimes associated with Glastonbury, Avalon represents both a Celtic otherworld and a Christianized heaven, blending traditions into a powerful myth. It has endured through literature, religion, and popular imagination as a symbol of hope, renewal, and the promise of return.

Xanadu – The Mystical Palace of Kublai Khan

Xanadu, the legendary summer capital of Kublai Khan. Founded in the 13th century as Shangdu, it was carefully planned with grand palaces, gardens, and fortifications. Marco Polo described it as a dazzling center of wealth and culture, while centuries later Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan transformed Xanadu into a symbol of mystical paradise and fleeting grandeur. Although the city declined after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, its ruins in Inner Mongolia—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site—confirm its historical reality. Xanadu endures as both an archaeological site and a timeless symbol of beauty, power, and imagination.

Agartha – Journeying into the Earth’s Hollow Depths

Episode 34 examines the legend of Agartha, the fabled subterranean world said to lie within the Earth. Rooted in Buddhist and Hindu myths, shaped by the Hollow Earth theory, and embraced by esoteric traditions, Agartha was imagined as a paradise of wisdom and advanced beings, connected to the surface by hidden gateways. While science dismisses its physical reality, the myth persists as a symbol of humanity’s longing for hidden truths, inner journeys, and lost utopias.

Ys – Legends of Submerged Cities and Coastal Catastrophes

Ys, a magnificent city said to have once stood on the coast of Brittany before being swallowed by the sea. Built by King Gradlon for his daughter Dahut, Ys was protected by massive dikes and gates, but the city fell when Dahut—whether through folly, temptation, or betrayal—opened the sea barriers. A storm surged in, drowning the city and leaving only echoes beneath the waves. While Ys is most likely a myth rooted in cultural memories of coastal floods, its story has endured for centuries as a symbol of hubris, divine retribution, and humanity’s fragile relationship with the sea.

Iram of the Pillars – Myths and Realities of the Desert City

Explores Iram of the Pillars, the legendary Arabian city described in the Qur’an and later folklore as the City of a Thousand Pillars. Believed to have been destroyed by divine punishment and buried beneath the sands, Iram has been compared to Atlantis as a symbol of hubris and downfall. Modern discoveries, including the site of Ubar in Oman, suggest a historical basis for the legend. Whether myth, memory, or reality, Iram endures as both a cautionary tale and a beacon for explorers.

Akakor – Exploring the Amazonian Enigma

Akakor, an alleged underground Amazonian city popularized in the 1970s. Based on accounts by the mysterious figure Tatunca Nara, Akakor was described as a legacy of gods who once ruled the Earth. While widely regarded as a hoax, its story has been tied to disappearances, conspiracies, and the murder of journalist Karl Brugger. Recent Amazonian archaeology shows advanced societies once existed in the region, raising questions about the roots of such myths. Akakor endures as an Amazonian enigma, blending myth, fraud, and the lure of hidden civilizations.

Shangri-La – Pursuing Paradise in the Himalayas

Ancient Civilizations: Lost Worlds of the Past explores the legend of Shangri-La, a mythical Himalayan paradise popularized by James Hilton’s 1933 novel Lost Horizon. Rooted in Tibetan traditions of Shambhala, Shangri-La represents a hidden utopia of peace, longevity, and enlightenment, shielded from the chaos of the outside world. While countless explorers and even modern governments have sought its “real” location, its true meaning lies as a spiritual metaphor rather than a geographical place. Shangri-La endures in literature, film, and cultural imagination as humanity’s timeless dream of harmony and inner peace.

El Dorado – Gold, Greed, and the Quest for Lost Cities

El Dorado from a gold-covered king in Muisca ritual to a mythical city of boundless riches. Spanish conquistadors and European explorers risked—and often lost—their lives chasing the legend through the jungles and mountains of South America. While no golden city was ever found, the myth of El Dorado endures as a symbol of human ambition, greed, and the allure of the unattainable.

Hyperborea - Legends and Lore of the Northern Lands

Episode 28 explores the myth of Hyperborea, the legendary northern paradise described by the ancient Greeks as a land beyond the North Wind. Said to be inhabited by peaceful, long-lived people devoted to Apollo, Hyperborea evolved into a spiritual symbol of purity and perfection. Though its location and existence remain unproven, the legend has influenced esoteric traditions, polar myths, and the universal human longing for a lost utopia.

Mu – Unraveling the Mystery of the Sunken Continent

Episode 27 takes listeners deep into the legend of Mu—a mysterious sunken continent said to have once existed in the Pacific Ocean. Originating from 19th-century fringe archaeology and later expanded by occult writer James Churchward, Mu was imagined as a highly advanced civilization that predated all others. Though debunked by modern science, the myth of Mu continues to captivate spiritual seekers and alternative historians. This episode explores its origins, supposed legacy, and lasting symbolic power in our search for forgotten wisdom.