"Paulo Coelho’s classic the “The Alchemist,” is one the most revered books of this century, but has some interesting parallels to an obscure, stranger book “Etidorhpa or the End of Earth: The Strange History of a Mysterious Being.”
After a tough start to life that included stays in a mental hospital, and failed attempts at becoming a writer, Brazilian author Coelho struck literary success with 1988’s “The Alchemist.” “The Alchemist” has won various awards including the Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author, and propped up Coelho’ to celebrity status. In “The Alchemist,” the main character Santiago chased his dream on a cross-continental quest that was rich in symbolism, super natural occurrences, and a mysterious alchemist leading the way.
In “Etidorhpa,” which is Aphrodite spelled backwards (draw conclusions on your own), the main character Llewyllyn Drury and the story that is told, professes to be a dictated manuscript based on an alleged real encounter with a supernatural being named I-Am-The-Man. In “Etidorhpa,” the journey involves a mysterious cave in Kentucky that leads to the core of the Earth where strange beings, vegetation, and creatures are encountered. Some of themes that reoccur involve teachings of practical alchemy, Masonic imagery, the idea of consciousness and how to transcend the physical realm, Hollow Earth theory, and spirituality. The book was written by John Uri Lloyd, and published in 1895, and some ponder if the “trippy” nature of “Etidorhpa” could be attributed to his access to mind-altering substances as a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Both tales include a spiritual journey on multiple parts of the planet that include learning about one’s self, alchemy, the Earth, and one’s spirit, and both include a strange sage guiding the way. Coelho never referenced “Etidorhpa” as influence, and it is likely he’s never ever heard of it, but there are connections in the stories. It is possible that Coelho was familiar with Lloyd’s work of “science fiction,” and never mentioned it, but as for now, that’s another question mark.
In season 2 of “Hellier,” the cult-hit doc-series by the Planet Weird team that has Greg Newkrik and Co. investigating “goblins” in Kentucky spirals to connect to UFOlogy, and various reflections of all things paranormal, the book is referenced due to the synchronicities in the text about caves, cave creatures, gods/ goddesses, and a path to an under ground world via Kentucky.
“‘Etidohrpa’ and ‘Hellier’ both portray a kind of modern chthonic theme in American religious culture: that the underworld is a living and vital presence in the landscape- a place of both hidden knowledge and potential danger,” said PhD candidate in Religion at Rice University Tim Grieve-Carlson.
-By MIKE DAMANTE
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