Lewis Spence
Encyclopedia
James Lewis Thomas Chalmbers Spence (25 November 1874 - 3 March 1955) was a Scottish
journalist, whose efforts as a compiler of Scottish folklore have proved more durable than his efforts as a poet and occult
scholar.
After graduating from Edinburgh University he pursued a career in journalism. In 1899 he married Helen Bruce. He was an editor at The Scotsman
1899-1906, editor of The Edinburgh Magazine for a year, 1904–05, then an editor at The British Weekly, 1906-09. In this time his interest was sparked in the myth and folklore of Mexico and Central America, resulting in his popularisation of the Maya
n Popul Vuh, the sacred book of the Quiché Mayas (1908). He compiled A Dictionary of Mythology (1910 and numerous additional volumes).
Turning his interest closer to home, he investigated Scottish folklore. An ardent Scottish Nationalist
, he unsuccessfully contested a parliamentary seat for Midlothian and Peebles Northern
at a by-election in 1929
. He also wrote poetry, collected in 1953. He wrote about Brythonic
rites and traditions in Mysteries of Celtic Britain (1905). In this book, Spence theorized that the original Britons
were descendants of a people that migrated from Northwest Africa and were probably related to the Berbers
and the Basques
.
Spence's researches into the mythology and culture of the New World, together with his examination of the cultures of western Europe and north-west Africa, led him almost inevitably to the question of Atlantis
. During the 1920s he published a series of books which sought to rescue the topic from the occultists who had more or less brought it into disrepute. These works, amongst which were The Problem of Atlantis (1924) and History of Atlantis (1927), continued the line of research inaugurated by Ignatius Donnelly
and looked at the lost island as a Bronze Age
civilization, that formed a cultural link with the New World, which he invoked through examples he found of striking parallels between the early civilizations of the Old and New Worlds: the historian of science George Sarton
remarked, in reviewing Spence's Introduction to Mythology in 1921, "Prof. Smith [Spence?], it may be recalled, is the chief supporter of the pan-Egyptian theory; he finds traces of Egyptian influence everywhere, even in America". Spence's erudition and the width of his reading, his industry and imagination were all impressive; yet the conclusions he reached, avoiding peer-reviewed journals, have been almost universally rejected by mainstream scholarship. His popularisations met stiff criticism in professional journals, but his continued appeal among theory hobbyists is summed up by a reviewer of The Problem of Atlantis (1924) in The Geographical Journal: "Mr. Spence is an industrious writer, and, even if he fails to convince, has done service in marshalling the evidence and has produced an entertaining volume which is well worth reading." Nevertheless, he seems to have had some influence upon the ideas of controversial author Immanuel Velikovsky
, and as his books have come into the public domain, they have been successfully reprinted and some have been scanned for the Internet, for the enjoyment of new generations willing to suspend critical disbelief.
Spence's 1940 book Occult Causes of the Present War (ISBN 0766100510) seems to have been the first book in the field of Nazi occultism.
Over his long career, he published more than forty books, many of which remain in print to this day. Spence was also the founder of the Scottish National Movement which later merged to form the National Party of Scotland
and which in turn merged to form the Scottish National Party
.
Occult
Atlantis and other lost worlds
Mythology
Poetry
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
journalist, whose efforts as a compiler of Scottish folklore have proved more durable than his efforts as a poet and occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
scholar.
After graduating from Edinburgh University he pursued a career in journalism. In 1899 he married Helen Bruce. He was an editor at The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
1899-1906, editor of The Edinburgh Magazine for a year, 1904–05, then an editor at The British Weekly, 1906-09. In this time his interest was sparked in the myth and folklore of Mexico and Central America, resulting in his popularisation of the Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
n Popul Vuh, the sacred book of the Quiché Mayas (1908). He compiled A Dictionary of Mythology (1910 and numerous additional volumes).
Turning his interest closer to home, he investigated Scottish folklore. An ardent Scottish Nationalist
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
, he unsuccessfully contested a parliamentary seat for Midlothian and Peebles Northern
Midlothian and Peebles Northern (UK Parliament constituency)
Midlothian and Peebles Northern was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1950...
at a by-election in 1929
Midlothian and Peebles Northern by-election, 1929
The Midlothian and Peebles Northern by-election, 1929 was a parliamentary by-election held in Scotland on 1 January 1929 to elect a new Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituency of Midlothian and Peebles Northern....
. He also wrote poetry, collected in 1953. He wrote about Brythonic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
rites and traditions in Mysteries of Celtic Britain (1905). In this book, Spence theorized that the original Britons
Brython
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
were descendants of a people that migrated from Northwest Africa and were probably related to the Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
and the Basques
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
.
Spence's researches into the mythology and culture of the New World, together with his examination of the cultures of western Europe and north-west Africa, led him almost inevitably to the question of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
. During the 1920s he published a series of books which sought to rescue the topic from the occultists who had more or less brought it into disrepute. These works, amongst which were The Problem of Atlantis (1924) and History of Atlantis (1927), continued the line of research inaugurated by Ignatius Donnelly
Ignatius Donnelly
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly was a U.S. Congressman, populist writer and amateur scientist, known primarily now for his theories concerning Atlantis, Catastrophism , and Shakespearean authorship, all of which modern historians consider to be pseudoscience and pseudohistory...
and looked at the lost island as a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
civilization, that formed a cultural link with the New World, which he invoked through examples he found of striking parallels between the early civilizations of the Old and New Worlds: the historian of science George Sarton
George Sarton
George Sarton was a Belgian chemist and historian who is considered the founder of the discipline of history of science. He left Belgium because of the First World War and settled in the United States where he spent the rest of his life researching and writing about the history of science...
remarked, in reviewing Spence's Introduction to Mythology in 1921, "Prof. Smith [Spence?], it may be recalled, is the chief supporter of the pan-Egyptian theory; he finds traces of Egyptian influence everywhere, even in America". Spence's erudition and the width of his reading, his industry and imagination were all impressive; yet the conclusions he reached, avoiding peer-reviewed journals, have been almost universally rejected by mainstream scholarship. His popularisations met stiff criticism in professional journals, but his continued appeal among theory hobbyists is summed up by a reviewer of The Problem of Atlantis (1924) in The Geographical Journal: "Mr. Spence is an industrious writer, and, even if he fails to convince, has done service in marshalling the evidence and has produced an entertaining volume which is well worth reading." Nevertheless, he seems to have had some influence upon the ideas of controversial author Immanuel Velikovsky
Immanuel Velikovsky
Immanuel Velikovsky was a Russian-born American independent scholar of Jewish origins, best known as the author of a number of controversial books reinterpreting the events of ancient history, in particular the US bestseller Worlds in Collision, published in 1950...
, and as his books have come into the public domain, they have been successfully reprinted and some have been scanned for the Internet, for the enjoyment of new generations willing to suspend critical disbelief.
Spence's 1940 book Occult Causes of the Present War (ISBN 0766100510) seems to have been the first book in the field of Nazi occultism.
Over his long career, he published more than forty books, many of which remain in print to this day. Spence was also the founder of the Scottish National Movement which later merged to form the National Party of Scotland
National Party of Scotland
The National Party of Scotland was a political party in Scotland and a forerunner of the current Scottish National Party.The NPS was formed in 1928 after John MacCormick of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association called a meeting of all those favouring the establishment of a party...
and which in turn merged to form the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
.
Selected works
Ancient Britain- The Mysteries of Britain: Secret Rites and Traditions of Ancient Britain Restored, (1905, reprinted 1994) London: Senate. ISBN 1-85958-057-2
- The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain, (1949, Reprint 1999) Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-40447-1
- Celtic Spells and Charms, (Reprint 2005) Kessinger Publishing ISBN 1-4253-1046-X
- The History and Origins of Druidism, 1949
Occult
- An Encyclopaedia of Occultism: A compendium of information on the occult sciences, occult personalities, psychic science, magic, demonology, spiritism and mysticism, (1920, Reprinted 2003) Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-42613-0
- Occult Causes of the Present War, (1940, Reprint 1997) Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 0-7661-0051-0
- Second Sight: Its History and Origins, Rider 1951
Atlantis and other lost worlds
- The Problem of Atlantis, London, 1924
- Atlantis in America, London: Ernest Benn, 1925
- The History of Atlantis (1927, Reprinted 1995) Adventures Unlimited Press, ISBN 0-932813-28-3
- The Occult Sciences in Atlantis, (Reprinted 1976) Mokelumne Hill Press, ISBN 0-7873-1292-4
- The Atlantis of Plato
- The Evidence For Lemuria From Myth And Magic
- The Problem of Lemuria: The Sunken Continent of the Pacific, London: Rider & Co., 1932
Mythology
- The Popul Vuh: The Mythic and Heroic Sagas of the Kiches of Central America, London, David Nutt, 1908
- A Dictionary of Mythology, 1910
- The Myths of Mexico and Peru (1914, Reprinted 1976) Longwood, ISBN 0-89341-031-4
- The Myths of the North American Indians, London: George G. Harrap & Co, 1914
- Myths and Legends of Babylonia and Assyria (New York:Stokes) 1917; (Reprint 1997) Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1-56459-500-5
- The Legends and Romances of Spain ca. 1920
- An Introduction to Mythology George G. Harrap & Co., 1921
- The Gods of Mexico, Fisher Unwin Ltd., 1923
- The Mysteries of Egypt, or, The Secret Rites and Traditions of the Nile, 1929
- The Magic and Mysteries of Mexico, 1932
- Legends and Romances of Brittany, 1917
- The Minor Traditions of British Mythology, 1948, London: Rider & Co ISBN 9-99000-901-5, Reprinted 1972, Benjamin Blom, Inc ISBN 0-405-08989-9
- The Outlines of Mythology, 1944
- British Fairy Origins: The Genesis and Development of Fairy Legends in British Tradition, London: Watts & Co., 1946
- Fairy Tradition in Britain, (1948, Reprint 1997) Kessinger Publishing ISBN 1-56459-516-1
- Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine
- Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, (Reprint 1990) Dover, ISBN 0-486-26525-0
- Scottish Ghosts and Goblins, 1952
Poetry
- Collected Poems of Lewis Spence, 1953
See also
- Donald Alexander MackenzieDonald Alexander MackenzieDonald Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish journalist and folklorist and prolific writer on religion, mythology and anthropology in the early 20th century.-Life & Career:...
- David MacRitchieDavid MacRitchieDavid MacRitchie was a Scottish folklorist and antiquarian.-Early Life:David MacRitchie was the younger son of William Dawson MacRitchie and Elizabeth Elder MacRitchie. He was born in Edinburgh and attended the Edinburgh Southern Academy, the Edinburgh Institute and the University of Edinburgh...
- Henry O'BrienHenry O'Brien (classicist)Henry O'Brien was an Irish classicist and author best known for his hypothesis concerning Irish round towers.-Life:Henry O'Brien was the son of an aristocratic family from the west of Ireland. At an early age he studied Latin and Greek and took an interest in ancient Greek literature. Later he...