The Maya-Egyptian Connection
In Queen Móo and the Egyptian Sphinx, Augustus Le Plongeon (d.1908) presents a provocative theory linking the ancient Maya civilization to the foundations of Egyptian culture. Written in the 19th century, this work exemplifies a period when speculative archaeology blurred the boundaries between scholarship and interpretation.
Le Plongeon’s central claim is that the Maya civilization was not only among the earliest but also served as a “mother culture” that influenced societies across the globe. At the heart of this narrative is Queen Móo, a Maya queen whose life, according to Le Plongeon, is preserved in the art, texts, and monuments of Mesoamerica. He portrays Queen Móo as a pivotal figure who, after enduring political upheaval, journeyed across the Atlantic to Egypt, bringing Maya knowledge and innovation to a nascent Egyptian civilization.
One of Le Plongeon’s most striking assertions is that Queen Móo played a role in creating the Great Sphinx, interpreting it as a monument with distinctly Maya influences. Through his interpretations of Maya glyphs and Egyptian iconography, he argues that cultural and technological exchanges between these civilizations were possible and evident in their art and architecture.
The Na’acal tablets are artifacts said to document the advanced knowledge of the ancient civilization of Mu, which is believed to have predated Egypt and Babylon. Augustus LePlongeon first used the term “Naacal” in 1896 in his work Queen Moo and the Egyptian Sphinx on page, xxiv:
“That wisdom was no doubt brought to India, and from there carried to Babylon and Egypt in very remote ages by those Maya adepts (Na’acal — “the exalted “), who, starting from the land of their birth as missionaries of religion and civilization, went to Burmah, where they became known as Nagas, established themselves in the Delckan, whence they carried their civilizing work all over the earth.”
Le Plongeon described the Na’acals as missionaries of Mayan religion and civilization. Rosicrucian James Churchward somehow found these tablets and read them in India.
Mu, to Atlantis, to Maya, to Egypt
Le Plongeon asserted that the origins of Freemasonry’s symbols could be traced back to the ancient Maya, proposing that this knowledge was carried to ancient Egypt via Atlantis. He constructed an imaginative and speculative narrative that placed the Maya civilization at the heart of global cultural development. According to their interpretation, the Maya cities of the Yucatán were the cradle of civilization, from which culture and knowledge spread eastward—first to Atlantis and subsequently to Egypt.
The Le Plongeons went as far as to name kings and queens of these speculative dynasties, attributing ancient artworks to depictions of these royal figures. Among these was the iconic Chacmool sculpture, which the couple uncovered during their excavations at Chichén Itzá. They wove a detailed yet highly fanciful tale of Queen Móo and Prince Coh, also known as “Chac Mool.” According to their story, Prince Coh’s untimely death inspired the creation of monumental tributes in his honor.
LePlongeon is Thanked and Dismissed
While Le Plongeon’s contemporaries dismissed his claims due to their speculative nature and lack of empirical evidence, his work tapped into a growing fascination with lost civilizations and ancient mysteries.
Further Reading
LePlongeon, Queen Moo and the Egyptian Sphinx – Free resource. This is actually a pretty good book to read, though I doubt it is very accurate.
Getty Research Collection, Augustus and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon papers circa 1840-1937 (bulk 1860-1910) – Free resource
“The Naacal Secrets of Mu” – Internet Link
Author: mountshastamyths
Lurking around here with more questions than answers