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Louis JacolliotFrench writer, traveler, colonial judge and teacher
Date of Birth: 31.10.1837
Country:  France |
Content:
- Louis Jacolliot
- Adventure and Educational Novels
- Comparative Religion and Indian Mythology
- Social Activism in Adventure Novels
- The Lost Continent of Ruta
- Legacy and Influence
- Death and Popularity
Louis Jacolliot
Early Life and TravelsLouis Jacolliot, a renowned French writer, traveler, colonial magistrate, and professor, was born in 1837 in Charolles, France. He embarked on a series of expeditions to exotic locations, spending time in Oceania (Tahiti) and India from 1865 to 1869. Jacolliot's travels took him across Indochina and America, where he held judicial positions in French colonial territories.
Adventure and Educational Novels
Upon his return to France, Jacolliot penned numerous books, including "Voyage au pays des éléphants" (1876), "Les fakirs charmeurs" (1880), and "Voyage au pays des bayadères" (1873). His novels typically fell into two categories: adventure stories such as "Les voleurs de mers," and works infused with popular scientific knowledge, sometimes tenuously related to the plot, as seen in his "Côte d'Ivoire" trilogy.
Comparative Religion and Indian Mythology
Louis Jacolliot dedicated many works to ethnography and the comparative study of Indian religion and mythology. In "La Bible dans l'Inde, ou la Vie de Iezeus Christna," he examines the parallel lives of Krishna in Hindu scriptures and Jesus Christ in the Gospels, suggesting a remarkable number of coincidences between them. Jacolliot concludes that the Gospels draw inspiration from ancient Indian mythology, without claiming Jesus visited India directly. He argued that "Christ" is a transcription of "Krishna" and that Krishna's disciples called him "Iezeus," meaning "pure essence" in Sanskrit.
Social Activism in Adventure Novels
Jacolliot's travelogues and adventure novels, such as "Les mangeurs de feu" (1887), "Dans les jungles de l'Inde" (1888), and "Perdus dans l'Océan" (1893), express his empathy for oppressed peoples. He criticizes the practices of British, Portuguese, and French colonizers. In India, Jacolliot collected Sanskrit legends, which he later publicized.
The Lost Continent of Ruta
Jacolliot claims to have discovered a Sanskrit text mentioning a continent called Ruta, which was swallowed by the Indian Ocean. However, he suggests that this refers to the Pacific Ocean, linking it to the myth of Atlantis. The legend of Ruta resembles the tale of the lost continent of Mu.
Legacy and Influence
Louis Jacolliot's writings were frequently cited by Helena Blavatsky in "Isis Unveiled," and his theories on Lemuria serve as the inspiration for her writings on the subject. Jacolliot is also credited with introducing the idea of Agharta in his book "Les Fils de Dieu."
Death and Popularity
Louis Jacolliot passed away in 1890 in Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes, Seine-et-Marne, France. His works gained immense popularity in Russia, with 18 volumes published in translation in 1910. However, they were banned in the Soviet Union as socially harmful and remained unavailable from 1928 to 1989, with the exception of "Les Fils de Dieu et les hommes de Dieu," published in 1958.
