Lemuria Lemuria (), or Limuria, was a continent proposed in 1864 by zoologist Philip Sclater, theorized to have sunk beneath the Indian Ocean, later appropriated by occultists in supposed accounts of human origins. The theory was discredited with the di ...

is the name of a mythological "lost land" which was purported to have been located in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and

Pacific Oceans The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. It is said in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

legend to have been civilised for over 20,000 years, with its population speaking

. The concept of Lemuria has been rendered obsolete by modern understanding of

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large ...

and

continental drift Continental drift is the hypothesis that the Earth's continents have moved over geologic time relative to each other, thus appearing to have "drifted" across the ocean bed. The idea of continental drift has been subsumed into the science of pla ...

, which have disproven the past existence of a "lost continent". However, it persists in the literature of

pseudoarchaeology Pseudoarchaeology—also known as alternative archaeology, fringe archaeology, fantastic archaeology, cult archaeology, and spooky archaeology—is the interpretation of the past from outside the archaeological science community, which rejects ...

and has been used as a location and inspiration in a wide range of novels, television shows, films and music.

Speculative Authors

"Lemuria" entered the lexicon of the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

through the works of

Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...

, a co-founder of the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

, who claimed that the

Mahatmas Mahatma (English pronunciation: , sa, महात्मा, translit=mahātmā) is an honorific used in India. The term is commonly used for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is often referred to simply as "Mahatma Gandhi". Albeit less frequent ...

had shown her an ancient, pre-Atlantean '' Book of Dzyan''. Lemuria is mentioned in one of the 1882

Mahatma Letters ''The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett'' is a book published in 1923 by A. Trevor Barker. () According to Theosophical teachings, the letters were written between 1880 and 1884 by Koot Hoomi and Morya to A. P. Sinnett. The letters were previousl ...

A. P. Sinnett Alfred Percy Sinnett (18 January 1840 – 26 June 1921) was an English author and theosophist. Biography Sinnett was born in London. His father died while he was young, as in 1851 Sinnett was listed as a "Scholar – London University", liv ...

. According to

L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...

, Blavatsky's concept of Lemuria was influenced by other contemporaneous writers on the theme of lost continents, notably

Ignatius L. Donnelly Ignatius Loyola Donnelly (November 3, 1831 – January 1, 1901) was an American Congressman, populist writer, and fringe scientist. He is known primarily now for his fringe theories concerning Atlantis, Catastrophism (especially the idea of an a ...

, American

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

leader

Thomas Lake Harris Thomas Lake Harris (May 15, 1823 – March 23, 1906) was an Anglo-American preacher, spiritualistic prophet, poet, and vintner. Harris is best remembered as the leader of a series of communal religious experiments, culminating with a group call ...

and the French writer

Louis Jacolliot Louis Jacolliot (31 October 1837 – 30 October 1890) was a French barrister, colonial judge, author and lecturer. Biography Born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, he lived several years in Tahiti and India during the period 1865-1869. Jacolli ...

. Subsequent literature on Lemuria by other Theosophical Society writers and by

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century as a ...

, the founder of

Anthroposophy Anthroposophy is a spiritualist movement founded in the early 20th century by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience. Followers ...

, drew upon books by

James Churchward James Churchward (27 February 1851 – 4 January 1936) was a British occult writer, inventor, engineer, and fisherman. Churchward is most notable for proposing the existence of a lost continent, called " Mu," in the Pacific Ocean. His writings o ...

that identified Lemuria as Mu. Within Blavatsky's complex cosmology, which includes seven "

Root Race Root races are stages in human evolution in the esoteric cosmology of theosophist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, as described in her book ''The Secret Doctrine'' (1888). These races existed mainly on now-lost continents. Blavatsky's model was develop ...

s", the "Third Root Race" occupied Lemuria. She describes them as about tall, sexually

hermaphroditic In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...

, egg-laying, mentally undeveloped and spiritually more pure than the following "Root Races". Before the coming of the Lemurians, the second "Root Race" is said to have dwelled in

Hyperborea In Greek mythology, the Hyperboreans ( grc, Ὑπερβόρε(ι)οι, ; la, Hyperborei) were a mythical people who lived in the far northern part of the known world. Their name appears to derive from the Greek , "beyond Boreas" (the God of ...

. After the subsequent creation of mammals, Mme Blavatsky revealed to her readers, some Lemurians turned to bestiality. The later Theosophical author

William Scott-Elliot William Scott-Elliot (sometimes incorrectly spelled Scott-Elliott) (1849–1919) was a theosophist who elaborated Helena Blavatsky's concept of root races in several publications, most notably ''The Story of Atlantis'' (1896) and ''The Lost Lemuria ...

gave one of the most elaborate accounts of lost continents. The English Theosophist received his knowledge from

Charles Webster Leadbeater Charles Webster Leadbeater (; 16 February 1854 – 1 March 1934) was a member of the Theosophical Society, Co-Freemasonry, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church. Originally a p ...

, who reportedly communicated with the Theosophical Masters by "astral clairvoyance". In 1896 he published ''The Story of Atlantis'', followed in 1904 by ''The Lost Lemuria'', in which he included a map of the continent of Lemuria as stretching from the east coast of Africa across the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. Theosophical Society co-founder

Henry Steel Olcott Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason and the co-founder and first president of the Theosophical Society. Olcott was the first well-known American of Euro ...

brought ideas about Lemuria to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

in the context of his

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

prosetlyization, thereby introducing the idea into Tamil culture. James Bramwell portrayed Lemuria in his book, ''Lost Atlantis'', as "a continent that occupied a large part of what is now the South Pacific Ocean".Bramwell, James. ''Lost Atlantis''. (Hollywood: Newcastle, 1974), 193. He described the people of Lemuria in detail and characterized them as one of the "root-races of humanity". According to Bramwell, Lemurians are the ancestors of the Atlanteans, who survived the period "of the general racial decadence which affected the Lemurians in the last stages of their evolution". From "a select division of" the Atlanteans – after their promotion to decadence – Bramwell claims the

Aryan Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...

race arose. "Lemurians, Atlanteans, and Aryans are root-races of humanity", according to Bramwell.Bramwell, 195. Some of the most recent

literature on Lemuria appears in books by

Frank Collin Francis Joseph Collin (born November 3, 1944) is an American former political activist and Midwest coordinator with the American Nazi Party, later known as the National Socialist White People's Party. After being ousted for being partly Jewish (w ...

writing under the pen name Frank Joseph in books printed by the

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

publisher Inner Traditions - Bear & Company. Lemuria has also been referenced in books by David Hatcher Childress.

Australia

Blavatsky theorised that Australia was a remnant inland region of Lemuria and that

Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

and

Aboriginal Tasmanians The Aboriginal Tasmanians (Palawa kani: ''Palawa'' or ''Pakana'') are the Aboriginal people of the Australian island of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. For much of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were widely, and ...

(which she identified as separate groups) were of Lemurian and Lemuro-Atlantean origin, after cross-breeding with animals. Her idea was subsequently developed in pseudo-histories and fiction of the white Australian popular culture of the 1890s and early 1900s, including the writings of nationalist Australian poet

Bernard O'Dowd Bernard Patrick O'Dowd (11 April 1866 – 1 September 1953) was an Australian poet, activist, lawyer, and journalist. He worked for the Victorian colonial and state governments for almost 50 years, first as an assistant librarian at the Supreme ...

, author

Rosa Campbell Praed Rosa Campbell Praed (; 26 March 1851 – 10 April 1935), often credited as Mrs. Campbell Praed (and also known as ''Rosa Caroline Praed''), was an Australian novelist in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Her large bibliography covered multiple ...

in ''My Australian Girlhood,'' author John David Hennessey in ''An Australian Bush Track'' and

George Firth Scott George Henry Firth Scott, ( – 3 January 1935) was a Scottish-born Australian journalist and writer, generally known as G. Firth Scott. He was the son of George Firth Scott, Land Commissioner and Emma Elizabeth (née Barnes). He was born about 18 ...

's novel ''The Last Lemurian: A Westralian Romance.'' Robert Dixon suggests that the popularity of the idea of "lost races" like Lemurians and Atlanteans reflected the anxieties of colonial Australians, that "when Englishness is lost there is nothing to replace it".

A. L. McCann Andrew Lachlan McCann is an Australian academic and writer of horror fiction. Biography McCann lives in Victoria and holds both an MA from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from Cornell University. His academic work has won him awards and ...

attributes Praed's use of the Lemuria trope to an "attempt to create a lineage for white settlers without having to confront the annihilation of Indigenous people" (which Praed's father was involved in).

Mount Shasta

In 1894, Frederick Spencer Oliver published '' A Dweller on Two Planets'', which claimed that survivors from a sunken continent called Lemuria were living in or on

Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of , it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades ...

in northern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Oliver claimed the Lemurians lived in a complex of tunnels beneath the mountain and occasionally were seen walking the surface dressed in white robes. In 1931

Harvey Spencer Lewis Harvey Spencer Lewis F.R.C., S:::I:::I:::, 33° 66° 95°, PhD (November 25, 1883 – August 2, 1939), a noted Rosicrucian author, occultist, and mystic, was the founder in the US and the first Imperator of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosa ...

using the pseudonym Wishar Spenle Cerve wrote a book published by AMORC about the hidden Lemurians of Mount Shasta that a bibliography on Mount Shasta described as "responsible for the legend's widespread popularity." This belief has since been repeated by Guy Warren Ballard and the followers of the Ascended Masters and the Great White Brotherhood,

The Bridge to Freedom The Bridge to Freedom, an Ascended Master Teachings religion, was established in 1951 by Geraldine Innocente and other students of the Ascended Masters, after she received what was believed to be an "anointing" to become a "messenger" for the Gre ...

The Summit Lighthouse The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth (and is now the corporate parent) of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's ...

Church Universal and Triumphant The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth (and is now the corporate parent) of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's ...

and Kryon.

Kumari Kandam

Some Tamil writers such as

Devaneya Pavanar Devaneya Pavanar (also known as G. Devaneyan, Ñanamuttan Tevaneyan; 7 February 1902 – 15 January 1981) was a prominent Tamil scholar who wrote over 35 research volumes. Additionally, he was a staunch proponent of the "Pure Tamil movement" an ...

have associated Lemuria with

Kumari Kandam Kumari Kandam is a mythical continent, believed to be lost with an ancient Tamil civilization, supposedly located south of present-day India in the Indian Ocean. Alternative names and spellings include ''Kumarikkandam'' and ''Kumari Nadu''. In ...

, a legendary sunken landmass mentioned in the Tamil literature, claiming that it was the

cradle of civilization A cradle of civilization is a location and a culture where civilization was created by mankind independent of other civilizations in other locations. The formation of urban settlements (cities) is the primary characteristic of a society that c ...

List of notable examples in popular culture

Literature

is best known for his novel ''The Last Lemurian: A Westralian Romance'' (1898) *

Richard Sharpe Shaver Richard Sharpe Shaver (October 8, 1907 Berwick, Pennsylvania – November 5, 1975 Summit, Arkansas) was an American writer and artist. He achieved notoriety in the years following World War II as the author of controversial stories that were pri ...

's "I Remember Lemuria" was published in the science fiction magazine ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'', in the March 1945 issue; related stories were prominently featured over the next four years. * H. P. Lovecraft mentioned Lemuria as a previous resting place for the Shining Trapezohedron in the

Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an ...

story "

The Haunter of the Dark "The Haunter of the Dark" is a horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written between 5–9 November 1935 and published in the December 1936 edition of ''Weird Tales'' (Vol. 28, No. 5, p. 538–53). It was the last written ...

". * In the

Kull Kull may refer to: Arts * Kull of Atlantis, a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard ** ''Kull the Conqueror'', a 1997 fantasy action film based on Howard's character and starring Kevin Sorbo * King Kull (DC Comics), a Fawcett Comics and D ...

stories of Robert E. Howard, Lemuria is a nation of islands inhabited by a race of barbarians.Howard, Robert E. (2006). ''Kull: Exile of Atlantis''.

Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It ...

. . In Howard's '' Conan'' tales, Lemuria has been destroyed in a great Cataclysm but the survivors have become the ancestors of the Hyrkanians.Howard, Robert E. (2003). "

The Hyborian Age "The Hyborian Age" is an essay by Robert E. Howard pertaining to the Hyborian Age, the fictional setting of his stories about Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in the 1930s but not published during Howard's lifetime. Its purpose was to main ...

" essay in ''The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian''. Del Rey Books. . * Two implicit references to Lemuria are found in

J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

's artwork: 1) In the world map printed in ''The Shaping of Middle-earth'', the continent labelled "Dark Land (South Land)" is implicitly a Lemurian analogue. And in his watercolor illustration of the Earth as seen from the Moon, the (unlabeled) continents of Atlantis and Lemuria are visible. * In

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...

Thongor of Lemuria ''Thongor of Lemuria'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Lin Carter, the second book of his Thongor series set on the mythical continent of Lemuria. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in 1966. The author afterwards revised and e ...

novels, wizards and warriors fly over the jungles of the prehistoric continent in John Carter-style antigravity

airships An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air Powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding a ...

, battling both

dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

and other more

Lovecraftian Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...

horrors. Thongor also starred in his own short-lived

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

comic, and film producer

Milton Subotsky Milton Subotsky (September 27, 1921 – June 27, 1991) was an American film and television writer and producer. In 1964, he founded Amicus Productions with Max Rosenberg, Max J. Rosenberg. Amicus means "friendship" in Latin. The partnership pro ...

tried to make a movie with

David Prowse David Charles Prowse (1 July 1935 – 28 November 2020) was an English actor, bodybuilder and weightlifter. He portrayed Darth Vader (voiced by American actor James Earl Jones) in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy and a manservant in Stanle ...

playing the burly barbarian hero. * In

Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, genres and themes, including history, music, scie ...

's 2009 novel ''

Inherent Vice ''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to investigat ...

'', Lemuria is mentioned quite a few times. Being an ephemeral place, it serves as an apt symbol for 1960s California. * In the ''

Perry Rhodan ''Perry Rhodan'' is a West Germany, West German/Germany, German space opera franchise, named after its hero. It commenced in 1961 and has been ongoing for decades, written by an ever-changing team of authors. Having sold approximately two billi ...

'' series, Lemuria was the home continent of the Lemurians (also called the First Humanity) 50,000 years ago. * In

Dougal Dixon Dougal Dixon (born 1 March 1947) is a Scottish geologist, palaeontologist, educator and author. Dixon has written well over a hundred books on geology and palaeontology, many of them for children, which have been credited with attracting many to ...

's '' After Man: A Zoology of the Future'', the author posits that a portion of eastern Africa will break off from the main continent and become the last refuge of large ungulates, which are outcompeted by "rabbucks" (rabbit descendants) elsewhere in the world, and names the new island "Lemuria". * In

Karel Čapek Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel ''War with the Newts'' (1936) and play ''R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal Ro ...

's 1936 novel ''

War with the Newts ''War with the Newts'' (''Válka s Mloky'' in the original Czech), also translated as ''Salamander Wars'', is a 1936 satirical science fiction novel by Czech author Karel Čapek. It concerns the discovery in the Pacific of a sea-dwelling race, ...

'', engineers use the eponymous Newts in order to create a new continent, Lemuria, as a part of their many

land reclamation Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...

projects. * In

Daniel Pinkwater Daniel Manus Pinkwater (born November 15, 1941) is an American author of children's books and young adult fiction. His books include ''Lizard Music'', ''The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death'', ''Fat Men from Space'', ''Borgel'', and the pi ...

's 1979 novel '' Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars'', the myth of Lemuria and other lost places is used by travelers from other worlds as a way to refer to their cultures without revealing their origin. Lemuria is also referenced heavily in the plot. * In Matt Carter's 2016 novel ''Almost Infamous: A Supervillain Novel'', Lemuria is home to a race of technologically advanced reptilian race, who are rivals to the equally advanced

Atlanteans As an adjective, Atlantean (or Atlantian) means "of or pertaining to Atlas or Atlantis". Atlantean may also refer to: * Atlantean figures, a type of ancient artifacts * ''Atlantean'' (documentary series), a trilogy of TV films discussing the or ...

Film

* ''

The Return of Chandu ''The Return of Chandu'' is a 1934 American 12-episode fantasy film serial based on the radio series '' Chandu the Magician''. It was produced by Sol Lesser and directed by Ray Taylor, and starred Béla Lugosi as Frank Chandler (aka Chandu the M ...

'', the 1934 film serial continuation of the 1932 movie '' Chandu the Magician'' starring

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

, partly takes place on Lemuria. *In ''The Lost City'', a 1935 film serial, the last survivor of Lemuria seeks to conquer the world. * The antagonists of the 1973 movie ''

Godzilla vs. Megalon is a 1973 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, written by Fukuda and Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho� ...

'' claim to be descendants of the civilization on Lemuria, although they refer to themselves as Seatopia. * ''

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy film, fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the ''Arabian Nights'' tales of Sinbad the Sailor, it is the second of thre ...

'' The 1973 film's adventures takes place mostly on Lemuria * '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' features a ship called "The Lemurian Star". Lemuria is featured in the plotline of the Captain America comics.

Television

* In the 1978 television series ''

Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series) ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction television series created by Glen A. Larson and starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch, and Dirk Benedict. The series follows the surviving humans as they flee in the fictional spacecraft o ...

,'' the opening prologue refers to "the lost civilizations of Lemuria, or Atlantis." * '' Transformers: Cybertron,'' in its initial form of ''Transformers: Galaxy Force,'' featured Lemuria as the name of a starship. * In the Japanese television series ''

GoGo Sentai Boukenger is the 30th series in Toei Company, Toei's Super Sentai series, a metaseries of Japanese language, Japanese tokusatsu programming. It was the first installment to be broadcast in the 16:9 aspect ratio. It premiered on February 19, 2006, at 7:30 ...

,'' the character Natsuki Mamiya (BoukenYellow) is a survivor of ancient Lemuria. * In ''

The Secret Saturdays ''The Secret Saturdays'' is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens for Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 3, 2008 in the United States. The series follows the adventures of the Saturdays, a family of ...

'', a main character, Fiskerton, is a Lemurian. *In '' Mighty Max'', the protagonist's mentor, Virgil, and his nemesis, the Skull Master, are the last survivors of Lemuria. *In ''

Ancient Aliens ''Ancient Aliens'' is an American television series that explores the pseudohistorical and pseudoarchaeological ancient astronauts hypothesis, past human- extraterrestrial contact, UFOs, government conspiracies and related pseudoscientific topi ...

'', season 14 episode 12 about

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and contact with ancient astronauts *In ''

The Deep (2015 TV series) ''The Deep'' is a CGI animated television series based on the comic book created by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer and published by Gestalt Comics. The series was developed by executive producer Robert Chandler, optioned by Technicolor, and prod ...

'', the protagonists Nekton family has a long history of searching for "the lost city of Lemuria", which becomes a major plot arch in seasons 2 and 3. * In ''

The Bureau of Magical Things ''The Bureau of Magical Things'' is an Australian drama television series created by Jonathan M. Shiff and developed by Jonathan M. Shiff and Mark Shirrefs that premiered in Australia on Eleven on 8 July 2018, and aired through 2 November 201 ...

'', the Orb of Lemuria is a magical object created by elves and fairies that annihilated Lemuria, and later gave magical powers to the protagonist, Kyra.

Games

* The

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

'' Radia Senki: Reimeihen'' takes place in a world called Lemuria. * In the video game '' Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth'', the antagonistic underground faction known as the Nonmaltas are descendants of Lemuria, their humanoid rivals the Dinamur are descendants of

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...

, while modern surface-dwelling humans are descendants of Mu. * In the video game ''

Golden Sun is a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. ''Golden Sun'' follows the story of a group of magically-attuned "adepts" who are charged with preventing the potentially destru ...

'' series, Lemuria is a major plot point. In the first title, locating Lemuria is the motivation behind the construction of Babi's Lighthouse by Lord Babi, who had previously shipwrecked on the island and obtained a supply of water from the

fountain of youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...

there. In the sequel, '' Golden Sun: The Lost Age,'' the party member and Water Adept Piers is a Lemurian, and much of the game is spent figuring out how to navigate through the Sea of Time, where Lemuria is located, and defeat its guardian,

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...

. * In the

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

'' Ever 17'', the primary setting is an underwater theme park called LeMU, which is entirely themed around Lemurian ruins. * In the video game ''

Nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...

'', one of the many secret dungeons included in the game is the "Dungeon of Lemuria". * The video game ''

Kinectimals ''Kinectimals'' (known as ''Kinect Animals'' in Japan and South Korea) is a video game for the Xbox 360 that uses Kinect, with versions also available for various mobile devices. In the game players can interact with virtual animals in a manner ...

'', takes place on an island named "Lemuria" populated mainly by

lemur Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are Strepsirrhini, wet-nosed primates of the Superfamily (biology), superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 Family (biology), families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 exist ...

s and felines. * In the video game ''

Final Fantasy XI also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...

'', a supernatural region known as Lumoria (commonly referred to as "Sea" by players) is introduced in the expansion Chains of Promathia towards the end of the main storyline. * The video game '' Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings'', the main part of the story centers around the discovery of Lemurés, a floating continent above Ivalice that was shielded from the rest of the world by the god Feolthanos. * In ''Genius: the Transgression'', a

fan-made Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature), ...

expansion Expansion may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine * ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004 * ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970 * ''Expansio ...

of the

tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...

'' New World of Darkness'', Lemuria is two things: 1) a "Bardo" (a scientifically-obsolete theoretical place that manifests when disproved) that appeared when the theory of plate tectonics became accepted as fact; or 2) an ancient organization of Geniuses who controlled the course of human development (led by the time-traveling former inhabitants of said Bardo), whose control began to falter during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

and ended in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. * In the trading card game ''

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine between September 1996 and March 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, w ...

'', there is a card known as "Lemuria, the Forgotten City". * The video game ''

Child of Light ''Child of Light'' is a platform game, platforming role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in April 2014, and was released on PlayStati ...

'' takes place in a mystical world known as Lemuria. * In the video game ''

Risk of Rain ''Risk of Rain'' is a 2013 platform game developed by Hopoo Games and published by Chucklefish. The game, initially made by a two-student team from the University of Washington using the GameMaker engine, was funded through Kickstarter before ...

'', which takes place on a mysterious, fictional planet, enemies are called Lemurians. * In the online game ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and ...

'', the Noble Phantasm Chant of Helena Blavatsky contains Lemuria's name as "Lemuria in the sea" * The Commodore 16 game ''Lemuria'' published by

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

takes place there. * The MMORPG ''

Champions Online ''Champions Online'' is a free-to-play superhero-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) developed by Cryptic Studios. The game is based on the ''Champions'' license and its rules and setting are loosely based on the HERO ...

'' features an underwater zone called Lemuria. * The MMORPG ''

Wizard101 ''Wizard101'' is a 2008 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by KingsIsle Entertainment. Players take on the role of student wizards who must save the Spiral, the fictional universe in which the game is s ...

'' has Lemuria as the 15th world in its main storyline. * In the deductive puzzle game '' The Case of the Golden Idol'', set in the 18th century, Lemuria is a nation formed by twelve clans who created a mystical golden idol that the game revolves around.

Music

* The eleventh full-length album released in 2004 by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion is titled ''

''. * Symphonic black metal band

Bal-Sagoth Bal-Sagoth ( /baʊl 'sægɑθ/ ''b-owl SA-goth'') were a symphonic black metal band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, formed in 1993. Originally formed as an epic symphonic black metal band with strong death metal elements, vocalist/lyrici ...

has an album named ''

A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria ''A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria'', is Bal-Sagoth's 1995 debut album after their 1993 demo. The album was recorded in a two-week period in June 1994, but due to label problems the album was released almost a year later. The name Lemuria comes ...

'' which features Lemuria. * The band

Visions of Atlantis Visions of Atlantis is an Austrian metal band from Styria, founded in 2000. Inspiration came both from successful symphonic metal band Nightwish and from the myth of Atlantis. History ''Eternal Endless Infinity'' and lineup changes ( ...

has a song on their second album ''

Cast Away ''Cast Away'' is a 2000 American survival drama film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, and Nick Searcy. Hanks plays a FedEx troubleshooter stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in ...

'' titled "Lemuria" and a song called "Return to Lemuria" on '' The Deep & the Dark''. *Electronic musician Lone has an album called '' Lemurian''. * American band

Sun City Girls Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981, the group consisted of Alan Bishop (bass guitar, vocals), his brother Richard Bishop (guitar, piano, vocals), and Charles Gocher (drums, voc ...

feature a song called "The Fine-Tuned Machines of Lemuria" on the '' You're Never Alone With a Cigarette'' 7" single. * Alternative rock artist Black Francis explained that his song "

Velouria "Velouria" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis. "Velouria" was released as a single in July 1990 and was the band's first UK Top 40 hit. It was included as the third tra ...

" is about a Lemurian girl living in

who "was covered in fur". * Italian black epic metal band

Stormlord (band) Stormlord is an extreme metal (self-classified as "Extreme epic metal") band from Rome, Italy. They have released six full-length albums to date: ''Supreme Art of War'' (1999), ''At the Gates of Utopia'' (2001), ''The Gorgon Cult'' (2004), ''Mare ...

released a song titled "Memories of Lemuria" on their 2005 album ''

The Gorgon Cult The Gorgon Cult is the third studio album by the Italian symphonic black metal band Stormlord. Melodic riffs, high speed double bass intensive drumming, extensive use of keyboards and orchestral parts form the backbone of the record. Also this ...

''. * Australian electronic band

Midnight Juggernauts Midnight Juggernauts were an Australian band from Melbourne, composed of Andrew Szekeres, Vincent Vendetta (Vincent Heimann), and Daniel Stricker. The band has been described as anything from 'prog dance meets cosmic film scores', to 'slasher-fl ...

released a song simply titled "Lemuria" on their 2010 album ''

The Crystal Axis ''The Crystal Axis'' is the second album from Australian electronic band Midnight Juggernauts. It was released on 28 May 2010. The album was the feature album on Triple J for the week of 24 to 30 May. Some editions of ''The Crystal Axis'' feat ...

''. *The 2015 album '' The Ancient & Arcane'' by American EDM artist

Varien Nikki Kaelar (born May 15, 1990), better known by her stage name Varien, is an American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Varien has incorporated or experimented with such styles as industrial, metal, orchestral, neofolk, and ambi ...

contains a song titled "Transmissions from Lemuria". *''Lemuria, The Lost Continent'' is a 20-minute composition for two cellos, percussion and cello choir commissioned by the Left Coast Ensemble written by composer

Clarice Assad Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fami ...

*The second track of the 1969 ''

'' album by American jazz composer

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

is titled "Lemuria". * The eighth track on the 2000 album '' In Name and Blood'' by

The Murder City Devils The Murder City Devils is an American garage rock band formed in 1996. History The band's original lineup, consisting of Spencer Moody, Dann Gallucci, Derek Fudesco, Coady Willis, and Nate Manny, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1996. Gabe Ke ...

, released through

SubPop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

, is entitled "Lemuria Rising"

Comics

* In

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, there are two fictional nations that both use the name

. One is the underwater home of Princess

Llyra Llyra is a supervillainess appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Llyra first appeared in '' Sub-Mariner'' #32 (December, 1970) and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. Fictional character biog ...

, an antagonist to

Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc ...

, while the other is the underground homeland of the superhuman Deviant race. * In

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, the Lemurians are a scaly race of humanoids living below the sea. ('' Super-Team Family'' #13-14) * In the ''

Saint Seiya , also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It ...

'' canon, there are three Lemurians that apparently survived the disappearance of the continent: Shion, Mu and Kiki. The three of them possess extremely powerful telekinetic powers. In ''

Saint Seiya Omega is an anime series produced by Toei Animation. It is a spin-off of the ''Saint Seiya'' anime series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada, produced in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the franchise.

'', there is one more: Raki, Kiki's apprentice. * At one point, the protagonist of ''

Dresden Codak ''Dresden Codak'' is a webcomic written and illustrated by A. Senna Diaz (formerly Arryn Diaz). Described by Diaz as a "celebration of science, death and human folly", the comic presents stories that deal with elements of philosophy, science an ...

'' wonders why Lemuria is missing from a wall-size map of the world.{{cite web, url=http://dresdencodak.com/2012/11/03/dark-science-22/ , title=Archive » Dark Science #22 - Caspar , publisher=Dresden Codak , date=2012-11-03 , accessdate=2014-08-05

Footnotes

Fictional continents Fictional locations in comics Places in popular culture

Popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...