reptilians
Reptilians are reptile-like, shape-shifting humanoid beings featured in modern conspiracy theories who, according to some theories, secretly live among humans and control the world. The idea was spread mainly by British author David Icke; there is no evidence of their existence.
Reptilians (reptile people) are humanoid beings with reptile-like features that appear in popular culture and in conspiracy theories. The concept is not a scientific category: no reliable evidence supports their existence.
Origins
According to American historian of religion Michael Barkun, the motif of shape-shifting reptilian beings infiltrating humanity originates in Robert E. Howard's 1929 fantasy novella The Shadow Kingdom, in which "serpent men" who take on human form conspire against the kingdom. The motif reached later conspiracy theories through the esoteric literature of the 1940s, and reptile-like alien species also frequently appear in science fiction films and series, which further increased the topic's familiarity.
What its believers claim
The best-known version is associated with British author David Icke, who laid out the theory in detail in his book The Biggest Secret, published in 1999. According to Icke, shape-shifting reptilian beings that came from the direction of the constellation Draco (the Dragon) have been interbreeding with humans for millennia, and their descendants live among the world's leaders, ruling families, banking dynasties and politicians, including in the British royal family and among American presidents. According to the theory, their goal is to subjugate humanity and exploit the Earth's resources.
In a 2013 American Public Policy Polling survey, 4 percent of respondents said they believe in the theory. Researchers treat this figure with caution, because every survey has a few percent of joking or inattentive respondents.
In the UFO scene
In the UFO and alien phenomena scene, reptilians occasionally appear among the alleged extraterrestrial species. Some contactees and abduction accounts also describe reptile-like beings; however, these claims are based on personal accounts, without verifiable evidence.
Official and skeptical position
The scientific position is that there is no evidence for the existence of reptile-like humanoids, either on Earth or beyond it. Researchers and skeptics treat the theory as a typical example of conspiratorial thinking. Several have pointed out that Icke's theories build on old antisemitic tropes: his 1994 book was based on the forgery known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, replacing the word "Jews" with "Illuminati," and The Biggest Secret makes Jewish banking families the driving force behind the conspiracy. Because of this, Icke has been banned from several European countries and from Australia. Official bodies make no mention of such beings.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Reptilian conspiracy theory
- Conspiracy Watch: Conspiracy theory book of the month – The Biggest Secret
- Slate Star Codex: Lizardman's Constant Is 4% (2013)