Seola

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Seola is an antediluvian novel published in 1878, written by Anne Eliza Smith. The publishers of the novel are Boston: Lee and Shepard, New York: Charles T. Dillingham.

The majority of the novel purports to be a translation of an ancient scroll diary, written by the wife of Japheth. Japheth is one the three sons of Noah who survived the great deluge as depicted in the bible book of Genesis. Anne Smith describes how she was inspired to write the novel in the appendix of Seola. She writes:

"Seola is a fantasy, revealed to the writer while listening to the performance of an extraordinary musical composition. It was sudden and unforeseen as the landscape which sometimes appears to a benighted traveller, for one instant only, illumined by the lightning's flash.

It does not therefore pretend to be either history or theology, but yet the theory upon which the story is founded is in strict accordance with the sacred writings of the Hebrews and traditions of other ancient nations."

Some of her research into the ancient traditions of these nations can be found in her first published work entitled, From Dawn to Sunrise. The appendix and notes section at the end of the novel Seola explain certain passages within the story and how they are supported by real ancient texts. Portions of the story can be perceived as extrapolations from the Haggada, the Mahabharata, The Book of Enoch and the creation myths of Greek mythology. See the external links section to view the texts.

Book spine artwork

[edit] Plot introduction

The greatest discovery of the nineteenth century is found by accident. A team of archaeologists uncover one of the most ancient burial tombs of all time. Inside the tomb they find something far greater than gold or gems, they find a diary of a person who lived more than four thousand years ago. The team pool all their knowledge together in order to translate the scroll diary before it disintegrates in the foreign air. The beginning entry of the journal gave no doubt as to the era the individual claims to come from. The entry reads, “West Bank of the Euphrates, first moon-evening, after Adam, four cycles”. The author of the journal identifies herself as Seola, daughter of Aleemon and Lebuda. Her father was the son of Lamech and his father was Methuselah. Aleemon had a passion for study and the preservation of historical records. This desire kept him near a grand city which contained a wealth of knowledge on the history of the world written down on scrolls. The city’s name was Sippara and it was also known as the city of the Sun. This desire also endangered the lives of his family. It so happened that the city was the royal seat of the one who ruled the planet. This ruler was known as Lucifer the Light Bearer, King of the Sun. He and his kind were ruling the earth for over 1100 years, since the days of Jared. These beings were known as the Devas. The Devas were angelic spirit beings that materialized into human form. Their superior powers enabled them to dominate and instill fear into the human race. They sought after the most beautiful women of mankind and took them as wives. Through the union of the mortal female and the angelic being came male children of large stature. These offspring were known as the Darvands. The Darvands were ruthless bullies with strength that none could match.

Seola begins her journal at the request of her father. Her first entries are common and uneventful because the family has been relocated to an isolated section of the forest away from Sippara and their life is peaceful with the isolation. The tranquility eventually comes to an end because the Devas discover their private sanctuary. The threat to the family is neither by wealth or possession but by way of beauty.

[edit] Plot summary

The diary of Seola is about a girl's struggle to resist a wicked world. Her resolve to remain loyal to God is so strong she influences a fallen angel to repentance. The diary is unique because it gives a detailed account on how the Great Deluge started. One of the planets in the solar system becomes unstable and its destruction causes the waters above the expanse to fall.

[edit] Miscellanea

Seola was revised in 1924 by an unknown author and retitled to the name Angels and Women.

There is a unique mystery to be found with the Journal of Seola. Rene Noorbergen published a work on ancient civilizaions in the year 1977 and titled it "Secrets of the Lost Races." He made mention of a rumor that spread around 1950 about the existence of ancient scroll diary. Months prior to the Oriental Archaeological Research Expedition, to the supposed location of Noah's Ark on top of Mount Ararat, two individuals expressed their interest in finding the supposed scroll diary in the possession of a masonic order, as it was said. Dr. Philip Gooch told the expedition leader, Aaron J. Smith, that the ancient diary gave details of the events leading up to the deluge. Dr. Gooch said these details about the scroll: "The diary was written by Noah's daughter-in-law. The author of the Journal called herself Amoela and she claims to have been a student of Methuselah. He taught her about the history that transpired from the creation of Adam to the deluge. Her youngest son Javan placed the completed scroll diary in his mother's tomb after she died in the 547th year of her life. The diary was placed in a crystal quartz case, with tempered gold hinges and clasps. The crystal case was then found by a high ranking Mason in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The original and the translation of the diary were stored in an unknown Masonic Lodge." Rene Noorbergen continues to say in his publication that after the death of Dr. Gooch the mystery of it ever being factual was lost forever. The most probable solution to this mystery is that passages of the novel Seola (1878) and of the novel Angels and Women (1924) spread between individuals and portions of the novels became embellished and began to be thought of as fact around 1950.

Here is an interesting Chaldean myth to consider that came from the Babylonian named Berossus. Berossus claims that a man named Noa was compelled to build an ark to save his household from an impending disaster. Noa dwelt in Syria with his sons Sem, Japet, Chem and their wives Tidea, Pandora, Noela, and Noegla (one of these being Noa's wife.) It is possible that Anne Smith created her main character from this Chaldean myth because one of the wives here is named Noela. The name Seola has a close sounding ring to the name Noela. In the appendix section of Seola, Ann Smith said she was compelled to use the name Seola because of its Norse meaning as the word, soul.

Here's an interesting comparison of the novels, including the details given by Dr. Gooch:

1. Seola (published in 1878) Javan mentions her death at 800 years of age.

2. Aloma (published in 1924 as Angels and Women) Javan mentions her death at 500 years of age.

3. Amoela (mentioned by Dr. Gooch, 1950) Javan mentions her death at 547 years of age.

The musical composition that Mrs. Smith heard has never been made public, only one could guess that it must have been beautiful and moving. Naturally, music has a way of stirring with the emotions of individuals and that can be observed when visiting the theater. If there was ever to be a modern equivalent of the music heard by Mrs. Smith, the best candidate would be the works done by Enya. The songs that stand out for the novel are "May It Be" and "Aníron" created for the first installment of Peter Jackson's, "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring", originally written by J.R.R. Tolkien.

[edit] External links

• Original Seola novel for sale
• Seola text
• Angels and Women Foreword
• Berosus Chaldean legend
• Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg from the Haggada
• Hindu Legends of the Devas from the Mahabharata
• The Book of Enoch
• Creation story of Greek mythology
• Original Serpent (Lucifer) legend of Greek mythology
• Amolea's diary mystery
• Secrets of the Lost Races by Rene Noorbergen
• Library of Congress Catalog