Euhemerism on acid

"Ancient Aliens" is getting more and more embarrassing. Apparently, the Vikings learned how to build ships and practice democracy from aliens. (I didn't know aliens had people's assemblies!) The Viking attack on Lindisfarne was literally led by aliens, and Odin's ravens were mechanical devices, a kind of spy drones. Odin himself was an alien sitting in a satellite circling our planet. Seriously, this is euhemerism on acid!

The Muslim prophet Muhammad was also on a first name basis with aliens, including one Gabriel. A UFO took him from Mecca to Jerusalem during his famous "night's journey". Maybe we can get rid of "Ancient Aliens" by tipping off some local Taliban sleeper cell? OK, that was a joke, but this stuff really rubs my alien, er, onion.

When will Erich von Däniken & Co realize that there aren't just two alternative options when interpreting ancient myths: literalist fundamentalism and equally literalist "materialism", with the literal gods being literal aliens in nuts-and-bolts crafts. How about shamanic journeys, out-of-body experiences, astral worlds, etc? In a sense, "Ancient Aliens" mimic the literalness of the fundamentalism they are trying to expose, a literalness which in some cases might have been purely "exoteric". Talk about misplaced concreteness...

In a weird kind of way, this series actually makes the world less mysterious, less exciting, less enchanted... "Ancient Aliens" isn't just junk science. It's also bad spirituality.