Queen Moo facts for kids

Queen Moo is a mythical Mayan queen. She was written about by Augustus Le Plongeon and his wife, Alice Dixon Le Plongeon. The Le Plongeons were early explorers. They did the first excavations at Chichen Itza in 1875. Their ideas about Queen Moo came from murals and carvings they found there. Most experts today agree that there is no real proof for Le Plongeon's theories. So, Queen Moo is considered a made-up character.

The Story of Queen Moo

Augustus Le Plongeon believed Queen Moo was a real Mayan queen. He thought her life story was shown in the carvings and paintings at Chichen Itza. He said that Queen Moo and her husband, Prince Coh, were like the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris. Prince Coh was also known as Chac Mool.

Queen Moo's Family and Flight

Queen Moo was the oldest daughter of King Canchi and Queen Zoc. Both her brothers, Prince Coh and Prince Aac, wanted to marry her. She chose Prince Coh. Prince Aac became very jealous. He then killed Prince Coh. After Prince Coh died, Queen Moo ran away. She wanted to find safety in the Land of Mu. This land is also called Atlantis. But when she got there, the civilization was gone. So, she traveled all the way to Egypt.

Symbols and Connections

Queen Moo's name came from the Mayan word for macaw. This was because of the bird pictures linked to her. Le Plongeon thought this meant Moo and Isis were the same. Isis is often shown with wings. Chacmool means "jaguar paw." Le Plongeon believed the jaguar was Prince Coh's symbol. He even claimed that the Egyptian Sphinx was built by Queen Moo. She supposedly built it to honor her dead husband. The Sphinx has a cat body and a human head.

Queen Moo's Special Necklace

Augustus Le Plongeon found a jade pendant. He found it during his digs at Chichen Itza. He believed this pendant belonged to Queen Moo. He gave it to his wife, Alice Dixon Le Plongeon. The Le Plongeons thought Alice was Queen Moo reborn. Alice was even photographed wearing the pendant. They called it Queen Moo's Talisman.

What Archaeologists Really Found

Le Plongeon found a well-preserved mural. It was in the Temple of the Jaguars at Chichen Itza. He said this mural was "the key" to understanding the chacmool figures. But modern experts still don't fully understand the mural's meaning. It might show the attack on the Mayan city of Piedras Negras in the ninth century. Le Plongeon, however, believed it told the story of Prince Coh, Prince Aac, and Queen Moo.

How Le Plongeon Changed Images

One problem with Le Plongeon's work was how he changed pictures. He often didn't say where photos of old buildings came from. He also showed small details without showing the whole structure. Even more confusing, he changed or "collaged" images. He then presented them as if they were original photos. For example, he heavily redrew a photo of a "Queen Moo" carving from Uxmal. It looked very different from the original. His drawing of Chichen Itza's Platform of Venus was completely made up. He used these changes to support his own stories.

The Chacmool Figures

Le Plongeon thought the stone chacmool figures were Prince Coh. He wrote that they were "a true portrait of a man." He believed they showed Prince Coh in battles and at court. But many experts disagree. Mary Ellen Miller called this an "outrageous idea." She thinks the figures likely show a captured enemy. She also noted that chacmool figures look similar to statues in other places. These include Tikal and Tula.

Miller says that old Mayan writings don't mention the chacmool. This makes their meaning hard to figure out. However, two Aztec chacmools found at the Templo Mayor give more clues. These figures have water symbols. They also hold a cuaxicalli, a bowl for sacrificed hearts. This bowl is over the figure's stomach. They also have a mask of Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god. Miller concludes that these clues mean the figures are Tlaloc.

Books About Queen Moo

Augustus Le Plongeon wrote three books about Queen Moo and Chac Mool. These include Queen Moo and the Egyptian Sphinx (1896). His books were published with help from the Free Masons. Le Plongeon was a Mason himself. He believed that Mayan culture was the basis for Egyptian civilization. He also claimed that Free Masonry was invented by the Maya.

Alice Dixon Le Plongeon also wrote about Queen Moo and Prince Coh. In 1902, she published a long poem called Queen Moo's Talisman: The Fall of the Maya Empire. She later turned this poem into a play. These works shared the couple's ideas about their past lives. Alice chose to write her ideas as fiction. She did not try to make them scientific archaeological works. Her work was published by the Theosophical Society. She was closely connected to this group.

After Le Plongeon died, Alice gave his papers to James Churchward. Churchward then published several books. These included The Lost Continent of Mu (1926). His books were even stranger than Le Plongeon's. However, Churchward moved the lost continent of Mu to the Pacific Ocean.

Why Experts Disagreed

Augustus Le Plongeon was not a trained archaeologist. But many people in his time weren't either. He did provide many photos and molds of ruins. These were from Uxmal and Chichen Itza. However, in the late 1800s, archaeology was becoming more scientific. Le Plongeon often disagreed with other experts.

Henry Chapman Mercer, an American archaeologist, found no proof for Le Plongeon's ideas. He said the evidence showed the opposite. Edward Herbert Thompson was another Mayan archaeologist. He studied the same evidence as Le Plongeon. Thompson also wondered about links between the Maya, Atlantis, and the Old World. But even he said: "Don't build too much on Le Plongeon's theories." He felt no proof of contact between the old and new worlds had been found.

Modern Views on Le Plongeon

Some modern critics focus on Le Plongeon's Romantic way of thinking. This affected his theories. Brian M. Fagan, an anthropology professor, said Le Plongeon's ideas came from his "romantic subconscious." Juan Peon Contreras, a museum director, said Le Plongeon's theories were based on "strange archaeological reasoning." Experts say Le Plongeon's interest in psychic archaeology fit well with his wife's interest in mesmerism, seances, and the occult.

Le Plongeon came to the New World with his ideas already formed. He had read about the Maya spreading to the Old World. He was convinced of this before he even started digging. His research suffered from confirmation bias. This means he looked for things that proved his ideas. He could not look at the evidence without a bias. Robert Brunhouse wrote that Le Plongeon was "opinionated, haphazardly informed and reckless."

Queen Moo's Influence Today

Alison Bailey Kennedy was an anthropologist. She sometimes used the nickname "Queen Mu."

Codex Maya by Steve Benzell is an adventure novel. It is based on a character named Monique Le Plongeon. She discovers a lost collection of Mayan books.