I came across the theory of Catastrophism over a year ago. Weird pseudo science it is, but compelling and fantastical and strangely seductive is it also. Basically, it's a realm of thought that says that in our near history, as little as 5000 years ago, mankind, physics, and the alignment of the celestial bodies were vastly different than they are today.
In prehistoric times, Saturn was the most conspicuous object in the sky. This body was observed by ancient man as a rotating sphere, which means that markings of some sort were clearly visible on its surface. Since tradition insists there was no way of telling time in those "days," these markings must have been of a fluctuating nature with no specific form retaining a recognizable shape that could have been timed with each rotation. Fluctuating surface markings bespeak an active atmosphere, perhaps in turmoil, and the impression one receives, especially in view of what transpired later, is that Saturn was an unstable gaseous body.
Unlike the Sun, the luminary did not rise or set. It simply hung suspended in the north celestial pole, which could only mean that it shared the same axis of rotation with Earth. More than that -- and this was a puzzle I had not yet solved -- the texts speak of this planetary deity as having ruled alone and in darkness. The Sun, it is stated, was completely absent from the sky.
Man remembers this age as a time of perpetual night. But for Saturn to have been visible, it must have shed some light. Since the light did not dissolve the gloom, the illumination must have been feeble. For fauna and flora to have thrived, Saturn must also have shed warmth. Man himself went completely naked. He knew nothing of chilling winds, cold rain, of snow, or ice.
During this period, the Saturnian orb does not seem to have been paid much heed. It was simply there, invoking neither fear nor reverence. But then an event transpired of such stupendousness that it went down in the annals of mankind as Day One. Saturn suddenly flared up in nova-like brilliance, flooding the Earth and its inhabitants with a blinding light. The act of creation had commenced.
Further reading: Aeon Journal
Weird I know, but it makes some excellent reading, exploration of myth, inconsistancies of science, and a philosophy that is so far outside of the box as to be somewhat believable. If we believe in miracles, divine intervention, and the existance of the fantastical, then this isn't that far off. Whether true or not, it will leave you wondering what if. And if anything, it will take you away to a strange fantastical world that could very well be our own.