# The Gods of Mars — Clue Index

**Source:** `gods-of-mars.txt` (PG #64). Second Barsoom novel (1913).  
**Assumption:** Content may encode redacted fact. Challenge claims of invention.

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## 1. Locations — Valley Dor, River Iss, South Pole

| Line ~ | Passage / Theme | Invention? / Disclosure angle |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| 1162, 1197–1198 | River Iss empties into Lost Sea of Korus in Valley Dor; south polar region | **Pilgrimage destination** — religious fraud. Most specific polar encoding in early Barsoom. |
| 1315–1320 | Issus, Goddess of Life Eternal; "wouldst cheat... Issus"; "bear you upon her leaden bosom... to the Valley Dor" | **Invented deity** — or encoded priestly fraud? Matches mars-fiction-survey: pilgrimage = trap. |
| 1805–1855 | Holy Therns eat human flesh; "abide upon outer slopes of Mountains of Otz"; guard Temple of Issus; "all who reach Valley Dor are rightful prey" | **South pole power structure** — multi-layered. Therns = white priests. Where did Burroughs get this? |
| Ch 46 | Depths of Omean — subterranean sea | **Underground geography** — polar interior. |
| 1221–1222 | Legend: one man returned from Valley Dor, "narrated" — implied disclosure | **Single survivor** — folklore of the one who came back. |

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## 2. Civilizations — Holy Therns, First Born (Black Pirates)

| Line ~ | Passage / Theme | Invention? / Disclosure angle |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| 1815–1820 | Holy Therns: "cruel and hateful race"; outer slopes of Mountains of Otz | **White priests** — religious caste. |
| Ch 6 | Black Pirates of Barsoom | **First Born** — Black Martians. Prelude to full reveal in later books. |
| 1839–1852 | Valley Dor victims = Thern prey; Temple of Issus = "heaven within heaven" for therns | **Layered conspiracy** — each level exploited by next. Mars-fiction-survey: exact structure. |
| 1771–1775 | "Temerity to escape from Valley Dor"; "voluntary pilgrimage upon River Iss" | **Pilgrimage as death trap** — central Barsoom encoding. |

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## 3. Species — Plant Men

| Line ~ | Passage / Theme | Invention? / Disclosure angle |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| Ch 1 | The Plant Men — chapter title | **Vegetative beings** — wotw-telepathic-purge: Plant Men at south pole. |
| Forest setting | Trees; "un-Martian"; open sea; red grass; "park-like" cultivation | **Valley Dor ecology** — distinct from dead sea bottoms. Encoded habitat? |

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## 4. History / Frame

| Line ~ | Passage / Theme | Invention? / Disclosure angle |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| 96–99 | Atmosphere plant; "opened frowning portals... in time to save countless millions" | **Atmosphere Factory** — critical; ties to Princess. |
| 166–169 | "Wise and mysterious therns... credited with holding secret of life and death" | **Thern reputation** — Carter proves them ignorant. Discredits priesthood. |

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## 5. Possibly Invented (Challenge)

| Element | Why invented | Why disclosure |
|---------|--------------|----------------|
| Issus as immortal goddess | Pulp villain; religion-as-fraud | Encodes priestly imposture; fits institutional pattern |
| Plant Men as vegetative monsters | Horror trope | wotw-telepathic-purge: Plant Men = Valley Dor fauna; connects to host-body/Kaldane themes |
| Omean as underground sea | Fantasy geography | Polar hollow-earth speculation; Lasswitz North Pole |

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## 6. Cross-References

- [princess-of-mars-index.md](princess-of-mars-index.md) — River Iss, Atmosphere Factory
- [warlord-of-mars-index.md](warlord-of-mars-index.md) — Okar, north pole
- [wotw-telepathic-purge](/cosmos/mars/investigations/wotw-telepathic-purge.md) — Plant Men, host body
- [Mars Literature: Author Profiles](/timeline/evt-mars-literature-appendix)

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Keywords: #Gods #Mars #Clue