You're aware the Maya calendars also extend far beyond the start of the 13th bak'tun, right? AKA the supposed 'end' of the Long Count Calendar? Which is questionable because many historians and scholars argue it's 20 bak'tuns that end a cycle, not 13.
But, let's ignore all that. Monument 6th's script as read, doesn't suggest a whole lot. One of their gods of creation will descend to some place not us from some place not known and do something. And yet, as you have read in FAMSI, only Monument 6 BRIEFLY mentions 2012. Most of the Maya history is more reflective on the START of this cycle, which they value far more and put far more emphasis on.
If 2012 was so important to the Maya, why do the modern day Maya NOT care about it, and the ancient Maya didn't either? It's a stretch to consider the Maya knew about the black hole in the center of our galaxy, and that their god of creation was going to descend there and do something to it. Seriously, that's a huge stretch.
I really can't say I know what Monument 6 is suggesting, be it trivia or not, but 2012 is largely insignificant to both ancient and modern Maya. But yeah, if I wanted to guess at what Monument 6 was talking about, it might be that said god of creation would descend to a spot of some black emptiness and create something new from it. Let's keep in mind black holes are anything but 'emptiness'. They are something.
Or it could be that the god would travel to a black heart and bring light to it. I really don't know. I don't really care, either! Out of all the Maya transcripts we have, only Monument 6 mentions 2012, and it's brief. One line for it, and then it's back to their other, more significant writings.
In the end, you need to keep in mind these gods don't exist. And if they do, well they're pretty lazy to wait 5000 odd years to do anything shiny! In the end, you need to keep in mind the Maya had multiple calendars, and the Long Count just resets at 13. Keep in mind, 13 is both the start and end of the Long Count. SORT of like an odometer resetting back to 0. Except 0 for them is 13. Kind of.
You'd read FAMSI, darnit!
And, well, if THIS is what is worrying you…?
"The idea of cyclical creations and destructions is a typical feature of Mesoamerican religions, as it is of Oriental. The Aztec, for instance, thought that the universe had passed through four such ages, and that we were now in the fifth, to be destroyed by earthquakes. The Maya thought along the same lines, in terms of eras of great length, like the Hindu kalpas. There is a suggestion that each of these measured 13 baktuns, or something less than 5,200 years, and that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the final day of the thirteenth. Thus, following the Thompson correlation, our present universe would have been created in 3113 BC, to be annihilated on December 24, 2011, when the Great Cycle of the Long Count reaches completion"
I Just shrug my shoulders. You have to keep in mind, even if this is to be considered significant to the Maya themselves, their gods definitely do not exist. So who knows if they consider something like which is suggested from one Mayanist is what they truly thought of their cycles.
Note 'suggestion' that this is what their cycles meant. Not Fact. And again, if everything would reset in 2012, why do their calendars extend far beyond it as if nothing happened? Unless they thought nothing would happen to them, which would go against the theory of creation, destruction, creation again.
And really, we have legitimate proof this cycles DON'T happen. So… yeah. It's up to you to determine what you believe the Maya thought of their 13 bak'tun cycles. My opinion? Nothing. They just liked the number 13. It was a 'holy' number to them. Nothing more.
And if we all are screwed? Enjoy life! What is worrying going to do? You can't stop it, right? Just enjoy your life! To fear both the unknown and the unstoppable is irrational, but I can understand your fear all the same.
NOTHING suggests that the Long Count resetting means a universal reset, with Ancient Egypt being 'established' prior to the start of this current Long Count cycle. If a great destruction and creation happened every time, Ancient Egypt would have lasted about 20 or so years!
It can be argued other civilizations existed prior to Egypt, but obviously not as grand. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I know it's pretty heavily debated, but yeah. If you really want to twist numbers, then perhaps Ancient Egypt was the first civilization of the current Long Count Era, and we're the last!
Pfft… I wouldn't go that far!
Anyway, I'll let someone with more knowledge take over, but you really shouldn't worry about any of this.
LauraLynn (guest) 16 Sep 2010 23:26
