http://www.armageddononline.org/mayan.php
2012: The End?
The ancient peoples of Mesoamerica were of a vast interconnected
empire, filled with rich art, education and destruction. The Maya
were one of these tribes. Other than archaeological intrigue why
are these people so studied? Their written language was based on
pictographs, much like the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Mayan
culture was like most other native cultures.
The Maya had an understanding of mathematics and understood the
value of zero long before its discovery in the Eastern parts of the
world. Their understanding of numbers and astronomy gave us the
Mayan calendars of the Long and Short Counts. So why does this
calendar attract so much attention now? The Mayan calendar ends on
the Gregorian calendar date of December 21, 2012, which most people
believe is the total end of civilization, as we know it, while
others believe it is simply a change of enlightenment in this
current time. Many theories have sprung up about this end date,
ranging from the laughable, to the religious, to the
scientific.
There are actually three Mayan calendar systems, the 365-day Solar
year, the 260-day Ritual year, and the 5,128 years of the World
Time calendar. The Haab or Solar year was broken down into an 18
month plus five days cycle. 18 months of 20 days and the 5 soulless
days which were thought to be of ill omen, kind of like 5 days of
Friday the 13th. The Tzolkin (zol-KEEN) or Sacred Round was the
260-day ritual calendar was broken down by days, not months. This
religious calendar was the basis on how the people, singly and
collectively, went on with their day-to-day lives according to
destiny.
August 11, 3.114 B.C. when the world began in, long count to
Gregorian translation. This beginning date was reached by finding a
point in future time (December 21 2012) and counting backwards, as
theories go, which gives us a 5,126 year span, not including year
zero. This is still one year off if year zero is included. The
Mayan World calendar is a series of 5,128 years per span. What is
the extra year? Were translations wrong somehow, it is quite
possible.
So what is supposed to happen on this magical date of December 21,
2012?
One theory suggests that a Magnetic Field shift will occur around
this time, that the calendar was based on pole shifts, which have
occurred repetitively throughout the Earths history. The Maya,
understanding the time periods between these shifts created their
Long count calendar around them and come up with the final date for
the next pole shift. But how would they know what to look for to
expect another shift? How much time was supposed to pass between
these shifts and how did they know it? Was there record passed down
to them from long ago recounting a time when there was a prior pole
shift so that mathematics could be used to predict the next one to
come? Or did the ancients study a form of dendrochronology the
study of climate changes by looking at tree rings.
Others suggest a much more mythical or religious approach. December
21, 2012 is also the Winter Solstice, and provides us with a view
that will not be seen again in any of our lifetimes. The Sun will
conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way in the ecliptic, giving
us view of the Sacred Tree as called by the Maya, giving us view of
the Tree of Life. Both of these scenarios are quite possible, one
scientific explanation, and one religious. What we still do not
know, and probably will not know is what will happen after this end
date until it actually occurs. A new dawn of enlightenment would be
a step towards progression, in that mankind would become more aware
of their surroundings and the impact that they have on the Earth as
well as a higher intelligence and consciousness and a better
mindset for helping their fellow man. Perhaps this is the end, when
Mother Nature finally decides to shrug off the oppressiveness that
has been created by the children and start anew. We may just end up
living through another doomsday prophecy, going to work or school
as usual, looking back on the prophecies and laughing them off.
Peter may have cried wolf too often for our cynical minds.
