MAYAN CALENDAR, 2012, AND MILLENNIALISM, MYTHS OF OUR TIME

“The medium is the message”

Marshall McLuhan

First let me say that most people when they hear the word Myth their understanding Generally is with regard  to some sort of tale with no foundation, something that primitive cultures in lack of our contemporary Scientific knowledge used as an explanation of the World they lived in, but that now days are totally unnecessary, and that modern Men have no use whatsoever for such nonsense, but maybe for the studious curiosity of  some Anthropologist so they can write a paper, or exhibit in some museum along with some artifacts recovered from an ancient site.

Despite that for now almost a Century, more, and more Anthropologist, and Scholars around the world have gained a new richer understanding of Myth, not like the capricious imagination of underdeveloped societies, but as a Meta-History, which character is Sacred, and the foundation of society ancients, and what is more, also contemporary!

Yes, as a modern society we are no different from ancient societies, Worldwide if in our time, because of communication, and the mass exportation of our contemporary ideas about our life as a dominant culture we disseminate our beliefs, and customs in subtle, and in no so subtle ways, take the Myth of Christmas, Santa Claus, the pine tree, with it’s ornaments, the gift giving, the jolly old fellow with a white beard, and red suit, a product of Thomas Nast a German American caricaturist of the 19Th Century, and now celebrated around the world, regardless of being and import of commercial Imperialism.

And that is a relative benign export, there is more insidious, and dangerous exports to other cultures, Marshall McLuhan  that visionary of the future used to say:

“All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.”

He went as far as to say of those who tried to find a difference between the media, and the message:

“Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know the first thing about either.”

Today our life is shaped by those who provide meaning to our living, this be not what we really want, but whatever they got to sell! And that is the Mythology of our time…Let’s examine some of our current Myths:

Science, Democracy, and Freedom will bring a new age of progress, that would solve all our problems through progress in Technological, Medical, Economical, and Political breakthroughs, intergalactic travels, we may even to acquire eternal life, end of strenuous labor, and enduring well being! Few if for the cynic question this beliefs, and almost none see this as the materialization, or literal interpretation of a much older Myth.

ZOROASTRIANISM

This is an old Myth that many cultures have shared under different tenets, but it basically known asMillennialism or Chiliasm. Millennialism is as old as the History of Religion, the Zoroastrian Religion that provide the structure for the relative more new Judaism, and later Christianity, Frashokereti is the name for the  Zoroastrian doctrine of a final renovation of the universe, when evil will be destroyed, and everything else will be then in perfect unity with  Ahura-Mazda. The term probably means “making wonderful, excellent” the knowledge of this subject is known as Eschatology,  (last knowledge) the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world from a Religious perspective.

JEWISH

The Jewish people of course are waiting for the Messiah, and a Resurrection,but they are no different to the numerous branches of Christians in their diverse interpretations of this Millennialism, Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, Kabbalist, Reconstructionist Judaism, if it similar, they hold variances in interpretation, that alter their belief, like Conservatives try to not take this as  literal, but a symbolic meaning, meanwhileReconstructionist go as far as to reject a personal Messiah, and a Golden Age brought by God, content to say that Human beings can help to bring a better World.

HINDU

Hindu Eschatology rely in Cyclical time or Chatur Yugas,they divide time in to ages; Satya Yuga is the Golden Age where Humans live as close to the Divine in it’s purest ideal were Man live in goodness, theMahabarata  describes it as:

there were no poor and no rich; there was no need to labour, because all that men required was obtained by the power of will; the chief virtue was the abandonment of all worldly desires. The Krita Yuga was without disease; there was no lessening with the years; there was no hatred or vanity, or evil thought; no sorrow, no fear. All mankind could attain to supreme blessedness.

Unfortunately the Satya Yuga is followed by three other ages, Treta Yuga or Silver Age, Dwapar Yuga Copper Age, and finally Kali Yuga, Iron Age, our current age, the Mahabarata describe it as:

Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly.Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world.People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.  Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other.Ignorance of Dharma will occur.People will have thoughts of murder for no justification and they will see nothing wrong with that mind-set.Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable, and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement of life.Sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish.People will take vows only to break them soon after.People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks and drugs.Men will find their jobs stressful and will go to retreats to escape their work.Gurus will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted and followers of Karma will wrest control of the mind from all human beings. Brahmins will not be learned and honoured, Kshatriyas will not be brave, Vaishyas will not be just in dealings and Shudras will not be honest and humble to their duties and to the other castes.

Sound familiar?

BUDDHISM

Buddhist have Maitreya a future Bodhisattva that would appear on Earth, and after achieving complete Enlightenment, he:

“will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya’s teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will lead the holy life of chastity under Maitreya’s guidance. They will have torn the net of the passions, they will manage to enter into trances, and theirs will be an abundance of joy and happiness, for they will lead a holy life under Maitreya’s guidance.”

CHRISTIAN

Between the Christians numerous churches the prophecies contained in Revelations of John, are interpreted according to their own particular inclinations, but is believed that before the Last Judgment:

Among Christians who hold the belief, of Millennialism, this is not the end of the world, but rather the penultimate age, the age just prior to the end of the world when the present heavens and earth will flee away (Rev. 21:1). Some believe that between the millennium proper and the end of the world there will be a brief period in which a final battle with Satan  will take place. After this follows the Last Judgment.

ISLAM

As for Islam they also believe in a final Judgment when the death will be raised, at the sound of the trumpet by the Archangel Israfil who will blow the trumpet twice, the Righteous will be separated from the wicked, ones to enjoy the Garden of Truth, the other to be in Hell, but do not believe that all is as simple as that, in Islam also exist subtle differences in Hermeneutics to this events, and final destiny. A famousHadith attributed to Abu Hurairah (Not in the Holly Q’aran, but accepted reports from reputable sources about the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad and his companions):

One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked, “What is faith?” Allah’s Apostle replied, ‘Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection.” Then he further asked, “What is Islam?”

Allah’s Apostle replied, “To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.” Then he further asked, “What is Ihsan (perfection)?” Allah’s Apostle replied, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.” Then he further asked, “When will the Hour be established?” Allah’s Apostle replied, “The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents.

1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master.
2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of tall buildings. And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah.

The Prophet then recited: “Verily, with Allah (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour–.” (31. 34) Then that angel (Gabriel) left and the Prophet asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet said, “That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion.” Abu ‘Abdullah said: He (the Prophet) considered all that as a part of faith.

There is no doubt billions of people who believe in each of this numerous Eschatology’s. But let’s examine our Modern Myth, with other as well not very well known beliefs.

THE MAYAN CALENDAR

The Mayan Calendar so popular now with the approaching date of December 21, 2012 you may object this not a modern Myth, but by the contrary the Mayan Calendar is a typical example of a Myth for our times, yes the Maya had a great calendar given by the God Itzamna not the house of the iguana as was commonly believed from the root Itz; dew,sap, semen,and sorcerer, or asperser, in other words the primordial Creator of Life.

I will not go on a long winded explanation of the Maya Calendar there is many places where you can find information about their great calendar, I would just like to point their sophisticated concept of time inherited from the Olmecs, and Toltecs previous Mesoamerican Cultures, they were aware of Linear time past, present, and future, with their B’akt’un (Count).

However, and in common with other Mesoamerican societies, the repetition of the various calendric cycles, the natural cycles of observable phenomena, and the recurrence and renewal of death-rebirth imagery in their mythological traditions were important influences upon Maya societies. This conceptual view, in which the “cyclical nature” of time is highlighted, was a pre-eminent one, and many rituals were concerned with the completion and re-occurrences of various cycles. As the particular calendric configurations were once again repeated, so too were the “supernatural” influences with which they were associated. Thus it was held that particular calendar configurations had a specific “character” to them, which would influence events on days exhibiting that configuration. Divinations could then be made from the auguries associated with a certain configuration, since events taking place on some future date would be subject to the same influences as its corresponding previous cycle dates. Events and ceremonies would be timed to coincide with auspicious dates, and avoid inauspicious ones.

In other words they had an Astrological system that predicted events, in society at large, as for the individual as well, based in their Cosmology different that ours in mechanics, but not in principle. For those interested you can read the following excerpt about Mayan Astrology, if not go to the end for my conclusion.

MAYAN ASTROLOGY

Mayan thought and day-to-day activities were both deeply wrought up with astrology during the height of Mayan civilization. Mayan religion, philosophy, jurisprudence, medicine, agriculture, hunting, intimate relationships, etc. etc. completely revolve around a 260-day almanac known as the Chol Qij, (sometimes called Tzolkin) or count of days  The Chol Qij consists of twenty naguals which can be thought of as archetypes roughly analogous in significance to the Greek twelve Zodiacal signs; except they are considered to be alive and petitionable. A nagual is preceded by a numerical coefficient ranging from one to thirteen which modifies its underlying meaning. Thus twenty naguals x 13 numerical coefficients = 260 days. The origin of this numerical system is unknown but some Mayans believe that the number comes from the fact that 260 days is considered the normal human gestation period.

As in generic, Western Astrology, the Chol Qij has many uses: for example, it serves purposes which are analogous to Natal Astrology, Horary Astrology, and Electional Astrology. As in natal Astrology, a person’s character and destiny are determined by which of the twenty naguals, as modified by its numerical coefficient, rules the day on which that the person is born. The person’s nagual is considered to be his or her inseparable companion for life, and predicts the person’s personality, relationship to the community, and good or ill fortune. The nagual on which a person is supposedly conceived (counted twelve naguals ahead of the birth nagual) is considered to bear a secondary influence. Everything which a person does throughout life is conditioned by his or her nagual; and everyone has a place and a purpose which are determined by that nagual. Mayans traditionally performed propitiatory rituals on the day of their own nagual (every twenty days; and especially every 260 days when the birth nagual and coefficient return).

The Chol Qij is also used like horary astrology, to divine for answers to specific questions such as: Does my husband have another lover? Should I do this business deal? How shall I cure this illness? What will be the outcome of this journey? Should I marry this person? Where is this lost object? Divination is carried out by Sortilege: a Mayan priest manipulates 260 red tzintè seeds to obtain a nagual and coefficient which give the answer to the question being asked.

And as in Electional Astrology, there are propitious and unpropitious days for pursuing every human activity imaginable: planting, hunting, journeying, marrying, healing, etc.

Additionally, the Chol Qij serves a fourth purpose for which the counterpart in western Astrology, will be Theurgy,  namely evocational magic. Mayan ceremonies are usually performed for a particular purpose: to bring wealth, success in business, to bless newlyweds, to fecundate a sterile woman, etc. A Mayan priest will recommend which day is propitious for performing a ceremony for the given purpose. Then the order of the Mayan ceremony follows the order of the twenty naguals, beginning with the nagual of the day of the ceremony. Each of the twenty naguals is invoked in turn and petitioned for its particular virtues.

CONCLUSION

Now when I said this is a Myth of our times I am pointing to the fact that even if we know now how the Mayan Calendar works, and we understand somewhat their Astrological system, we lack the profound insight that their cultural background contributed to their Symbology, we still  know very little what this ancient culture mean by their prophecies based on their Calendar! There is no doubt Mayan Elders who may posses great part of, if not all the knowledge of their great ancestors, however this Elders lack media exposure, The Council of Maya Elders have a very different view of what we non Mayans have to say about their own Calendar!

In other words, once again we have taken their calendar, and the end of a cycle of 5,128.76 years out of context, and impose our Millennialist Myths of an end of the World in to their Cosmology!

For those worried about the end of the World by the 21, or 23 of December 2012, you can rest in the assurance the World will not end, and do not sweat the small stuff, and rest in the certain knowledge the end of or world will come to each of us in at our individually appointed time.

If interested in the subject you can go to my other posts “Olmecs. Toltecs, The Maya, and their ancestral Wisdom” (October 2011) and “Aquila, Ophiuchus, Quetzalcoatl, Alchemy of transformation” (March, 2011)