Global warming? Magnetic reversal? Or something else? I know everyone is saying that it means the end of the world, but I think that is because a lot of people are hooked on apocalypticism gone wrong. Most likely the end of the calendar means a change with huge implications, rather than an end to all life?
2007-10-31 04:12:00 · 16 answers · asked by Jerusalem Delivered 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
It's pretty anticlimactic. Are you ready for this?
It marks the time when the earth crosses the "dark band" at the center of the Milky Way. The Mayans believed that this was the dawning of a new age (and the end of the previous one). there is no archaeological evidence whatsoever to support the idea that the Mayans believed that the world would be destroyed or that anything bad would happen at this time. It was merely a time of religious importance to them, and the start of a new era - like the "dawning of the Age of Aquarius" from that cheesy old song.
I think it's amazing that their calendar system was so sophisticated that they were able to time it so accurately. But there is no reason to believe that it is a portent of doom. To them, it just marked the time to toss out the old calendar and get a new one.
Read more here:
http://www.crawford2000.co.uk/maya.htm
2007-10-31 05:04:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
What does the end of the Mayan Calendar really mean? That's just as far along as they got in their calendar making before they were overrun by enemies, plague or some other natural disaster.
Consider the following:
1. They were chipping away at stone, NOT computer generating their calendars in mass production. In other words, their task was very time consuming and most likely they never finished their calendar but stopped where they did for the reasons I've already mentioned.
2. They were concerned with their own existence, NOT what was going to happen in the 21st. Century to an unknown people.
3. They failed to foretell their own demise through assimilation.
NONE of the doom-sayers who have forever been predicting the end of the world have been right. Don't let the Mayan Long Count Calendar take away your peace of mind. Don't worry... Be happy!
Best.
H
2007-10-31 12:14:00 · answer #2 · answered by H 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Mayans were worshipers of time and space. They were able to accurate calculate celestial events dating thousands of years. They calculated the positions of the moon and planets with near perfect precision, something that astounds present day scientists. You must remember that the Mayan civilization spanned over 1100 years. The Spanish conquest sponged Mayan culture and writings and only four Mayan books survived the Spanish invasion. The end of the Mayan calendar is full of mystery. As I understand it, the Mayans claimed that “things will cease to exist as we know them on December 2012”.
I would recommend watching the video Time Life’s “Lost Civilization” and visit this website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization
2007-10-31 12:09:43 · answer #3 · answered by Bohemio 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I guess nobody truly knows what if anything will happen. I have believed for many years though that it will be the start of a new age for mankind.
Hopefully it will be a case of back to basics and a more real existence for those that survive. I have afeeling that the date roughly collides with the date put forward for the magnetic pole to flip as well.
Found a link.
2007-10-31 11:26:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why would the end of the Mayan calendar mean anything? They have never been known as a "prophetic race" and we certainly don't look to their culture for wisdom or other teachings. Why would we consider the end of their calendar to have any importance at all?
2007-10-31 11:16:48 · answer #5 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It's another y2k-style hoax/ legend. Buy into it for Halloween fun, but don't buy into it as truth. It's not.
If you really want to worry about the future, and Global Warming isn't doing it for you, read up on the weakening of the geomagnetic field, coming soon to the planet earth. The changes it brings could be profound and really really scary...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/
2007-10-31 11:19:37 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. Vincent Van Jessup 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They became to busy dealing with the Europeans that they never got around to writing the rest of the years.
2007-10-31 12:16:57 · answer #7 · answered by Pantherempress 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree that it's just another legend that's grown way out of proportion. Change is coming, big change, I can feel it, but the end of the world will not.
2007-10-31 11:37:28 · answer #8 · answered by I'm just me 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I swear, if I had a shot for every time someone asked this question...
NO. IT MEANS NOTHING YOU ... GAH!
when your calander runs out at the end of the year, doe the world end? NO.
2007-10-31 12:05:09 · answer #9 · answered by Darkwolf 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it could predict a seismic or weather event affecting the Yucatan peninsula where the Mayans lived.
2007-10-31 15:49:02 · answer #10 · answered by stefano 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋