The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012 - Dr. Synthia Andrews Nd [16]
Mayan Mythology
Mayan mythology was incorporated into daily life. Mythological stories were reenacted in everyday rituals to keep the essence of the story alive and keep people connected to the gods. This ensured that people continued to evolve in consciousness.
The Popol Vuh begins with the creation myth of the Quiche Maya. All Mayan mythology expresses cosmological events. The creation story tells of the changing of the ages; each age is a new creation and expresses an evolutionary stage of development. There are five ages in creation; we are currently in the fourth or fifth age. The creation story is complex and confusing. Gods change identities, names, and qualities. It’s hard to keep track of who’s who. Following are some creation stories that will show up again later in this book.
Creation of the Previous Ages
The creation of man happened in four or five stages, depending on the translation. According to the story, two gods sat and meditated; whatever they put their thought to was manifested. Through their thoughts and words they brought into being the earth, mountains, trees, and animals. Then the gods decided to create a race of beings who could worship them. Unfortunately, the gods made several false starts in setting humanity on the earth path.
In the first attempt humans were made of clay, but they couldn’t speak and worship so the gods destroyed them. Other gods were summoned to help the creation, and in the next attempt, humans were made of wood. Unfortunately, these humans had no soul and they forgot to worship, so naturally the gods “rained blackness on their heads” and “tore them apart.” In the next creation, with the help of even more gods, the “true people” were formed out of mesa, or corn dough. As such, the ancient Maya believed that maize was not only the cornerstone of their diet, but was their material essence as well.
It’s unclear how many ages have actually passed. Was the first age the age with minerals? Or the age with animals? Or did the ages start with the first people? Depending on interpretations, the current age could be the third, fourth, or fifth age. Researchers commonly consider it the fifth age as we approach the next change at 2012. However, modern Mayan elders consider it the fourth age.
The Hero Twins
The Popol Vuh follows the creation myth with the story of the Hero Twins. The Hero Twins are superior ball players and draw the attention of the gods. They’re taken to the underworld to play a game against the gods. While trapped in the underworld they’re given a set of five challenges that are meant to defeat them. Instead, the twins trick the gods, win the tests, and defeat death. Although they were born human, they become gods.
The story ends with the Hero Twins’ ascension to the celestial realms, where they became Venus and the Sun. The disappearance of Venus as the evening star represents the descent into the underworld. The reemergence of Venus as the morning star represents the defeat of death. Also in the story of the Hero Twins we see the reinforcement of the creation story. There are five ages and five challenges or tests to overcome.
The story of the Hero Twins was also reenacted in the ball court game itself. The ball games were played in Mesoamerica for over 3,000 years. The games could be played on many levels. They might be played casually for fun between two people or community teams. They were also played as part of ritual to commemorate the cycles of death and rebirth. Ritual ball games usually involved human sacrifice.
At times, the games were played as proxy for war and the losing (and sometimes winning) team was sacrificed. The ball court was seen as the threshold between the earth and the underworld. To die on the ball court