K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' (lit. "Great-Sun First/Green Quetzal Macaw, ruled 426 – c. 437) is named in Maya inscriptions as the founder and first ruler of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization centered at Copán, a major Maya site located in the southeastern Maya lowlands region in present-day Honduras.
In this quality Nova/PBS video the history of Copán, and the chronology of the 400 year dynasty founded by Yax K'uk' Mo', is presented in all of its glory.
.
The ancient Maya civilization of Central America left behind a riddle: an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script carved on stone monuments and painted on pottery and bark books. Because the invading Spanish suppressed nearly all knowledge of how the script worked, unlocking its meaning posed one of archaeology's fiercest challenges. Until now. [PBS Nova]
.
_______________________
Listened to a broadcast recently with guest Maurice M. Cotterell, 'scientist and author'. It was an hour of more bullshit and mindless speculation than I have ever encountered. I spent 12 years in eastern Mexico, much of it on frequent trips to Mayan sites, including my favorite Palenque, which contains the ancient home and tomb of Pacal. Not much regarding the history and geneology of Pacal that I have not encountered before, but Cotterell's ramblings were certainly unique.
I love the internet and the facility with which I can find informaition about the world, past, present, and future, but mindless rambling and speculation, such as the following, just drives me up the wall.
"In his book, "Supergods", Maurice M. Cotterell equates the leader of the Mayan people, Lord Pacal with Lord Krishna, Buddha and Jesus. All four had common threads.
All had immaculate conceptions, performed "miracles", had similar teachings such as love & service to humanity, self control, karma, spirituality of man, immortality of the soul, qualities to be gained and overcome, purification of the soul through sacrifice.
All prophecied some destruction at this time on Earth, a belief in reincarnation and an existance of a destination for the dead or afterlife.
All also had an "association with a tree!" Lord Krishna was said to have died on a tree. Buddha said enlightenment came while sitting beneath the Tree of Knowledge. Jesus died on a cross with a Crown of Thorns. On his tomb lid, the famous Lid of Palenque, Lord Pacal had "carved" a central feature, "The Suckling Tree". Is was said the tree has 100,000 nipples and dead babies could suckle the "tree of life" and gain strength to reincarnate.
When I visited the town of Palenque in south east Mexico a few years ago I didn't realise the significance of Lord Pacal Votan's tomb lid. His Temple of Inscriptions houses the famous "Lid of Palenque" which is fully encoded with stories and images of historical and spiritual signifance. The Temple also includes prophecies and predictions for our time leading to the year 2012. . . . . . . "
End of the world, or end of the foolishness? [Or, how many more End of the World predicitons do I have to endure?]
It is now past noon on Friday, December 21 here in Thailand, a pleasant sunny day, and nothing has happened yet. . . . . .
Maya Expert: The 'End Of Times' Is Our Idea, Not The Ancients'
"It is Dec. 20, 2012 — and citizens of Earth are panicking, consumed by the idea that the world will end Friday, something they say was predicted by Mayan astronomers. Of course, most people are not panicking, and Maya expert Stuart says no one should. The calendar, he says, has plenty of room to go.
In an interview airing on Thursday's Morning Edition, David Greene asks archaeologist David Stuart, who helped translate influential ancient Mayan hieroglyphs in 1996, if he thinks the world will end on Dec. 21.
"Absolutely not," is Stuart's answer ..... "The Maya never, ever, said anything about the world ending at any time — much less, this year," Stuart, a professor at the of the University of Texas. "So, it's sort of bizarre to be living through this time right now, when so many people seem to be worked up. . . . . "
And if you are still not convinced and want to save your computer files, you might want to contact Off World Backup. They are looking ahead, beyond the Maya Prediction, to other possible catyclismic events, sort like the Doomsday Preppers of the internet. And if you are uncertain of the exact time of doom, they have a nice countdown clock:
The 'Off World Backup' site also has schematic drawings outlining their off world saving process. Definately worth checking out.
Why NASA is saying 'we told you so' about doomsday hype ... a week early.
"Doomsday Predictions" seem to be especially popular with Americans. Every few weeks yet another religious nutjob starts sounding the most recent alarm about the end of the world, and for over a year now the new age crazies have joined the fray, babbling about an ancient culture that none of them actually know anything about.
People the world over utilize and depend on science in their daily lives, and yet deny actual scientific facts when they want to espouse some new off the wall scenario. This type of congnitive dissodance is perplexing.
.
Book of Mormon Book of Lies [Amazon]
"The Book of Mormon is one of the boldest hoaxes of all time. And millions of people have fallen for it.
Joseph Smith Jr. claimed that an angel gifted him—an uneducated farm boy—with ancient golden plates and the ability to translate their hieroglyphics. From that improbable premise sprang The Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with its millions of followers, known as Mormons. In Book of Mormon, Book of Lies, authors Meredith Ray Sheets and Kendal M. Sheets expose The Book of Mormon and the story surrounding its creation as one of the greatest deceptions in the history of America, if not the entire world.
The result of twenty-five years of research, Book of Mormon, Book of Lies will alter the course of global religion, finance, and politics. Book of Lies proves that Smith’s manuscript, which he published in 1830, is nothing more than cleverly disguised plagiarism of The Travels of Marco Polo, the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World as recorded by his son, histories of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and travel journals . . . all readily available to Smith. In Book of Lies, Meredith Sheets, a retired petroleum executive, and Kendal M. Sheets, an experienced intellectual property attorney, compare content from historic books with the content of The Book of Mormon. The results are astonishing. For the first time ever, the authors show exactly how the American-born religion of Mormonism and its religious scriptures were created by man and not by God."
Historical facts , linguistics, and archaeology all indicate that the Mormon religion is based on a fabrication of lies and deception, but will that convince someone who believes in the LDS faith? Sort of doubt it.
Mormon Doctrine Has Been Plagiarized
,
.
The Lost Book of Abraham
.
DNA vs. The Book of Mormon
The first thing to notice is that the illustration above is a MAYAN, not Aztec representation. The Aztec calendar stone, which is usually associtated with this date, wasn't even around when the Mayan civilization disappeared from Mesoamerica. Many people, even though they have access to the internet and its phenomenal search capabilities, never bother to check out the facts before coming apart at the seams. As the proposed date of the end of the Mayan calendar approaches many people will begin to quiver, quake and shake in their fear-filled boots over the end of the world.
What will happen on 12-21-2012?
"Here are the possible scenarios for 2012.
1. 2012 is a cataclysmic event. In this scenario, there would be martial law imposed on us, total chaos, a lack of medical attention, the possibility of no electricity or clean water, etc... For those who survive this "cataclysmic" event, what would the quality of life be like? Dismal at best.
2. 2012 happens and we receivea DNA upgrade. In other words, your thoughts will equal manifestations. That sounds great. You could manifest a cold beverage by just thinking about it! That could also create "Hell on Earth". Imagine the person who lives in fear or constantly has negative thoughts. For example, let's imagine someone constantly thinks someone may shoot him on any given day, so he packs a gun when he leaves the house. If thoughts become manifestations, every time he thinks someone might shoot him, then guess what? They will be!
3. Nothing happens and we all have a good laugh.
Chances are scenario three is most likely where nothing happens, yet the 2012 mania is incredibly similar to the negative sensationalism we see on the 6 o'clock news regarding how 2012 is presented as a cataclysmic event.
What can I do now?
There are certain precautions one should consider, such as whether or not to live near a major fault line or coastline and stockpiling enough food and supplies, just in case.
The simplest everday answer is to live your life as if scenario two were to happen. All that takes is being one with yourself and the world, along with thinking positive thoughts and doing good deeds for others. Live for TODAY! Live for the NOW! If nothing happens, then you've helped to make this world a better place and you've probably gained a lot in the world of spirituality.
Life is about making choices. The best choices are made after fully researching an issue and making a sound and responsible decision based on fact and sensibility, not hysteria. Somewhere in between, there's a happy medium!"
.
Joseph Smith and his 'Lost Book of Abraham'
"The Book of Abraham is a 1835 work produced by Joseph Smith that he said was based on Egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the book was "a translation of some ancient records ... purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus". Smith's translation of the papyri describes a story of Abraham's early life, including a vision of the cosmos.
The work was canonized in 1880 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) as part of its "Pearl of Great Price". Thus, it forms a doctrinal foundation for the LDS Church . . . . . " [Wikipedia]
Egyptologists and contemporary historical researchers are in agreement that Joseph Smith's 'translation of the papyri' was nothing more than a fantasy and fabrication. And if his 'translation' of the 'Lost Book of Abraham' is a fake, what does that say about his transcription of the 'Golden Plates' which became the 'Booki of Mormon'. The Book of Mormon insists that all native Amerindians [American Indians and Mesoamerican groups] are the 'lost tribes of Israel', the Lamanites and Nephites. Contemporary scientific DNA testing has shown the Amerindians came from Siberia via the Bering Strait, NOT from Israel.
Sorry, my Morman friends, but it would appear that your 'Prophet' was a fake.
The Lost Book of Abraham [Video]
"The Lost Book of Abraham is an award-winning documentary that investigates the remarkable claim that Mormon founder Joseph Smith translated a lost book of scripture from an Egyptian papyrus scroll he obtained in 1835. Hear the views of Mormon believers and World-class Egyptologists and decide for yourself."
.
The New Yorker has published a quite objective article, albeit rather lengthy, on the history of the Mormon church [of presidental hopeful Mitt Romney]. A rather bumpy ride for all concerned, especially when the LDS founder, Joseph Smith, was a consumate lier, cheat, more than questionable translator and well known confidence man. But in his defense, he did have a very active imagination, as attested to by his invention of 'The Book Of Mormon'.
I, Nepthi
"Stereotypes and pigeonholes can, in a stable multiethnic society, act as sanctuaries as much as cells. In the heyday of urban ethnic immigration, even anti-Semites allowed that Jews were good at selling drygoods and producing movies, just as Irish Catholics were known to keep a good saloon and walk a decent beat. The ugliest of these pigeonholes suggests a comparative advantage, anyway: to be thought to tap-dance well implies that you can, at least, do that.
American Mormons, in this sense, seem to have been rather flatteringly typed. The Mormon executives and advisers around Howard Hughes were famous for their probity, their clean living, and their loyalty. As with the blond Scandinavian bodyguards who attended the Byzantine emperors, their uprightness was all the more starkly evidenced by the shiftiness of the guy they were protecting. The details of their religious views had nothing to do with the social role they played. The Osmond family was the Mormon family: too many kids and too many teeth, maybe, but always solid, always smiling, always temperate—no alcohol, no tobacco, not even caffeine. In an entertaining new autobiography, “The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith” (Free Press), Joanna Brooks recalls ecumenical birthday parties as a young Mormon in California, and the anxiety she felt about simply seeing a bottle of Coke; Mormon parties featured (non-caffeinated) root beer. Nor were the Osmonds an outsider’s image: to this growing girl’s self-conception, the Book of Marie—“Marie Osmond’s Guide to Beauty, Health & Style”—seemed far more important than the Book of Mormon. Be perfect even as Marie on television is perfect, and you will be happy. ......
Mark Twain read the Book of Mormon and, knowing what Smith would have read, not to mention knowing about frontier fakery, came to conclusions about both the sources of its prose and the sequence of its composition:
The book seems to be merely a prosy detail of imaginary history, with the Old Testament for a model; followed by a tedious plagiarism of the New Testament. The author labored to give his words and phrases the quaint, old-fashioned sound and structure of our King James’s translation of the Scriptures; and the result is a mongrel—half modern glibness, and half ancient simplicity and gravity. The latter is awkward and constrained; the former natural, but grotesque by the contrast. Whenever he found his speech growing too modern—which was about every sentence or two—he ladled in a few such Scriptural phrases as “exceeding sore,” “and it came to pass,” etc., and made things satisfactory again. “And it came to pass” was his pet. If he had left that out, his Bible would have been only a pamphlet."
More at OPENING NEW HORIZONS IN MORMON HISTORY - Joseph Smith: Nineteenth Century Con Man?
.
Maya Scholar Deciphers Meaning of Newly Discovered Monument That Refers to 2012
"David Stuart, professor of art history at The University of Texas at Austin, has deciphered the second known reference in Maya culture to the so-called “end date” of December 21, 2012. Stuart says the reference does not predict the end of time but rather, was intended to promote continuity during a time of crisis.
..... The findings are the latest from Stuart’s more than 15 years of exploration and documentation of a site of Maya ruins in northwest Guatemala, which he named La Corona (“The Crown”).
......“What this text shows us is that in times of crisis, the ancient Maya used their calendar to promote continuity and stability rather than predict apocalypse,” says Canuto.
Stuart is the David and Linda Schele Professor of Mesoamerican Art and Writing at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of “The Order of Days: The Maya World and the Truth about 2012.” Stuart’s research is supported by the Schele research fund from the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin, and through the Casa Herrera research facility in Guatemala, where he does much of his work throughout the year."
Hopefully these latest findings will help to erase the contemporary new age myth of the Apocalyse on Dec 21. 2012, though I sort of doubt it. 'Prophets of Doom' seem to enjoy their preoccupation with end-of-time fantasies, and conveniently overlook the actual facts.
Maya Mural Found, Contradicts 2012 "Doomsday" Myth
"In the last known largely unexcavated Maya megacity, archaeologists have uncovered the only known mural adorning an ancient Maya house, a new study says—and it's not just any mural.
In addition to a still vibrant scene of a king and his retinue, the walls are rife with calculations that helped ancient scribes track vast amounts of time. Contrary to the idea the Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012, the markings suggest dates thousands of years in the future. ,,,,,"
Of course the true nutters will ignore any scientific/archeological findings in lieu of their doomsday scenarios, and continue babbling incoherently. Evidence that they must be related to the evangelical fundamentalists. . . . .
.
