Folklore has it that a big, most likely catastrophic event (i.e., the ‘doomsday’) has long been predicted by the ancient Mayans and is due to happen on December 21st, 2012. But how much of it is the actual Mayan prediction, and how much is mere fabrication only introduced in recent times to take advantage of people’s gullibility?
Maya Chichen Itza temple pyramid
The kind of progress and scientific discoveries made by the Maya civilization is quite impressive for their time, especially considering their isolation from neighbouring civilizations.
As with many other prehistoric civilizations, the Mayans’ concept of time was cyclical. They built a series of calendars based on naturally occurring cycles observed in the sky, such as a 365-day cycle that approximated the solar year, one to record the lunation periods of the Moon, and even one to track the synodic period — the time a planet takes to assume twice the same position with respect to both the Earth and the Sun — of Venus, which the Mayans managed to measure with surprising accuracy.
All of these calendars can then be synchronized and interlinked with one another, generating further and more extensive cycles. One of such composite calendar, the so-called Mesoamerican long count calendar, forms the basis for the belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012, a forecast that mainstream Mayanists consider a misinterpretation.
Maya stucco glyphs in Palenque, Mexico.
According to the Popol Vuh, an important mythological book in the Mayan culture, we are living in the ‘fourth world’. The Popol Vuh describes the first three creations that the gods failed in making and the creation of the successful fourth world where men were placed on Earth. All previous three creations ended on a speficic date in the long count calendar, which will occur again on December 20, 2012, followed by the start of a ‘new era’ on the following day.
By following other clues within the Mayan culture, three experts have come to the conclusion that some worldwide cataclysm — e.g. a pole shift — was predicted by the Maya on the date the new era begins, a view that most experts in Mayan culture don’t agree with.
Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., said to this matter:
For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle [...] To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting is a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in.
The hype has also been alimented by reports by NASA that sometime between 2010 and 2012 we will very likely experience violent solar storms:
This week researchers announced that a storm is coming–the most intense solar maximum in fifty years. The prediction comes from a team led by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). “The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one,” she says. If correct, the years ahead could produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic Solar Max of 1958.
Some believe that, if the storms reveal to be strong enough, they could under the right circumstances black out the electrical grids of a few cities and fry satellites, even though there is no direct danger for humans as the Earth’s magnetic shield will protect us from the worst effects of such storms. Nothing apocalyptic, then.
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Hey i am a 8th grade student . I recently watched the movie the Numer 23. With jim carrey in it. Anyways in the movie t said something about the mayans think the world is going to end. Is this true i have been researchibng and …well i dont bielieve it. I mean it could happen but i dont know. But i just dont think it will happen but rthe calender the m,ayans use is very impressive. it has a chance but i think when they mean the world is goingf to end i think they might have meant were going to have alot of changes and we as hunmans have to work together to fix that change or “end in the world” Thank you
Bobby
Hi Bobby,
did you read the article? I think it already addresses all your questions
I like this story. I hope that it is not true.
I remember there was another great prediction that the world would end as we know it at the end of the last millennium. Of course, nothing happened.
Whichever way you look at it though – the world is due some kind of large disaster soon. Super volcanoes that are overdue for erupting, no large meteors hitting earth for longer than ever previously found! or maybe man themselves wiping the whole race out.
We will have to wait and see!
It seems like every decade there is some threat that the world is going to end or turn even more horrible than it already is. Yet, time keeps ticking. Anyone remember Y2K? Haha!
the poles are going to shift and the earth’s electromagnetism is going to be a little screwed up. Its just going to affect technologies that rely on the north and south pole.. Example, airplanes…
Do you really think something will happen? Remember when the year 2000 was coming and everyone said computers wouldn’t work, lol.
This news sounds terrible but I think in 2012 may just happen EURO 2012 in Ukraine ..
As previous poster said about 2000 year..2012 year will be the same for the World
This is indeed a fascinating story, but all this make concern about some ASIAN countries, especially Bangladesh, Maldives. I’ve read that these countries going to sink down to ocean very soon. I wonder how those people going to survive.
I have been monitoring in youtube and other sites about stories on 2012, it’s actually very intriguing. Knowing the fact that people are really concerned how our world ends. But one fact, I have researched is that one who interprets the mayan language says, according to his interpretation (I forgot to get his name) Dec 21, 2012 is just “the end of the calendar” in the mayans, it didn’t mentioned anything about “the end of the world”. I think this 2012 thing is just an infomercial, I believe there’s a film that’s going to be filmed may be this year or next year.
No matter what’s gonna happen in the future, we should do our best for today. There were many predictions in the past about doomsday, I guess. However, the earth stood still. By the way, thanks for the nice article.
Good overview of all the reasoning behind 2012, but personally I believe 2012 is all just a bunch of hype like Y2k
I’ve heard so much of this 2012. And it seems to me that a lot of people are fuzzing about it. The thought of it is too scary, yet who knows what would exactly happen?
well everyone says the w0rld will end on december 21st 2012 i dont think so i believe that there is something out ther that is going to show itself to us u dont hav to belive me but if u just can listten to me just for 1 second wether its a wierd thing or anything but i believe that aliens will show them self it says it in i thinkmessages if u dont know i will not tell u the man bcause he doesnt want me to cause ik him but if u do great please do twitter me if u want
Hi! I like your srticle and I would like very much to read some more information on this issue. Will you post some more?
we will just have to wait and see what really happens
Does sound like a misinterpretation to me… or should I say – I hope it’s a misinterpretation!
Over time there’s always been prediction the world will end for one reason or another. But it’s still here. I don’t think we need to worry. After all there would be nothing we could do about it anyway. Eventually it probably will, but I don’t think it’ll be 2012. If it’s December 2012 at least we’ll get the London olympics in.
wel… they said the world was gunna end in 2000 didnt happen they said all these dates and times when we r all going to die. But ! Do you believe that such a thing could happen ? so yeah there is a Super Volcano what could blow any minute in time ! and there is a Comet in space what might hit us ! and if this mayor earthquake goes off in the sea it will forum a super tilde wave… but the main question is this. A putting aside all the the things history has told us. Do you really believe This Could Happen? because if it does we are all shit out of luck.
i dont think it will happen because they said the same in 2000 but it is possible but i still dout it well anyway we will have to wait and see
i hope it doesnt though
What of the predictions of nostradamus? he too predicts catastrophic events in 2012
I believe that somthing will happen, but not catistrophic.there may just be obnormal weather ( earthquakes,valcano,tornatos) perhaps. but not gonna be the end of the world or human life. maybe its all just a y2k deal BUT… its always good to posture yourself for the worst. hopfully nothing will happen.
Hey, Im a big fan of ancient civilizations so when I saw this post I had to read it (I was also intrigued by the title!). To be honest, I dont read much into these predictions, many have been and gone before so Im not too worried.
Well, rather than estimating when is the end of the world, I prefer to start improving my life. So, whenever the doomsday comes, I will have been sure that I have done the good things in my life.
lol, nothing will happen, every generation believes it has a dooms day. Just like in 6/6/06, 9/9/99, 1/1/2000, but nothing happened. So fuck it
i think the world isnt goin to end, probably the mayans got tired so they stopped the calendar in dec 21 of 2012
I am not sure what is going to happen I believe that something is going to happen tho since all the scientists agree that something is going to happen
Really interesting article the Mayans were unbelieveable for there time I think they were more advanced than us.
jonathan thats what think alwell haha, they probable just got tired and stopped lol.
well I dont know what is going to happen in the future, But interesting post for those interested in history !
hahaha… i don’t think the world is going to end. can’t we all just get along, unless you have super aids, or work for wal-mart, then however, we hate you. other then that though can we all just get through this myian prophecy, i think they are refering to, the molecular structure of the integretion of the earth atomospheric solar regineration of the sun molecules. thank you and good day… unless you have super aids…. the no goood day
I look forward to seeing the movie 2012? this weekend. The CGI looked great. Maybe the story and acting won’t be up to par for everyone but the 6 bucks I’ll be paying for the matinee…. well… I think it will be well worth the price for the big special effects alone.
hello to all
i think nothing is gonna happen, bcuz only GOD knows when is gonna be the end of the WORlD, maybe is gonna be a lot of change in the world but is not gonna be the end bcuz the BIBLE doenst said anything about the end of the WORLD,.,.,.,.,.THANX EVERYONE,.,.,.,.and dont worry just pray and believed in GOD,.,.,.,.
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Nice information and site. thank you.
This film is a load of crap it has nothing to do waith aichent history so grow up and stop being such low lifes!Grrrrrrrrrrr
1) We die. 2) We live and some people who believed that we were going to die (and spent their life savings) will feel silly.
If doomsday has to happen then we can’t do something about it. All we have to do for the moment is to live up to what is in the present.
I’ve reayd many articles that talks about teh doomsday happening in 2 years time. It may sound ridiculous but the even occurred before based on Mayan Calendar are exact. My idea on that change in 2010 is that the movement of sun will differ from its normal movement. That is why they call it change. I also saw a documentary called Zeit Geist and they talk about this 2010 event in there.
With so much hype about the year 2012 and the Mayan Predictions it is getting harder to find decent information. Thanks for this post.
I have always heard that since the Mayans actually had many different calendars, that this was only one of them. That they have calendars that do continue running for another 8,000+ years! For the most part, if there is any reason to believe that this “end of the world” is actually THE end of the world, it may come from all of the above mentioned cataclysmic events. Hopefully if that is the case, they all go quick and are as painless as possible for all souls on our planet. I’m sure there are other planets with life that have had their civilizations extincted before.