A Story Behind 2012

So, is the world going to end in 2012 or is it going to be something different? If you read this blog regularly you know I am currently doing a bit of reading on the Mayan calendar and what the whole 2012 date may mean for humanity. There is a vast amount of literature and research on the subject and as I become more aware of it all, I will do my best to describe it in a fashion that is somewhat readable.

Last week we talked a little about how humanity was derived from corn. So this week, let me tell you another Mayan story. This is a story of potential revelation.

Once upon a time, there was terrible and great ruler named Seven Macaw. Now Seven Macaw was actually is a false ruler from the previous World Age (see more about the Great Cycle). The true ruler was really a gentleman named One Hunahpu . However, he had lost his place as ruler during a ball game in the Under World (Xibalba). The Lords of the Underworld won the ball game therefore requiring One Hunahpuh and his brother, Seven Hunahpu, to be sacrifices. One Hunahpu's head was kept as a trophy.

But this was not the end of One Hunahpu . Oh no. Such greatness (even if he couldn't always win a ball game) does not go away so willingly. Xquic, a certain daughter of one of the lords of the underworld conceived the sacrificed ruler's children, known as the Hero Twins. She became pregnant when the decapitated head of One Hunahpu spat into her hand.

So Xquic returned to the upper world and raised her twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque with the help of One Hunahpu 's mother. The twins were extraordinary and there are many stories about them. However, in this particular story, it was up to the twins to avenge their father's death and bring down Seven Macaw. This did with an interesting twist. They knocked him out of Seven Macaw off his high perch by using a blow gun. this merely blew out the false ruler's teeth. in the process, Seven Macaw grab and ripped off Hunahpu's arms. The twins being a bit supernatural, summoned two gods to help retrieve the arm from the fallen ruler. The gods dressed up as elderly people making a living by being doctors and dentists. Seven Macaw asked them to fix his teeth and his eyes. But instead of providing healing, the gods replaced his teeth with, you guessed it, corn. They also removed all the jewels from around his eyes. They removed all of his former greatness and it is presumed Seven Macaw died form shame.

Now you may be asking yourself, how does a dead ruler come back to rule. They twins went to the Underworld and managed to remain in existence though put through many test by the Lords of the underworld. In fact they performed many acts of supernatural abilities. Basically the twins bested the Lords of the Underworld. The twins were able to change the status of Xibalba, causing man who walked above to never have to leave offerings to the Underworld.

What became of One Hunahpu? Well, the twins tried to reconstitute him, put him back together, but he just was not able to function.

So, how does this end? Well, some say that the twins left One Hunahpu there on the ball court of the Underworld, and they themselves ascended above the earth to become the sun and the moon.

But, some would say, this is not the end of this story. Some would say that it is only a matter of time before One Hunahpu is truly resurrected and returns...on December 21, 2012.

Sources:
The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies, and Possibilities from Sounds True, Inc. 2007.
The Popol Vuh