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2012 and the End of the World by Matthew Restall, Amara Solari. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,2011) [Hardcover]
Did the Maya really predict that the world would end in December of 2012? If not, how and why has 2012 millenarianism gained such popular appeal? In this deeply knowledgeable book, two leading historians of the Maya answer these questions in a succinct, readable, and accessible style. Matthew Restall and Amara Solari introduce, explain, and ultimately demystify the 2012 phenomenon. They begin by briefly examining the evidence for the prediction of the world's end in ancient Maya texts and images, analyzing precisely what Maya priests did and did not prophesize. The authors then convincingly show how 2012 millenarianism has roots far in time and place from Maya cultural traditions, but in those of medieval and Early Modern Western Europe. Revelatory any myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.
147 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 16, 2011
3 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Restall
33 books77 followersMatthew Restall is a historian of Colonial Latin America. He is an ethnohistorian and a scholar of conquest, colonization, and the African diaspora in the Americas. He is currently Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Latin American History and Anthropology, and Director of Latin American Studies, at the Pennsylvania State University. He is President of the American Society for Ethnohistory, a former editor of Ethnohistory journal, a senior editor of the Hispanic American Historical Review, editor of the book series Latin American Originals, and co-editor of the Cambridge Latin American Studies book series.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 6, 2012
I skimmed this one when it came into the library. The language is simple enough for a wide range of readers, but it jumps around a lot, without much clear focus. He seems to bring up some important points, but lists so many facts and controversies that those important facts get lost in the flood of information, when they should be highlighted.
SPOILERS: For example, he notes some major factors that should tell readers that the 2012 apocalypse prophecies aren't true:
1) That cyclical renewal was part of Mayan culture. No references to a final apocalypse can be found in Mayan culture until the appearance of Christianity in the region. [Instead, the author devotes a chapter to explaining how pervasive the notion of apocalypse is within Christianity, a point that didn't need as much evidence, while his claim that ancient Maya had no apocalyptic beliefs could have used a little more support].
2) Every Mayanist (Maya expert scientists) who once claimed Monument 6 referred to the end of the world, has now retracted their statements as new evidence has appeared [quoting some of them would have been helpful to illustrate this, rather than just citing them in the in the sources].
3) When Monument 6 (the one predicting the supposed apocalypse) was discovered, it was the only one of its kind. Further discoveries of 2 other such inscriptions at other sites indicate that its most likely simply a building dedication, much like a year date on a building's cornerstone "This great temple was built in 812, and will stand until 2012, perhaps until the end of time"
He does however, give a better explanation of the long count than you can get from other sources. Thumbs up for that. It's not any easy concept to explain.
SPOILERS: For example, he notes some major factors that should tell readers that the 2012 apocalypse prophecies aren't true:
1) That cyclical renewal was part of Mayan culture. No references to a final apocalypse can be found in Mayan culture until the appearance of Christianity in the region. [Instead, the author devotes a chapter to explaining how pervasive the notion of apocalypse is within Christianity, a point that didn't need as much evidence, while his claim that ancient Maya had no apocalyptic beliefs could have used a little more support].
2) Every Mayanist (Maya expert scientists) who once claimed Monument 6 referred to the end of the world, has now retracted their statements as new evidence has appeared [quoting some of them would have been helpful to illustrate this, rather than just citing them in the in the sources].
3) When Monument 6 (the one predicting the supposed apocalypse) was discovered, it was the only one of its kind. Further discoveries of 2 other such inscriptions at other sites indicate that its most likely simply a building dedication, much like a year date on a building's cornerstone "This great temple was built in 812, and will stand until 2012, perhaps until the end of time"
He does however, give a better explanation of the long count than you can get from other sources. Thumbs up for that. It's not any easy concept to explain.
July 15, 2011
"2012 and the End of the World" is a concise and detailed look into all things 2012, focusing on the history of the New World's apocalyptic fascination and how it connects to this key date in Maya history.
Matthew Restall and Amara Solari are professors at Penn State. The two were preparing a class to be taught IN 2012, focused ON 2012 and the result of those preparations is this book. Spanning only about 100 pages, the chapters are well-organized and well-structured for easy classroom note taking ("first we will be discussing these four points...point 1, etc."). This very readable book is more academic than narrative, but does an incredible job of incorporating a lot of info in only a few pages. It’s not written for the academic community, but rather it’s targeted at readers interested in understanding what’s behind the 2012 mythos.
They refer to 2012ology...the study of all things related to the Maya "Prophecy" and the "end date" of their Long Count calendar: December, 21, 2012. As they state early in the book, the purpose of their class, and this book "is to use 2012ology as a vehicle for combining the sources and methods of art history to explain the medieval, modern, and Maya contributions to the 2012 phenomenon..." The book contains numerous drawings, photos and images that enhance their own descriptive analyses.
What started all of this bizarrely intense focus on 12/21/12? It was the fragments of a monument accidentally uncovered by construction workers at a small archaeological site known as El Tortuguero. On what is known as Stella 6 is a reference to 13.0.0.0.0, a date used in the Maya's long range time-tracking calendar, and a strange and brief mythological tale. The Maya Long Count calendar keeps a running tally of time from a certain "zero" starting point. That starting point is equivalent to our 0 A.D. It's arbitrary and after years of research and discoveries, Mayanists have established the Long Count starting point as our August 11, 3114 B.C. Mayanists are then able to work forward and determine that the Tortuguero carving matches with our December 21, 2012. The fact that 12/21/12 happens to fall on a winter solstice is not lost on scientists nor 2012ologists...those from the non-scientific community have put their own stake in the ground in attempting to bring meaning to 13.0.0.0.0.
"One interpretation of the Long Count argues that it is by its very nature 'predictive'. In other words, it was not created by selecting a starting date and then counting forward to 2012. Instead...the Maya selected a significant end date and then counted backwards." Since the Maya are well known to have tracked the progression and cycles of celestial events, it wouldn't be all that difficult to find a future solstice and work back from there.
This is a very interesting theory and makes sense in a number of ways, however, Restall and Solari make it clear that the theory "is not widely accepted among Mayanists today. In no way diminishing the impressiveness that the Maya were able to even look that far ahead to make connections with significant celestial events, the authors write, "...there is no evidence...it is an intriguing speculation, but not one supported by any other text or image among Maya sources." Those from the non-scientific world of 2012ology, however, have latched onto the predictive premise, insisting that the Maya meant something significant to happen on this date.
The perception by some that the Maya were expecting an "end-of-times" comes not just from Tortuguero alone, but through a combination of resources. Renowned Mayan Epigrapher David Stuart indicates that the carving from Tortuguero is the SOLE reference to the infamous 12/21/12 date. But the view of what it means comes from a blending of multiple resources. One of the extant Maya-originated documents called the Dresden Codex includes an image and story related to a world-changing flood. Much of Maya myth involves dreadfully violent and vivid acts of violence. But almost all of those myths include a rebounding or recycling event that follows the destruction.
The Maya (and most Mesoamerican cultures) were all about the cycles of existence: agriculture, life, death, birth, etc. The cycles of the physical world are what drove the Maya mindset. And so their mythology and religion developed around that. The position of the stars and moon helped guide the best times to plant or harvest, for example. The sheer amount of cultural remains that reference specific dates indicates that importance of time to these peoples. And it makes sense. The physical world is an extremely mysterious place and the drivers of their lives were completely bound by the uncontrollable "whims" of the world around them. Restall and Solari make it crystal clear that the Maya were not interested in apocalyptic foretellings and futures. It was all about renewal and rebirth.
The apocalyptic viewpoint was brought TO the Maya during the post-Conquest, colonial settlement period in the New World. Specifically, the Franciscan sect of friars spread throughout Mesoamerica focused on saving the souls of the uninitiated "savages" of New Spain. The Book of Revelations and the inherent Christian "threats" of Hell drove home a more apocalpytic religious perspective that became embedded in the Maya integration and absorption of European religion.
Like what happened during the late '90s during the run up to Y2K, the pop culture hum around a 2012 Apocalypse will become a roar over the next 2 years. The authors highlight one hotel in Central America that offers a 12/21/12 special package...if tourists stay during 12/21, and the world still exists on 12/22, then that night is free.
I enjoyed reading this book and its broad perspectives. I would also highly recommend David Stuart's "The Order of Days" for a more comprehensive dive into Maya culture, history and their calendar.
Matthew Restall and Amara Solari are professors at Penn State. The two were preparing a class to be taught IN 2012, focused ON 2012 and the result of those preparations is this book. Spanning only about 100 pages, the chapters are well-organized and well-structured for easy classroom note taking ("first we will be discussing these four points...point 1, etc."). This very readable book is more academic than narrative, but does an incredible job of incorporating a lot of info in only a few pages. It’s not written for the academic community, but rather it’s targeted at readers interested in understanding what’s behind the 2012 mythos.
They refer to 2012ology...the study of all things related to the Maya "Prophecy" and the "end date" of their Long Count calendar: December, 21, 2012. As they state early in the book, the purpose of their class, and this book "is to use 2012ology as a vehicle for combining the sources and methods of art history to explain the medieval, modern, and Maya contributions to the 2012 phenomenon..." The book contains numerous drawings, photos and images that enhance their own descriptive analyses.
What started all of this bizarrely intense focus on 12/21/12? It was the fragments of a monument accidentally uncovered by construction workers at a small archaeological site known as El Tortuguero. On what is known as Stella 6 is a reference to 13.0.0.0.0, a date used in the Maya's long range time-tracking calendar, and a strange and brief mythological tale. The Maya Long Count calendar keeps a running tally of time from a certain "zero" starting point. That starting point is equivalent to our 0 A.D. It's arbitrary and after years of research and discoveries, Mayanists have established the Long Count starting point as our August 11, 3114 B.C. Mayanists are then able to work forward and determine that the Tortuguero carving matches with our December 21, 2012. The fact that 12/21/12 happens to fall on a winter solstice is not lost on scientists nor 2012ologists...those from the non-scientific community have put their own stake in the ground in attempting to bring meaning to 13.0.0.0.0.
"One interpretation of the Long Count argues that it is by its very nature 'predictive'. In other words, it was not created by selecting a starting date and then counting forward to 2012. Instead...the Maya selected a significant end date and then counted backwards." Since the Maya are well known to have tracked the progression and cycles of celestial events, it wouldn't be all that difficult to find a future solstice and work back from there.
This is a very interesting theory and makes sense in a number of ways, however, Restall and Solari make it clear that the theory "is not widely accepted among Mayanists today. In no way diminishing the impressiveness that the Maya were able to even look that far ahead to make connections with significant celestial events, the authors write, "...there is no evidence...it is an intriguing speculation, but not one supported by any other text or image among Maya sources." Those from the non-scientific world of 2012ology, however, have latched onto the predictive premise, insisting that the Maya meant something significant to happen on this date.
The perception by some that the Maya were expecting an "end-of-times" comes not just from Tortuguero alone, but through a combination of resources. Renowned Mayan Epigrapher David Stuart indicates that the carving from Tortuguero is the SOLE reference to the infamous 12/21/12 date. But the view of what it means comes from a blending of multiple resources. One of the extant Maya-originated documents called the Dresden Codex includes an image and story related to a world-changing flood. Much of Maya myth involves dreadfully violent and vivid acts of violence. But almost all of those myths include a rebounding or recycling event that follows the destruction.
The Maya (and most Mesoamerican cultures) were all about the cycles of existence: agriculture, life, death, birth, etc. The cycles of the physical world are what drove the Maya mindset. And so their mythology and religion developed around that. The position of the stars and moon helped guide the best times to plant or harvest, for example. The sheer amount of cultural remains that reference specific dates indicates that importance of time to these peoples. And it makes sense. The physical world is an extremely mysterious place and the drivers of their lives were completely bound by the uncontrollable "whims" of the world around them. Restall and Solari make it crystal clear that the Maya were not interested in apocalyptic foretellings and futures. It was all about renewal and rebirth.
The apocalyptic viewpoint was brought TO the Maya during the post-Conquest, colonial settlement period in the New World. Specifically, the Franciscan sect of friars spread throughout Mesoamerica focused on saving the souls of the uninitiated "savages" of New Spain. The Book of Revelations and the inherent Christian "threats" of Hell drove home a more apocalpytic religious perspective that became embedded in the Maya integration and absorption of European religion.
Like what happened during the late '90s during the run up to Y2K, the pop culture hum around a 2012 Apocalypse will become a roar over the next 2 years. The authors highlight one hotel in Central America that offers a 12/21/12 special package...if tourists stay during 12/21, and the world still exists on 12/22, then that night is free.
I enjoyed reading this book and its broad perspectives. I would also highly recommend David Stuart's "The Order of Days" for a more comprehensive dive into Maya culture, history and their calendar.
Read
July 4, 2011I've always been fascinated by the mathematic, scientific and astronomical achievements of ancient societies - whether it be Egyptians, Mayans or whomever. So, over the past couple of years as talk of the impending 2012 apocalypse has increased, I've been curious about the so-called Mayan calendar that predicts the end of the world on December 21, 2012.
This book is presented like a college course (because as the introduction explains, it is going to be a college course in fall of 2012 at Penn State), and because of that it was somewhat tedious and long-winded even though the book is only 132 pages. There were interesting sections, especially as the authors delve into the Christian conversion of the pagan natives of Mexico and Central America by the Spaniards in the 1500s. This helps to debunk the myth of the Mayans apocalyptic predictions basically because before the invasion of these Christians with their "hell & brimfire" beliefs, it appears that the Mayans' calendars were not so much trying to predict the end of the world, but rather predicting earth cycles. Thus, December 21, 2012 merely marks the end of a cycle and starts all over again the next day.
I think it makes sense. It is funny how easily people are persuaded to believe in just about anything they hear or read about without trying to educate themselves before jumping on the current bandwagon. However, I was bugged a little by the authors' dig at people of faith, as if all belief in anything Christian or religious otherwise, is just weird ignorance. "Belief offers an explanation without need for evidence" is a bothersome statement because I think science and faith go hand in hand. The world and the universe and the history behind it are so vast and complex that it's ignorant for any human to think they understand it completely. 'Proof' is really only found when we stop and look backward. History teaches us that humans assume to know everything at a moment in time. But that moment is always obscured by limited perspective. Things are always changing. The world and the universe is in a constant state of evolution. So are we. Because of that, it's easy to predict future events or to smugly turn our noses up at people who "believe" rather than demand proof. But I think we would all do better to embrace a little of both - to educate ourselves as much as possible while still recognizing that we know very little.
This book is presented like a college course (because as the introduction explains, it is going to be a college course in fall of 2012 at Penn State), and because of that it was somewhat tedious and long-winded even though the book is only 132 pages. There were interesting sections, especially as the authors delve into the Christian conversion of the pagan natives of Mexico and Central America by the Spaniards in the 1500s. This helps to debunk the myth of the Mayans apocalyptic predictions basically because before the invasion of these Christians with their "hell & brimfire" beliefs, it appears that the Mayans' calendars were not so much trying to predict the end of the world, but rather predicting earth cycles. Thus, December 21, 2012 merely marks the end of a cycle and starts all over again the next day.
I think it makes sense. It is funny how easily people are persuaded to believe in just about anything they hear or read about without trying to educate themselves before jumping on the current bandwagon. However, I was bugged a little by the authors' dig at people of faith, as if all belief in anything Christian or religious otherwise, is just weird ignorance. "Belief offers an explanation without need for evidence" is a bothersome statement because I think science and faith go hand in hand. The world and the universe and the history behind it are so vast and complex that it's ignorant for any human to think they understand it completely. 'Proof' is really only found when we stop and look backward. History teaches us that humans assume to know everything at a moment in time. But that moment is always obscured by limited perspective. Things are always changing. The world and the universe is in a constant state of evolution. So are we. Because of that, it's easy to predict future events or to smugly turn our noses up at people who "believe" rather than demand proof. But I think we would all do better to embrace a little of both - to educate ourselves as much as possible while still recognizing that we know very little.
July 8, 2011
A short book with a history on the Mayan Long Count calendar, and how we are interpreting it wrong. The first few chapters gave me all I really wanted to know, (what the calendar *actually* says about the world ending), then it went into the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico, other apocalyptic theories, and loosely ties it together at the end.
Want to read
February 4, 2013Had the pleasure of attending a lecture led by Amara Solari and Matthew Restall about this very topic on Monday, November 28, 2011, at CMU. All the talk of the Maya doomsday prediction (or lack thereof) really piqued my interest in their book.
Note to self: I must read this book THIS year.
Note to self: I must read this book THIS year.
June 30, 2011
I am not a conspiracy theory kind of guy so I would never read a book like this if it had not been for school. That being said, it was fairly well written and Restall does a good job crushing silly 2012 apocalyptic notions.
August 2, 2011
This very thin book read more like an extended outline. It was so abbreviated as to be useless. Perhaps it will work well as the textbook for the authors' future class, but as a stand-alone book, it was disappointing.
September 7, 2011
A brief, but concise look at the history surrounding the 2012 hoop-la and how it came to be. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something that is a bit more reasonable that a lot of the stuff out there.
--Leisa
--Leisa
October 10, 2012
Reading this for one of my classes this semester. So far, it's pretty interesting. Where did all this "Mayan apocalypse" craziness originate? Is it actually foretold in ancient Maya mythology, or is it a thoroughly Western concept imposed on recently deciphered Maya artifacts?
July 12, 2011
In my opinion, anyone worried about what might happen at the tail end of 2012 ought to read this book.
September 12, 2011
Fine scholarship about the Maya and the claims that they calculated an apocalypse for 2012.
April 11, 2023
As I write, today 2023 central daylight savings year of the beaver (3.0. 10.8. 2)
Ten years behind in my reading! Thanks Obama + Covid + near-miss Maya apocalypse!
Seriously, though: second read, and as enjoyable as the first. It's like a psychedelic trip to Yucatán, plague-infested, itchy Europe, and end of times (read THE PRESENT) US&A. Straightforward explanations of Maya cosmovisión(s); Euro-eschatology (but, man the Franciscans in Yucatán? THAT is a great tale, one rivaling that of the Black Robes!); and straight up timeless human craziness.
Persuasive historical arguments, here. An affable pair, the authors, epigraphers and artists, and more. Both Restall and Solari are EXCELLENT historians, so you know you'll get a vast of array of interesting documents and ipso facto interpretations, as well!
Will be back! with more thoughts as we approach the next End of Times / 7 times 144,000 days, or about 2,760 years — till the end of the current piktun...
Ten years behind in my reading! Thanks Obama + Covid + near-miss Maya apocalypse!
Seriously, though: second read, and as enjoyable as the first. It's like a psychedelic trip to Yucatán, plague-infested, itchy Europe, and end of times (read THE PRESENT) US&A. Straightforward explanations of Maya cosmovisión(s); Euro-eschatology (but, man the Franciscans in Yucatán? THAT is a great tale, one rivaling that of the Black Robes!); and straight up timeless human craziness.
Persuasive historical arguments, here. An affable pair, the authors, epigraphers and artists, and more. Both Restall and Solari are EXCELLENT historians, so you know you'll get a vast of array of interesting documents and ipso facto interpretations, as well!
Will be back! with more thoughts as we approach the next End of Times / 7 times 144,000 days, or about 2,760 years — till the end of the current piktun...
May 17, 2020
It was fine. Nothing groundreaking, nothing terrible. Some useful information on a broader level about how the 2012 apocalypse theories weren't true (prior to 2012 when that still needed to be said).
Some of the digressions towards the end about why Christianity is bad warrant some eye rolls. But other than that I learned some things. It was worth picking up from the library on a whim.
Some of the digressions towards the end about why Christianity is bad warrant some eye rolls. But other than that I learned some things. It was worth picking up from the library on a whim.
December 12, 2012
What is this fascination that the United States has with the end? Could it be the predominantly Christian population that resides here? In their book 2012 and the End of the World, Matthew Restall and Amara Solari answer and expound on these very questions and others with a trained, academic eye, albeit critical and full of doubt. Restall pokes fun at the “2012 mania” that has swept through America in recent decades. He deftly clears up the misconceptions surrounding the supposed “Mayan millenarianism” while at the same time pointing to their western (and Christian) roots and influences.
It is no secret that the people of the western world are simply enamored with the idea of the collapse of “civilization.” Watch any Roland Emmerich film as proof of this not-so-modern phenomenon. Why is this so? Is the western world drunk off of the dreary and destructive? Restall, after describing the history, purpose and origins of the Mayan “Long Count” calendar clearly illustrates how it was actually Franciscan friars preaching Christianity in early modern Mexico that merged this calendar with the “end of the world” scenario inherent in Christianity. The Mayans and Aztecs, he states, had no interest in proving the future or predicting anything. Rather, Restall describes how the Maya only noticed “patterns” in disaster and renewal and their occurrences. He further concludes that it was the anxious expectations of early modern Christians that took the Mayan calendar and made it into something it was never meant to be.
The authors also admit that while it is quite improbable for anyone to predict that “the world” will end, let alone on the specific date of December 21, 2012, even with all of our modern advances in science; it is entirely different to say that an ancient native civilization could do so 500-1000 years ago. This brings up an interesting point. Restall all but lampoons “2012ology” but at the same time he announces that he also has his own lack of certainty for what the future may hold. For how could anyone predict how or when the world will end—be they scientists, historians or Mayan priests?
Restall and Solari remark as well on the frenzy of attention “2012ology” has been given in recent years thanks to Hollywood and people like John Major Jenkins among others (pg. 29-30). Such frenzy, they argued, would be non-existent had the bulldozers that discovered the Tortuguero Stone (Mayan calendar) had simply moved one or two feet to the left or right. Perhaps the world would have been spared this imminent catastrophe? It is again worthy to note however that while the authors bring up this “what if” scenario and remark on the obsession with the “science of 2012,” they are in fact riding (or perhaps writing) that same wave of hysteria surrounding this poorly understood subject. Indeed it is possible that their livelihoods and certainly this book would be null and void and non-existent had such a craze over 2012 and the Mayans never existed or come to fruition. In the end I did enjoy reading this book and was intrigued by the points it presented, however briskly and casually. I do think that there is something to be gleaned from the work of Restall and Solari, do not put all of your faith in something simply because it is old, mysterious or popular.
It is no secret that the people of the western world are simply enamored with the idea of the collapse of “civilization.” Watch any Roland Emmerich film as proof of this not-so-modern phenomenon. Why is this so? Is the western world drunk off of the dreary and destructive? Restall, after describing the history, purpose and origins of the Mayan “Long Count” calendar clearly illustrates how it was actually Franciscan friars preaching Christianity in early modern Mexico that merged this calendar with the “end of the world” scenario inherent in Christianity. The Mayans and Aztecs, he states, had no interest in proving the future or predicting anything. Rather, Restall describes how the Maya only noticed “patterns” in disaster and renewal and their occurrences. He further concludes that it was the anxious expectations of early modern Christians that took the Mayan calendar and made it into something it was never meant to be.
The authors also admit that while it is quite improbable for anyone to predict that “the world” will end, let alone on the specific date of December 21, 2012, even with all of our modern advances in science; it is entirely different to say that an ancient native civilization could do so 500-1000 years ago. This brings up an interesting point. Restall all but lampoons “2012ology” but at the same time he announces that he also has his own lack of certainty for what the future may hold. For how could anyone predict how or when the world will end—be they scientists, historians or Mayan priests?
Restall and Solari remark as well on the frenzy of attention “2012ology” has been given in recent years thanks to Hollywood and people like John Major Jenkins among others (pg. 29-30). Such frenzy, they argued, would be non-existent had the bulldozers that discovered the Tortuguero Stone (Mayan calendar) had simply moved one or two feet to the left or right. Perhaps the world would have been spared this imminent catastrophe? It is again worthy to note however that while the authors bring up this “what if” scenario and remark on the obsession with the “science of 2012,” they are in fact riding (or perhaps writing) that same wave of hysteria surrounding this poorly understood subject. Indeed it is possible that their livelihoods and certainly this book would be null and void and non-existent had such a craze over 2012 and the Mayans never existed or come to fruition. In the end I did enjoy reading this book and was intrigued by the points it presented, however briskly and casually. I do think that there is something to be gleaned from the work of Restall and Solari, do not put all of your faith in something simply because it is old, mysterious or popular.
April 29, 2012
Nice little book about the current obsession with so-called prophecy of 2012 being the end of the world. The two writers, who are Maya scholars that teach at Penn State, do a fine job summarizing the key elements of Maya culture and history that have lead several people in modern times to take the end of a calendar based on mathematical calculation as a prophecy of the end of the world. The calender was a tablet that was discovered by accident when a bulldozer was clearing space for a concrete factory in Mexico and could have easily been destroyed if the bulldozer was off by a few feet. Neither Maya now Aztec cultures had anything to say about the end of the world, just belief in cyclical renewal. The Spanish brought Christianity and the obsession with the Apocalypse, which introduced millenarian and millennial ideas into the culture, which had some interesting and unintended consequences. You combine all of that with the culture's current obsession with the end times, which is rooted in medieval obsessions with the end of the world, even if it's presented in a New Age perspective or methodology, which relies heavily on pseudo-scholarship, and you get lot of people convinced December 21, 2012 will be the earth's last day, even as notable predictions have come and gone. Well worth a look, and may help you win arguments with any drunken strangers you meet at bars, at least for the next 8 months or so.
February 4, 2015
Written by two professional specialists in Maya culture, this short book takes on the nonsense of the "2012ologists". The first chapter outlines the "evidence" for the "prophecy", the second chapter shows that it was never intended as such, and that there was no tradition of apocalyptic thinking among the pre-Columbian Maya; the remainder of the book argues that apocalyptic themes in colonial Mesoamerican writings were introduced by the Franciscans and are part of the larger Christian apocalyptic tradition. The last (somewhat weak) chapter tries to explain why present-day Americans are so susceptible to this sort of thing; the analysis wasn't particularly insightful.
March 13, 2014
It was a very interesting book. It gave great insight on Mayan predictions. Although it's a subject of the past now, it makes a good coffee table book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews