Visiting with Kings at the End of theWorld By John Lightle
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ime and again, cultures of the world have failed in attempt at predicting the end of the world. The Roman Hippolytus called for a demise of the planet by 500 A.D. Italian mystic and philosopher Joachim of Fiore gave us an over and under of 60 years from 1200 A.D., in his work, An Exposition of the Apocalypse. Cotton Mather, Isaac Newton, William Miller and Nostradamus all set a date-stamp on the Earth, sending unrequited fear throughout their respective eras. Surprisingly, one in seven people believe the world will end in their lifetime. With the coming of December 21, 2012, German epigrapher Nikolai Grube shed some light into the epic Mayan calendar and what it means for those apprehensive about this fateful date. In his June 2012 publication on the Yucatan civilization, Maya: Kings of the Rain Forest, the Department of Anthropology of the Americas professor at the University of Bonn, compiled a lifetime of research into a glimpse of the ancient world. Dr. Grube’s 2008 book, Chronicles of the Maya King and Queens explores kingdom dynasties and the interpretation of glyphic; the stunning and detailed carvings used as the Mayan written language. Chronicles investigates Mayan eras where an indigenous people tamed a rain forest, developed an agrarian society and built monumental cities. Where Kings of the Rain Forest distinguishes itself from his previous writings, Grube’s accumulated work collaborates 26 of his peers in 480-pages of visually stunning text, including maps, vibrant photography of landscapes, carvings and pottery, and guides readers through Central-American history in a documented collection of essays. Chapters one and two introduce Habitats and Early Horizons with The Birth of States, offering readers origins of the nation along with sustainable food and drink. Here we are first introduced to cacao and tortillas, jade and obsidian; early cities and the genesis of village life. From there, Grube walks us through the city of Teotihuacan, 30 miles north of present-day Mexico City. Epitomizing Mayan city life, the 125,000 bustling inhabitants constructed multi-floored apartment complexes among an array of distinctive architecture while establishing
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itself as the zenith to the new religious epicenter. Chapter three of the book leads readers into Mayan Achievements, with Grube’s essays on Hieroglyphs - A Gateway to History, Bark Paper Books, Solar Eclipse — Fearing the end of the World, and Astronomy and Mathematics written by Alexander W. Voss. Where Divine Kings of the Rain Forest not only takes us through the ancient world, Grube eases readers into the colonial era - the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The books final two chapters include archeological exploration and excavation projects and concludes with the resurgence in the Mayan movement today. While December 21, marks the end of the 5125-year Mayan Long-Count calendar, fiestas across the Yucatan plan to welcome a world of guests. Believers celebrating the end of this calendar cycle, a cosmic event documented by the Mayans and not the end of the world, plan to gather along Mexico’s gulf coast awaiting the dawn of a new era. Hotel rooms are discounted and in some cases, offered at gratis. Guatemala invited musical acts U2, Elton John, Sting and Neil Young to the capital city in celebration of the event. Bolivia plans a new era by casting out coincidentally, Coca-Cola, ending the domain of capitalism in recognition of the event. Belize offers vacation packages that promises an ideal setting at the core of the Mayan calendar celebration. December 21, does not necessarily mean the collapse of the universe as it has been promulgated by apocalyptic soothsayers. After all, they were the ones that gave us reason to believe a world ending as recently as Y2K, then again in 2003 when the United States first invaded Iraq. One thing for sure, pinpointing a calendar conclusion for the end of the world is about as accurate as predicting the weather.
