If you are currently spending your life savings in anticipation of this Friday's alleged doomsday, think again, suggested a scholar versed in Mayan culture.

Marvin Cohodas, a professor in art history at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Xinhua that predictions of the world's end were just fear-mongering.

Cohodas said he was appalled at the distortions that the supposed end-of-the-world forecasts for Dec. 21 were attributed to the close of the Mayan 5,125-year Long Count calendar.

The Long Count was one of many calendars the Mayas used; the count is progressive and assumes an infinite extension of the past and the future, said Cohodas, who has been studying Mayan culture for nearly 40 years.

For religious purposes, there is also a cyclic aspect drawn out of the count and it is that cycle that comes to close and restarts this month, just as it did 5,125 years ago, he said.

"It's important to note that people's ideas change. A little over 1,000 years ago, the Christians in Europe expected time and the world to end when the millennium came and it didn't. And most Christians today don't believe they can predict the end of the world anymore," Cohodas said.

"Similarly, the ancient Maya 1,000 years ago believed that every 5,125 years, in our terms, the universe and the cosmos recycled and was destroyed and immediately recreated. But the Maya today don't believe that anymore either," he added.

"People are interested in the exotic and something that's out of the ordinary and it helps dissuade the attentions of modern life," said Cohodas, adding that this helps explain the popularity of the alleged Mayan doomsday prophecy.

Meanwhile, most of the distortions had been for economic gain, he added.

"There's a big industry of books on the Maya doom and Maya apocalypse, but that's purely for economic gain. And the governments of Mexico and Guatemala are playing into this area, developing big tourist events for the night of the 21st in order to attract tourist dollars.

"The Maya of today in Guatemala, many of them are quite upset about this that their heritage is being distorted for economic gain that doesn't benefit them at all, but it all distorts their own religion," he said.

"Climate change is the actual apocalypse," he said. "But it's just slower and people don't see it that way." Endi

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)