When the gods of men die there is often a lose of social order. So it is among the people we have called Maya. Once, after witnessing the death of their gods, they dispersed, then managed to build new lives.
I can't tell that story because I do not know it. I can recount a small mosaic of attitudes an bits of information they carried into that dispersal and beyond.
There were among them those with great knowledge of the living of life and the counting of time.
They valued dignity.
They named the new places for what men did there or for the animals found there.
They understood government. Advice they gave governors included the following:
~ Live justly.
~ Listen to the advice of everyone, and follow the best.
~ Do not fear the truth, even if it is bitter.
~ Being kind comes before being just.
~ Remove from your hear all feelings of vengeance.
~ Respect he voice of the gods, but do not be deaf to mankind.
~ Do not despise the poor.
~ Do not confide in the powerful.
They were realistic and reasonable, but were capable of believing a liar.
They found underground places. They found that voices from one cenote could be heard in another cenote.
Flowers were important to them. They were medicine as good as fruit. Flowers were like people. They were like beautiful women, pretty good and not so very bad.
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