When the Gods of Men Die

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.

They grew four kinds of beans.

Stuff About Guatemala: part one

Guatemala may be the most Mayan country. Guatemala may also be the country in which the Maya have been most continuously persecuted. U.S. wealth has paid the Guatemalan ruling class to kill Mayans for decades.  There are still a lot of Mayans there. Viva El Oriente! The Mexican ruling class has not focused on the persecution of Maya as persistently as has the Guatemalan ruling class.

Much of that recent (100 year) persecution has been, dear US citizen an example of your tax dollar at work. However, Guatemalans, like most people in the world, know that you have no idea of what your government is doing and so are very forgiving.

The Mayans have a healthy strength. The Spaniards could not completely dominate them. A fearful, powerful and murderous few of the Guatemalan oligarchy could not either. Recently that oligarchy has begun to see their great Mayan population as a possible resource to be exploit rather than crushed.

If you do not let shame overpower you, Guatemala can be a marvelous place to visit. You might even find a 'Mayan princess' there with a smile so radiant and goddess-like that it could energize you for a long time. Looking, you will probably also find fear, oppression, and poverty. Still there is beauty in Guatemala and many curious configurations of energy. With a little care you may also find abundant health comfort.

The Mathematics of Nature: The CanamaytÈ Quadrivertex

The Mathematics of Nature: The CanamaytÈ Quadrivertex

More, relating to the work of Diaz Bolio on the Maya. Canamayte means squaqre of the serpent.
This may be a good year to learn a bit more about the Maya and their science. Ahau Can, according to the work of Diaz-Bolio is central to the teaching and learning of that science. You might want to refer to the book The Feathered Serpent: Axis of Cultures. 

The true Ahau Can seems to have a tiny human face picture on its tail

Crotalus tzabcan - Google Search

Crotalus tzabcan - Google Search

Link to photographs of the rattlesnake crotalus tzaban which I have substituted for the crotalus durissus durissus used by Jose Diaz-Bolio in his work The Geometry of the Maya. It appears that it is Mr. Diaz-Bolio's suggestion that the geometry, art, science of the Maya is closely related to the markings on the rattlesnake called Ahau Can on the Yucatan penninsula. Mr. Diaz-Bolio also makes connections between lunar chronology and the snakes markings. He considers the snake a great teaching sybmnol of the Maya.

I recommend to you The Geometry of the Maya by Jose Diaz-Bolio published in English in Merida, in 1987 Mexico as a translation of the 1965 original work in Spanish. I believe that you will find the reading and the black and white photos and drawings interesting and instructive.

After Landa

You might want to search this blog for Landa related topics to get an idea of what this post refers to.


You may remember that Diego de Landa, Bishop of Yucatan, was a man that some came to hate because of his early destruction of certain culturally and historically important items of the Maya. I tend to think of him as a man of his time, of the better sort. There are those who agree that he has gotten a bit of a 'bad rap.'


Here are some dates of related occurrences long after Diego's time:


1761 Jancito Canek Maya Revolt


1820 Inquisition ended in Mexico


1847 - 1901 Caste War*


1847 Maya/Yaqui uprising


1864 Crecencio Poot Maya raids


* Perhaps the greatest Maya related rebellion. It took 170 to 'pacify' the Maya; and then came the Caste War.

A Few Spanish Memories of the Maya

 A short time-line:
1523 - 25 Pedro de Alvarado 'subdued' the Maya of Guatemala.
1526  Francisco de Montejo received a royal 'permit' to conquer the "Island of Campeche and Yucatan" along with the title of Adelantado.
1527  Monejo's party landed at Cabo Catoche and made the first unsuccessful attempt at conquest.
1531  Montejo founded the town of Campeche and colonization began.
1534  Fry Jacobo Testera, a Franciscan missionary, arrived in Campeche establishing monasteries there and in Champoton. Other Franciscans followed, proving more successful than armies in consolidating the conquest.
1542  Francisco de Montejo, son of the Adelntado, founded the city of Merida on the site of T'Ho.
1543  Valladolid founded on te site of Zaci.
1546  Last hold-out groups in the eastern portions of the peninsula were subdued.
1697  Island kingdom of Tayasal in Lake Peen Itza forced to submit to Spanish rule.

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