GUATEMALA 4-24
An approach to its Cultures and Ethnic Groups
A Social Science essay in 6 sections
By DarÃo Morán
http://galeriadecultura.hi5.com
Continuation Section 1 Introduction
The Maya
…including the TzolkÃn calendar
Heaven, Humankind and the Underworld for the Maya mean Time, and time is life and death. Beginning and end of everything.
Operating some complicated calculations Maya make both calendars connect each other and mark equinoxes and solstices perfectly and following the long count of their ways they know what they have to know to rule their daily lives spiritually,socially , economically and in many other aspects.
Each kin(day) of each month of the TzolkÃn brings its own protector god, deity or protector animal spirit, animal spirits are always represented by the sacred animals like jaguars,deers,monkeys,snakes,bats and other.
These tell the person why and how to believe and pray, which profession to study and which offerings to present in altars on top of the sacred mountains:all mountains, inside colonial Catholic churches like in Chichicastenango and in their ancient cities ,now archaeological sites which for them still are sacred places, where people,spirits,gods,deities and animals are invoked thru the invisible- but not for them , tiny and with optical fiber thick lines between different dimensions.
Protector animal spirits are called NAWALES.
Many people say the Maya dissapeared but I argue this because there still are many Maya now, I think the ones who dissapeared were the great astronomers,mathematicians,architects and outstanding artists.
I do not say actual Maya are not intelligent enough to achieve great goals, but times are different and unfortunately Mayas now are not in the same position than the one of their ancestors.
Maya of the old times populated an area named Mesoamerica by the anthropologyst John Kirshoff, an extension of land of 324,000 square kilometers region where the ancient cultures and civilizations lived, live and flourished; actually territory of five countries : Guatemala, Belize,México,Honduras and El Salvador.The largest population of Maya is now concentrated in Guatemala and México.