Mayan Style

[MiamiSound]

I just saw the movie apocalypto and was alittle awestruck at some of the depictions of the mayan city and inhabitants. If Mel Gibson was correct in depicting the way mayans adorned themselves then the mayans must have had a very modern almost futuristic sense of style. Everything from the geometric facial markings to the nose hoods looks like something out of a scifi movie.
Color must have played a very important aspect of their society it seems.
Does anyone have any links to any information regarding the significance of mayan adornments?


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[Everything is ok]

I was under the impression those were the Aztecs and the Mayans
were the ones being executed. I could be wrong.

As for your questions, I dont know.

[BMoody]

I was under the impression those were the Aztecs and the Mayans
were the ones being executed. I could be wrong.

As for your questions, I dont know.

Nope. It was urban Mayans attacking rural Mayans. There were lots of different tribes of Mayans....just like there are today. Saying Mayan is kind of like saying Celt. The Celts were first grouped together as a people by the Greeks. The Celts spoke a similar language with different dialects and similar artistic styles and cultures but, they were not a single people. And, they were always waging war on each other. The Mayans were/are like that, too.


Barb

[Compsen]

I liked the movie Apocalypto, but through that movie I thought the peaceful tribe were the Mayans. Then when I saw they were brought to the main Mayan city, I kinda got upset. Then, the movie seemed like propaganda.

In real life: I've heard the stories of the Mayan culture, but couldn't really fathom the ritual sacrifice, especially when I started reading about how the Mayan's may have descended from the Lemurians. But, then I started reading how the Mayan's didn't start sacrificing until a certain king/tribe came from out of nowhere and basically took over the Mayan culture.

I can't really see how such an advanced civilization would resort to sacrifice unless provoked by an outside source. I mean seriously; you can predict millenia, but can't realize that killing others is wrong?

[BMoody]

I liked the movie Apocalypto, but through that movie I thought the peaceful tribe were the Mayans. Then when I saw they were brought to the main Mayan city, I kinda got upset. Then, the movie seemed like propaganda.

In real life: I've heard the stories of the Mayan culture, but couldn't really fathom the ritual sacrifice, especially when I started reading about how the Mayan's may have descended from the Lemurians. But, then I started reading how the Mayan's didn't start sacrificing until a certain king/tribe came from out of nowhere and basically took over the Mayan culture.

I can't really see how such an advanced civilization would resort to sacrifice unless provoked by an outside source. I mean seriously; you can predict millenia, but can't realize that killing others is wrong?

Nobody knows for certain who the Mayans descended from. A Lacandon Mayan priest I once knew said his people came across the sea from the west a long time ago. He used to get mixed up, he was old, but sometimes he said they came from "Mongolia" and other times he said "Tibet" but, either way, his people's stories have them coming from Asia in boats. He also said that his people knew that Blacks, who came from the east by boat, had lived with them in the distant past....and at one time the Blacks were the ruling classes. So, that explains the great Olmec heads that look African.

Why would you think that advanced civilizations wouldn't practice human sacrifice? Many advanced civilizations of the past did so....The Phoenicians come to mind, as do the Celts. The ancient Romans and Greeks did it too. The Persians did it. The Hindus did it until very recently when they were forced to stop by the Brits about a hundred years ago. Some say they still do it, though. Many tribes in Africa did it. And, in Southeast Asia. Some of the descendants of the Inca still do it. The governments of the Andes are trying desperately to stop them. We know the Aztecs and Toltecs did it. So? Why wouldn't the Mayans do it?


Barb

[Compsen]

I guess I mean, I can believe that they did it. I just don't understand why these civilizations that are relatively advanced can sacrifice others.

[BMoody]

I guess I mean, I can believe that they did it. I just don't understand why these civilizations that are relatively advanced can sacrifice others.

Yeah. I can see how that could mess up a person's mind.

But, the truth is, there is no common morality the world over. Our current European concepts of right and wrong are different today from the ones we held even a hundred years ago, let alone what they were a thousand years ago, or two thousand, and back and back.

A hundred years ago Europeans and European descendants were on a rampage slaughtering what they considered inferior beings all over the world...and they actually believed that their god had given them the mandate to murder these peoples! Is that the same as human sacrifice, then? I think so...it is killing people to satisfy some diety's wishes.

Five hundred years ago, our Euro-ancestors were burning people alive to satisfy their diety's calls for revenge....human sacrifice? Yep. Were we an advanced civilization? Well, it all depends on how you define "advanced" doesn't it?

The Mayans as well as the Toltecs, and later the Aztecs, were murdering people for religious reasons, too. They believed that their dieties would reward them for the blood spilled. And, Christians believe that their God sacrificed his own son in order to reward us humans with eternal life....that one is particularly disturbing to my sensibilities but, millions of people still believe it. So, it's all weird as far as I'm concerned but, it has been a big part of human practices for untold ages.....but, as a rule, we don't do it anymore. Unless you consider the wars that pop up as being another example of it.

As for me, whenever I hear some soldier say "god's on our side" or words to that effect, it reminds me of just why we kill each other and it turns my stomach.


Barb

[itzamna]

Yeah. I can see how that could mess up a person's mind.

But, the truth is, there is no common morality the world over. Our current European concepts of right and wrong are different today from the ones we held even a hundred years ago, let alone what they were a thousand years ago, or two thousand, and back and back.

A hundred years ago Europeans and European descendants were on a rampage slaughtering what they considered inferior beings all over the world...and they actually believed that their god had given them the mandate to murder these peoples! Is that the same as human sacrifice, then? I think so...it is killing people to satisfy some diety's wishes.

Five hundred years ago, our Euro-ancestors were burning people alive to satisfy their diety's calls for revenge....human sacrifice? Yep. Were we an advanced civilization? Well, it all depends on how you define "advanced" doesn't it?

The Mayans as well as the Toltecs, and later the Aztecs, were murdering people for religious reasons, too. They believed that their dieties would reward them for the blood spilled. And, Christians believe that their God sacrificed his own son in order to reward us humans with eternal life....that one is particularly disturbing to my sensibilities but, millions of people still believe it. So, it's all weird as far as I'm concerned but, it has been a big part of human practices for untold ages.....but, as a rule, we don't do it anymore. Unless you consider the wars that pop up as being another example of it.

As for me, whenever I hear some soldier say "god's on our side" or words to that effect, it reminds me of just why we kill each other and it turns my stomach.


Barb

what a great explanation... +10000000

[itzamna]

i think the little blind girl at the begining, telling them the man the runs with cougars,,,the sun will hide...was the freakest part of that whole show.
If you walked in late you missed it....
good movie...pretty gorey

indeed it was "scary" moment... hehe