Untitled - Tarom

DISCOVERY
36
® Subteranului, despre care se credea c\ are nou\
®
niveluri. Dup\ asfin]it, zeul Soarelui se transforma `n
jaguar. Trupul ne`nsufle]it era `nf\[urat `n p‚nz\ de
bumbac [i acoperit cu vopsea ro[ie - suger‚nd s‚ngele,
esen]a vie]ii. Masca de jad reprezenta „fa]a pentru
restul eternit\]ii“.
CALENDARUL - FASCINA}IE {I AMENIN}ARE
Sistemul calendarului maya este extrem de complex
[i chiar mai exact dec‚t cel pe care `l folosim
ast\zi. Observa]iile preo]ilor-astronomi erau notate `n
codexuri ce cuprindeau calcule exacte ale mi[c\rii
Soarelui, Lunii [i altor planete.
Templele, ridicate dup\ cercet\ri minu]ioase,
marcau solsti]iul sau echinoc]iul. La Chichen Itza, cel
mai important ora[ maya[ din peninsula Yucatan, sute
de oameni se str‚ng anual, `n timpul echinoc]iului
de toamn\, pentru a observa cum razele soarelui iau
forma unui [arpe pe treptele piramidei dedicate zeului
Quetzacoatl.
Calendarul `ncepe cu 11 august 3114 `.Hr. [i ]ine
p‚n\ la 20 decembrie 2012 d.Hr., c‚nd un eveniment
major va pune cap\t celei de-a 13-a perioade de 400
de ani, dar nu va aduce sf‚r[itul lumii. „Pentru ei era
foarte limpede c\ societatea urma s\ se ridice [i s\
decad\.
Profe]ie sau nu, le era clar c\ exista o perioad\ de
400-500 de ani `n care o societate putea prospera
`nainte ca totul s\ se pr\bu[easc\“, spune exploratorul
Richard D. Hansen, cel care l-a ajutat pe Mel Gibson
la realizarea filmului „Apocalypto“.
Imagine din filmul „Apocalypto“
Image from “Apocalypto“ movie
home to the remains of King Pacal, was discovered
in 1952. The lid of his coffin told the story of his journey
towards the gods of the Underworld, which was
thought to have two levels. After sunset, the Sun God
would turn into a Jaguar. The lifeless body was
wrapped in a cotton cloth and covered in red paint -
suggesting blood, the essence of life. A jade mask represented
“the face for the rest of eternity“.
THE CALENDAR - FASCINATION AND THREAT
The system of the Maya calendar is extremely complex
and even more exact than the one in use today.
The observations of the priests-astronomers were
noted in codices which included exact calculations of
the movement of the Sun, the Moon and other planets.
The temples, erected following detailed research, marked
the solstice or the equinox. Hundreds of people
gather annually in Chichen Itza, the most important
Maya town on the Yucatan peninsula, to see how the
rays of the sun take the form of a snake on the steps of
the pyramid dedicated to the god Quetzacoatl.
The Maya calendar began on August 11, 3114 BC
and ends December 20, 2012 AD, when a major event
is to end the 13 th 400-year period, not necessarily bringing
about the end of the world, but rather a new beginning.
“For them it was very clear that society was to
rise and fall. Whether it was a prophecy or not, it was
clear for them that there was a period of 400-500 years
in which a society could prosper before everything
would crumble,“ says explorer Richard D. Hansen,
who helped Mel Gibson for the film “Apocalypto.“
DEC|DEREA {I „APOCALYPTO“
„Cercet\torii cred c\ problemele grave cu care s-a confruntat civiliza]ia
maya sunt similare cu cele ale societ\]ii din zilele noastre: degradarea
mediului, consumul excesiv, corup]ia politic\“, spune scriitorul
Rahad Safinia, care i-a fost al\turi regizorului Mel Gibson la documentarea
pentru filmul „Apocalypto“. Pentru ca spectatorul s\ p\trund\ `n lumea
misterioas\ a str\vechii civiliza]ii, Gibson a folosit actori amatori,
unii chiar cu r\d\cini maya[e.
Completate de folosirea limbii maya din Yucatan [i de machiaj, personajele
exceleaz\ prin expresivitate [i realism. Interpre]ii au fost ajuta]i
de nativii din Yucatan s\ deprind\ pronun]ia corect\, iar debutantul
Rudy Youngblood (Jaguar Paw) [i-a f\cut singur cascadoriile.
Probabil c\ nu a existat o singur\ cauz\ a pr\bu[irii civiliza]iei maya,
ci o serie nefast\: defri[area, problemele climaterice, r\zboaiele, bolile,
pierderea c\ilor comerciale. Pe m\sur\ ce ora[ele se dezvoltau, puterea
politic\ a regalit\]ii [i a preo]ilor sporea.
Conduc\torii controlau resursele [i manipulau popula]ia prin fric\,
umilire [i venerare. Cei puternici cereau f\r\ `ncetare mai mult [i mai
bine. Aceast\ cre[tere de dragul cre[terii trebuia s\ aib\ un pre] - c\derea
uneia dintre cele mai mari civiliza]ii pe care le-a cunoscut omenirea.
La `nceputul secolului XXI existau [ase milioane de maya[i, `n c‚teva
state din America Central\.
O parte s-au integrat `n lumea modern\. Al]ii continu\ s\ tr\iasc\
conform tradi]iilor de secole, maya fiind limba lor matern\. Ast\zi, chiar
[i jaguarul, alt\dat\ venerat ca o mare putere `n cultura maya, este `n
primejdie... ∫
THE DECLINE AND “APOCALYPTO“
“Researchers believe that the serious problems faced by the Maya
civilization are similar to those in present society: the degradation of the
environment, excessive consumption and political corruption“, says
writer Rahad Safinia, who helped Mel Gibson with the documentation
for the film “Apocalypto.“ For the spectator to be able to enter the mysterious
world of the ancient civilization, Gibson used amateur actors,
some even with Maya roots. Their use of the Mayan dialect spoken in
Yukatan, as well as makeup, added to the expressiveness and realism of
the characters. The performers were helped to learn the correct pronunciation
and newcomer Rudy Youngblood (Jaguar Paw) performed his
own stunts.
There probably was not one cause for the fall of the Maya civilization,
but an ill-fated series of occurrences: deforestation, climate change,
wars, disease, the loss of commercial practices. As the towns became
increasingly developed, the political power of the ruling family and the
priests enlarged. The rulers controlled the resources and manipulated
the population through fear, humiliation and worship. The strong and
powerful would continually ask for more and better things. This development
simply for the sake of developing came with a price - the fall of
one of the greatest civilizations the world has known.
At the beginning of the 21 th century there were 6 million Maya in
Mexico and several countries in Central America. Some of them adapted
to the modern world. Others continue to live according to century-old
traditions, Maya being their mother tongue. Today, even the jaguar, once
worshiped as a great power in the Maya culture, is in danger... ∫