In all books mentioned, there were four disasters [p. 32] that "punished the Mayab."
The first was by Air: Hurricanes that swept across the land, since hurricanes
are now a major part of the Mesoamerican world, one
could also say Tornadoes in other parts of the lands involved.
are now a major part of the Mesoamerican world, one
could also say Tornadoes in other parts of the lands involved.
The second was by Fire: The Popol Vuh tell that there was a burning rain, one said it
it was a resin from the sky, another said it was burning
turpentine. There was also a third version: that of the stinging
of wasps, hornets, and bees that destroyed the tribes of the
wooden manikins, mentioned as much later out of context.
it was a resin from the sky, another said it was burning
turpentine. There was also a third version: that of the stinging
of wasps, hornets, and bees that destroyed the tribes of the
wooden manikins, mentioned as much later out of context.
The third was by Quakes: Earthquakes raised the mountains from the flat plains and split them
apart. Huemac of the Strong Hands was called in to do this job in
Codices, but the Popol Vuh claimed only a strong entity named,
Earthquake with no adventure to describe his job, only his death.
The fourth and last: Flood: A water-filled gourd broke on the top of a mountain. Its
contents "rushed down from the hill-top over the valleys
and the fields At first, it was like a little lake, then like a river,
then it became a great sea that engulfed the land of the red
man with all its cities and all its marvels." It was here that
a man of clay "that the water could dissolve" died.
The Maya left out an event or two under the assumption that it would be perfectly obvious what would have occurred between two events. And what the Maya assumed was perfectly obvious was described backwards since water only runs down the mountains, never above or over them. (To be continued)
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