4 Ajaw (April 5th) – a “defining” energy associated with the full light of the sun, seen as symbolic of
enlightenment; this is the Burner Day that was in place on the first day of this current Great Cycle
of time in 3114 B.C., and this is the day that will return to conclude this cycle on Dec. 21st of
this year; as of this day only one 260-day cycle remains (the last of 7200 Tzolk’in revolutions
within this era) before this Great Cycle concludes its 5125 year journey, at which point a whole
new Great Cyle of Time will begin (according to the ancient wisdom of the Maya daykeepers).
--writing found on http://www.whitepuppress.ca
"Before we fix our eyes on the heavens, we need to look to the past and the mythology of the Maya people to fully appreciate the beautiful pageantry played out in the celestial sphere. There were five creations (we are living in the fifth), according to the Maya. The couple responsible for the creation of the universe is Xpiyakok and Xmukane (the X is pronounced sh). To illustrate this story, I have used excerpts from the Popul Vuh, the Maya book which tells of their creation. Originally, according to the Popul Vuh, there was only the sky and the sea:
Only the sea alone is pooled under all the sky
There is nothing whatever gathered together.
It is at rest, not a single thing stirs.
It is held back, kept at rest under the sky.
Seeing that there was only the sky and the sea, Xpiyakok and Xmukane created the Earth just by speaking the word:
And then the earth arose because of them,
It was simply their word that brought it forth.
For the forming of the earth they said "Earth.
It arose suddenly, just like a cloud, like a mist, now forming, unfolding.
Then the mountains were separated from the water,
All at once the great mountains came forth.
They created the land and the animals. But they also created noisy, squawking birds. Although the birds were able to make sounds, they could not speak their creators' names. Xpiyakok and Xmukane were distressed at this realization. They wanted to create something that could admonish them;
And then the deer and birds were told by the Maker, Modeler, Bearer, Begetter:
Talk, speak out. Don't moan, don't cry out.
Please talk, each to each, within each kind, within each groups.
This they were told: the deer, birds, puma, jaguar, serpents.
Name now our names, praise us. We are your mother, we are your father. Speak now:
Hurricane, Newborn Thunderbolt,
Raw Thunderbolt, Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, Maker, Modeler, Bearer, Begetter,
speak, pray to us, keep our days, they were told.
But it didn't turn out that they spoke like people: they squawked, they chattered, they howled.
The creator couple thought about this, and decided to create people from mud. Unfortunately, the mud proved to be too soft, and when it dried it crumbled, proving inefficient for their purpose;
So then comes the building and working with earth and mud.
They made a body, but it didn't look good to them.
It was separating, crumbling, loosening, softening, disintegrating, and dissolving.
Its head wouldn't turn, either.
Its face was lopsided, its face was twisted.
It couldn't look around.
It talked at first, but senselessly.
It was quickly dissolved in the water. .
Xpiyakok and Xmukane decided to use a harder substance, so they began to fashion people out of wood. The wooden people were like mannequins; they could not think, feel or reason. More importantly, they could not speak the names of their creators;
It is well that there be your manikins, woodcarvings,
Talking speaking, there on the face of the earth.
So be it, they reply.
The moment they spoke it was done;
The manikins, woodcarvings, human in looks and human in speech.
This was the peopling of the earth:
They came into being, they multiplied, they had daughters,
They had sons, these manikins, woodcarvings.
But there was nothing in their hearts and nothing in their minds,
No memory of their mason and builder.
They just went and walked wherever they wanted.
Because of these issues, the frustrated couple caused a great flood that destroyed their race of wood. This was not a pleasant demise as depicted rather vividly in this excerpt;
There came the one named Gouger of Faces: he gouged out their eyeballs.
There came Sudden Blood letter: he snapped off their heads.
There came Crunching Jaguar: he ate their flesh.
There came Tearing Jaguar: he tor e them open.
They were pounded down to the bones and tendons,
Smashed and pulverized even to the bones.
Their faces were smashed because they were incompetent before their
Mother and their father, the Heart of Sky, named Hurricane.
The earth was blackened because of this:
The black rainstorm began, rain all day, and rain all night.
Into their houses came the animals, small and big.
Their faces were crushed by things of wood and stone.
Because of this great flood, the wooden people became monkeys, who to this day are a symbol of that unsuccessful creation;
They were left as a sign because wood alone was used
For their flesh by the builder and sculptor.
So this is why monkeys look like people, they are a sign of a previous human design,
Mere manikins; mere woodcarvings.
This set the stage for the current creation; the creation that is beautifully played out in the heavens like a wondrous celestial tale replicated over and over across time. After the flood, there appeared Itzam-Yeh (Seven Macaw), a beautiful bird who, through his vanity and arrogance provided light for the world of twilight;
There was no sun.
There was one who magnified himself: Seven Macaw is his name.
The sky-earth was already there, but the face of the sun-moon was clouded over.
Even so, it is said that his light provided a sign for the people who were flooded.
He was like a genius to them.
It is here that the protagonists of the Maya creation are introduced. They are known individually as Hunahpu and Xbalanke (One-Ahaw and Yax-Balam respectively), but together they are the magnificent Hero Twins. They were gods who wielded great power.
Before we continue with the Hero Twins, in order to fully understand the story, we must first learn of their father and his exploits."
-- writing found on garone.net
