The roots of the current doom-saying phrase "2012" are actually quite simple to trace. They can be traced to
-People mixing up the Aztec and Maya belief systems
-People reading too much into Mayan metaphors
-Wingnuts who believe they're getting messages from Zeta Retticulians
-People who want the world to end spread the news, hoping to "save"
as many souls as possible
-The History Channel
First off, there is the whole mixing up of Aztec and Maya belief. Just like people thinking that the Romans were basically Greek 2.0 (actually the furthest thing possible), a lot of people think that the Maya=Aztec and vice versa. Though they shared similar deities and the Calendar system, they had completely different outlooks on life. The Maya feared death, and if they had the power to see the future, they would of certainly of tried to prevent their own collapse in the 800s-1000s AD. On the other hand, the Aztecs loved death, they saw it as inescapable, so why bother worrying? They are the ones who stated that the sun needed blood to rise each day, and truly believed that if they didn't sacrifice people to the sun, it would die. Thus, if the Maya truly could predict such future scenarios, then why didn't they give instructions on preventing? Also, the Mayans make no mention what-so-ever of earthquakes, floods, etc. Which brings us to...
The Mayan Language, like Chinese, is a language of metaphors. Thus, even the most dull of statements can be made dramatic to the untrained-reader. The use of dramatic language in relation to the calendar makes sense: the Maya based their entire existence around their calendar, from what they were named to where they built their houses, kind of like a Mesoamerican Feng Shui. Thus, they would be dramatic about a shift in their calendar: the act of turning over to a new year was that important to them. Then, wait a second, you say: then where is this whole talk of Annunaki/Nibiru/Pole Shift/Flood stuff come from? The answer may be surprising.
Like all weird things, one can find some part of their origin in Wisconsin (no offense to any Wisonsinites). A woman by the name of Nancy Lieder claimed that she was in ESP contact with extraterrestrial Greys by the name of Zetas. They told her that the Comet Hale-Bopp is a fraud (bull to the eyes of people who can see it with their own telescopes), and that Nibiru/Planet X (the MacGuffin for the 2012 movie) would stop the Earth's rotation for 5 days or so. She based her whole claim off of Zecharia Sitchin's Annunaki concept. However, he never claimed that it would collide with Earth (though he does claim that Alien Reptilians are trying to take over Earth, amongst other things). Scientific impossibilities beside, there is one gloriously larghe error in this story: it was supposed to have happened in 2003. Derp derp, anyone? She then rectified her claim was a "White Lie... to fool the Establishment". The true date is around 2010, which many people change to 2011/2012. Now, you say, what? You mean that this entire premise is a bunch of Taurus-hockey? BUT! say the Galactic Grun- I mean, the True Believers, what about the others who say "Spiritual Enlightenment" and all that stuff is going to happen. Which, my dear Trainers, leads us to
The Cult Leaders. Like Maxie, Archie, and Cyrus, these people belief that the world ending/changing is a good thing - except, all their claims are jostled by the fact that they can;t seem to agree on what's going to happen. Now, before you decide to jump on the bandwagon, do three things first: 1. Remember that these guys are like SEELE from Evangelion - they want everyone to join together. LITERALLY. 2. Go to zomganime and watch the 1st episode of Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi for you weeaboos). 3. Realize how horrible it would be to be able to hear each others thoughts/desires. Now, to those who believe that the TV can never lie to them...
The History Channel probably can be credited with the current fascination with 2012. In 2006, they first aired their now-famous special on 2012 (at around the same time that the Leonardo DaVinci fervor started to die down). They got so many things wrong, the collected Rage would probably transform all Magikarp around me into Red Gyaradae. Now, remember, the only reason the History Channel puts anything on is to get money; if it can make the most moolah, they'll show it, even if it holds not a single grain of truth in it. That's how all Networks run, and inevitably decay. So, they just show what's popular. And, ooh boy, Disaster hasn't been this popular since the Middle Ages. People like to scare themselves; that's why we have an entire Genre dedicated to it. And, also, people like to belief that the world ends with them, so that all their actions have no future consequences. Also, if you're a religious wingnut, you probably look forward gleefully to the Apocalypse, the time when the Guy in the Sky rewards you, kills all the people you don't like, and everything becomes about you(r beliefs).
Thus, three roots can be found for the current phase: Failure to research and understand; Schizophrenics and con men; and people's own want for the End of the World.
I hope I have been helpful.
-People mixing up the Aztec and Maya belief systems
-People reading too much into Mayan metaphors
-Wingnuts who believe they're getting messages from Zeta Retticulians
-People who want the world to end spread the news, hoping to "save"
as many souls as possible
-The History Channel
First off, there is the whole mixing up of Aztec and Maya belief. Just like people thinking that the Romans were basically Greek 2.0 (actually the furthest thing possible), a lot of people think that the Maya=Aztec and vice versa. Though they shared similar deities and the Calendar system, they had completely different outlooks on life. The Maya feared death, and if they had the power to see the future, they would of certainly of tried to prevent their own collapse in the 800s-1000s AD. On the other hand, the Aztecs loved death, they saw it as inescapable, so why bother worrying? They are the ones who stated that the sun needed blood to rise each day, and truly believed that if they didn't sacrifice people to the sun, it would die. Thus, if the Maya truly could predict such future scenarios, then why didn't they give instructions on preventing? Also, the Mayans make no mention what-so-ever of earthquakes, floods, etc. Which brings us to...
The Mayan Language, like Chinese, is a language of metaphors. Thus, even the most dull of statements can be made dramatic to the untrained-reader. The use of dramatic language in relation to the calendar makes sense: the Maya based their entire existence around their calendar, from what they were named to where they built their houses, kind of like a Mesoamerican Feng Shui. Thus, they would be dramatic about a shift in their calendar: the act of turning over to a new year was that important to them. Then, wait a second, you say: then where is this whole talk of Annunaki/Nibiru/Pole Shift/Flood stuff come from? The answer may be surprising.
Like all weird things, one can find some part of their origin in Wisconsin (no offense to any Wisonsinites). A woman by the name of Nancy Lieder claimed that she was in ESP contact with extraterrestrial Greys by the name of Zetas. They told her that the Comet Hale-Bopp is a fraud (bull to the eyes of people who can see it with their own telescopes), and that Nibiru/Planet X (the MacGuffin for the 2012 movie) would stop the Earth's rotation for 5 days or so. She based her whole claim off of Zecharia Sitchin's Annunaki concept. However, he never claimed that it would collide with Earth (though he does claim that Alien Reptilians are trying to take over Earth, amongst other things). Scientific impossibilities beside, there is one gloriously larghe error in this story: it was supposed to have happened in 2003. Derp derp, anyone? She then rectified her claim was a "White Lie... to fool the Establishment". The true date is around 2010, which many people change to 2011/2012. Now, you say, what? You mean that this entire premise is a bunch of Taurus-hockey? BUT! say the Galactic Grun- I mean, the True Believers, what about the others who say "Spiritual Enlightenment" and all that stuff is going to happen. Which, my dear Trainers, leads us to
The Cult Leaders. Like Maxie, Archie, and Cyrus, these people belief that the world ending/changing is a good thing - except, all their claims are jostled by the fact that they can;t seem to agree on what's going to happen. Now, before you decide to jump on the bandwagon, do three things first: 1. Remember that these guys are like SEELE from Evangelion - they want everyone to join together. LITERALLY. 2. Go to zomganime and watch the 1st episode of Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi for you weeaboos). 3. Realize how horrible it would be to be able to hear each others thoughts/desires. Now, to those who believe that the TV can never lie to them...
The History Channel probably can be credited with the current fascination with 2012. In 2006, they first aired their now-famous special on 2012 (at around the same time that the Leonardo DaVinci fervor started to die down). They got so many things wrong, the collected Rage would probably transform all Magikarp around me into Red Gyaradae. Now, remember, the only reason the History Channel puts anything on is to get money; if it can make the most moolah, they'll show it, even if it holds not a single grain of truth in it. That's how all Networks run, and inevitably decay. So, they just show what's popular. And, ooh boy, Disaster hasn't been this popular since the Middle Ages. People like to scare themselves; that's why we have an entire Genre dedicated to it. And, also, people like to belief that the world ends with them, so that all their actions have no future consequences. Also, if you're a religious wingnut, you probably look forward gleefully to the Apocalypse, the time when the Guy in the Sky rewards you, kills all the people you don't like, and everything becomes about you(r beliefs).
Thus, three roots can be found for the current phase: Failure to research and understand; Schizophrenics and con men; and people's own want for the End of the World.
I hope I have been helpful.
