[Odin]

(...continued)

The Mesoamerican Long Count Calender (hehe this is the one that causes all of the dire predictions)

This calender is very accurate and absolute, but it is complicated. It will make your head hurt. No wonder it causes such confusion.

To start with this calender uses a vigesimal (base-20) number system. Where the Arabic number system we all know and love, uses base-10 based on the ten fingers. The Mesoamerican number system uses all of your fingers and toes. Each digit has a symbol that corresponds to a number between 0 and 19. To complicate matter not all digits are base 20. The 2nd digit is base 18 and the 5th only goes to 13 (except under special conditions).

For the recording of important events the Mayans used a sequence of 5 digits to indicate a precise date

Example: 12.19.15.5.18 → May 14, 2008 (yesterday)
Example: 12.19.15.5.19 → May 15, 2008 (today)
Example: 12.19.15.6.0 → May 16, 2008 (tomorrow) notice that the last digit hit 20 so it goes back to zero and you add one to the next digit.

Each digit is given a name (listed right to left)

1st K'in → 1 day
2nd Winal → 18 days (remember this digit is base 18)
3rd Tun → 20 Winal → ~1 year → 360 days
4th K'atun → 20 Tuns → ~20 years → 7200 days
5th B'ak'tun → 13 K'atun → ~395 years → 140,000 days (remember this digit is base 13)

If you count to the last available number you get the following date:
12.19.19.17.19 → December 20, 2012

OMG the end is near! Well not quite. There is another trick you need to know. The five digit date seen in many Mesoamerican writings is an abbreviation. YEP! You heard me it is an abbreviation. Just like with the Arabic number system it doesn't stop at 5 digits. You simply add another digit to the number. This has already been done, they just don't write it all of the time. In fact the Mayan writings have left of most of the date. This is the same as we sometimes leave of the century of our dates, saying '92 instead of 1992

How do we know this? Simple they wrote it down. In many writings that speak of the far distant past, as well of predictions of the future, then they use a 9, 13, or 20 digit systems.

An example of this is the inscription on the temple stairway at Yaxchilan, with date of 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.9.15.13.6.9. This means the temple was dedicated on March 15, 761. We also have examples of predictions that will occur in the far distant future. In the year 4772 there is to be a grand celebration in honor of the accession of King Pacal. In fact we have dates of prediction as far as 400 million years from now, and as far back as 90 million.

So under the full 13 digit system:
Example: 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.12.19.15.5.19 → May 15, 2008
Example: 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.12.19.19.17.19 → December 20, 2012 (the end of the world )
Example: 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.14.0.0.0.0.0 → December 21, 2012 (the day after! )

So what does this mean? If it's not the end of the world, then what is it?

The Mayans made it is very clear, that they did not believe that the 2012 date was the end of world. however they did believe this to be an important date. It is one to be celebrated! According to the Mayan texts the date of 12.0.0.0.0 marks the beginning of the 4th age of man and marks the beginning of his dominion on the Earth. The first 3 ages were under the dominion of the gods. This corresponds to the date August 11, 3114 BCE. The date of 12.19.19.17.19 marks the beginning of the new age (Piktun). So December 20, 2012 is not the end, but the beginning of man's 5th age.

OK so now your head hurts! I don't blame you, I have a fair grasp of the system and my head hurts too. If you have any questions please feel free to ask!