The Getty Museum has recently opened an extraordinary exhibition showcasing the oldest book ever discovered in the Americas, the Maya Codex of Mexico. This 900-year-old text, like other Maya codices, features intricate illustrations and hieroglyphs meticulously inscribed on tree bark pages bound together in a book format.
The Maya Codices: A Glimpse into Ancient Knowledge
David Childress, a renowned author and researcher, emphasizes the significance of Maya codices, stating, "The Mayans had hundreds, thousands of codices that were describing the Mayan history and the gods and everything that they wanted to write down. Four Mayan codices are known to exist and to have survived."
Beyond these manuscripts, archaeologists have unearthed Maya hieroglyphs carved on temples dating as far back as the third century BC. However, the loss and destruction of many codices have posed challenges to fully deciphering the ancient writing system. Scholars estimate that about 80% of Maya hieroglyphs have been translated, leaving many glyphs still to be understood.
Deciphering Maya Hieroglyphs: A Long Journey
David Cheetham, an expert in Maya archaeology, explains, "About 70 years ago, Maya archaeologists started to unravel the Maya hieroglyphic world, and by the '70s and '80s, more and more of the language was understood in terms of its interface with the glyphs."
As scholars gradually learned to read Maya hieroglyphs, they discovered that the codices contain richly illustrated astronomical charts, divination tables, and instructions for religious ceremonies. Among the most important stories found in these codices is the Popol Vuh, a historical record detailing the Maya creation story.
The Popol Vuh: The Maya Creation Story
The Popol Vuh, central to Maya mythology, begins with the gods, referred to as the "makers and modelers," setting up the world. The story focuses on the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who battle the lords of death to make the world safe for humanity.
According to the narrative, after the Hero Twins prepare the Earth for humanity, a larger pantheon of gods follows. Giorgio Tsoukalos, a researcher on ancient astronaut theories, notes, "Their beginning of creation, and they have a date for it, is the 11th of August, 3114 BC. The Popol Vuh says that on that day, the road of the stars descended from the sky, and the gods, 13 of them, descended from the heavens down to Earth and imparted knowledge to the local population."
Kukulkan: The Prominent Maya Deity
Researchers have documented over 250 Maya gods, but the original pantheon of 13 beings is credited with teaching the ancient Maya essential knowledge, including agriculture, mathematics, and astronomy. Among these deities, the most prominent is Kukulkan, the flying serpent.
Kukulkan is revered as the bringer of wisdom, the art of speech, and mathematics. His name signifies both "wind" and "giver," connecting him with various sky phenomena such as thunder, lightning, storms, and rain. His serpent form symbolizes wisdom, a common motif in many ancient cultures.
Ancient Astronaut Theories and Kukulkan
Ancient astronaut theorists find Kukulkan particularly intriguing. The deity is not always depicted as a flying serpent but sometimes as a humanoid face emerging from the serpent's mouth. David Henry, a researcher, states, "In Mayan iconography, Kukulkan is shown as a serpentine being with a humanoid head that flies through the sky. And it makes you wonder what is going on here?"
Giorgio Tsoukalos adds, "Kukulkan looks like a snake shooting across the sky. If you look at a modern-day plane, that looks like a flying snake if you don't have the vocabulary with which to describe the fuselage and the wings. So, of course, we have stories of flying snakes because those were the best terms with which to describe what they witnessed."
Conclusion
The Getty Museum's exhibition of the Maya Codex of Mexico offers a rare glimpse into the ancient Maya civilization. As scholars continue to decipher the remaining glyphs, the rich history and profound knowledge contained within these codices promise to shed more light on the enigmatic and sophisticated world of the Maya. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the intricate interplay of mythology, astronomy, and culture that defined this remarkable civilization.