Chaac, the Ancient Mayan God of Rain

Chaac (spelled variously Chac, Chaak, or Chaakh; and referred to in scholarly texts as God B) is the name of the rain god in the Maya religion. As with many Mesoamerican cultures that based their living on rain-dependent agriculture, the ancient Maya felt a particular devotion for the deities controlling rain. Rain gods or rain-related deities were worshiped beginning in very ancient times  and were known under many names among different Mesoamerican people. Identifying Chaac For example, the Mesoamerican rain god was known as Cocijo by the Late Formative period Zapotec of the Oaxaca Valley, as Tlaloc by the Late Postclassic Aztec people in Central Mexico; and of course as Chaac among the ancient Maya. Chaac was the Maya god of rain, lightning, and storms. He is often represented holding jade axes and snakes that he uses to throw at the clouds to produce rain. His actions assured the growth of maize and other crops in general as well as maintaining the natural cycles of life. Natural events of different intensities from the vivifying rain and wet season storms, to the more dangerous and destructive hailstorms and hurricanes, were considered manifestations of the god. Characteristics of the Mayan Rain God For the ancient Maya, the rain god had a particularly strong relationship with rulers, because—at least for the earlier periods of Maya history—rulers were considered rainmakers, and in later periods, were thought able to communicate and intercede with the gods. The alter-egos of Maya shamans and rulers roles often overlapped, especially in the Preclassic period. The pre-classic shaman-rulers were said to be able to reach the inaccessible places where the rain gods dwelled, and intercede with them for the people. These deities were believed to live on the tops of mountains and in high forests which were often hidden by clouds. These were the places where, in the rainy seasons, the clouds were hit by Chaac and his helpers and the rains were announced by thunder and lightning. Four Directions of the World According to Maya cosmology, Chaac was also linked to the four cardinal directions. Each world direction was connected with one aspect of Chaac and a specific color: Chaak Xib Chaac, was the Red Chaac of the EastSak Xib Chaac, the White Chaac of the NorthEx Xib Chaac, the Black Chaac of the West, andKan Xib Chaac, the Yellow Chaac of the South Collectively, these were called the Chaacs or Chaacob or Chaacs (plural for Chaac) and they were worshiped as deities themselves in many parts of the Maya area, especially in Yucatà ¡n. In a burner ritual reported in the Dresden and Madrid codexes and said to be conducted to ensure copious rains, the four Chaacs had different roles: one takes the fire, one begins the fire, one gives scope to the fire, and one puts out the fire. When the fire was lit, hearts of sacrificial animals were cast into it and the four Chaac priests poured jugs of water to put out the flames. This Chaac ritual was performed twice each year, once in the dry season, once in the wet. Chaac Iconography Even though Chaac is one of the most ancient of Maya deities, almost all of the known representations of the god are from the Classic and Postclassic periods (AD 200-1521). Most of the surviving images depicting the rain god are on Classic period painted vessels and Postclassic codexes. As with many Maya gods, Chaac is portrayed as a blend of human and animal characteristics. He has reptilian attributes and fish scales, a long curly nose, and a protruding lower lip. He holds the stone ax used to produce lightning and wears an elaborate headdress. Chaac masks are found protruding from Maya architecture at many Terminal Classic period Maya sites such as Mayapà ¡n and Chichen Itza. Mayapà ¡ns ruins include the Hall of Chaac Masks (Building Q151), thought to have been commissioned by Chaac priests around AD 1300/1350. The earliest possible representation of a pre-classic Maya rain god Chaac recognized to date is carved into the face of Stela 1 at Izapa, and dated to the Terminal Preclassic Period about AD 200. Chaac Ceremonies Ceremonies in honor of the rain god were held in each Maya city and at different levels of society. Rituals to propitiate rain took place in the agricultural fields, as well as in more public settings such as plazas. Sacrifices of young boys and girls were carried out in especially dramatic periods, such as after a prolonged period of drought. In Yucatan, rituals asking for rains are documented for the Late Postclassic and Colonial periods. In the sacred cenote of Chichà ©n Itzà ¡, for example, people were thrown and left to drown there, accompanied by precious offerings of gold and jade. Evidence of other, less lavish ceremonies have also been documented by archaeologists in caves and karstic wells all over the Maya area. As part of the care of a cornfield, members of historic period Maya communities in the Yucatan peninsula today held rain ceremonies, in which all the local farmers participated. These ceremonies reference the chaacob, and the offerings included balche, or corn beer. Updated by K. Kris Hirst Sources Aveni AF. 2011. Maya Numerology. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 21(02):187-216.de Orellana M, Suderman M, Maldonado Mà ©ndez Ó, Galavitz R, Gonzà ¡lez Aktories S, Camacho Dà ­az G, Alegre Gonzà ¡lez L, Hadatty Mora Y, Maldonado Nà ºÃƒ ±ez P, Castelli C et al. 2006. Rituals of Corn. Artes de Mà ©xico(78):65-80.Estrada-Belli F. 2006. Lightning Sky, Rain, and the Maize God: The Ideology of Preclassic Maya Rulers at Ancient Mesoamerica 17:57-78.Cival, Peten, Guatemala.Milbrath S, and Lope CP. 2009. Survival and revival of Terminal Classic traditions at Postclassic Mayapà ¡n. Latin American Antiquity 20(4):581-606.Miller M and Taube KA. 1993. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion. Thames and Hudson: London.Pà ©rez de Heredia Puente EJ. 2008. Chen K’u: The Ceramic of the Sacred Cenote at Chichà ©n Itzà ¡. Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI): Tulane, Louisiana.Sharer RJ and Traxler, LP. 2006. The Ancient Maya. Sixth Edition. Stanford University Press: Stanford, California.

The Matrix Essay - 899 Words

Compare and Contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? An Essay Submitted to Jason Elvis BY Williestine Harriel Liberty University online September 24, 2012 Compare and Contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? After reading The Matrix, and reading from Plato and Descartes, I find that there are some similarities and differences. Therefore, let’s begin with The Matrix and Plato, The Allegory of the Cave. The Matrix and Plato have the same similarities because they both tell of characters being in a world that what they was experiencing is an illusion or some kind of†¦show more content†¦Also, searching the Bible will give them good reason for believing in it. Especially, if they have good justifiable reasons to hold to a particular belief. In contrast to The Matrix, when one reads of how Neo was pulled into his dream of what he said was the real world inside The Matrix, he sees the real world for the first time and he had reasons to believe, and the evidence of everything that what he thought was real was only an illusion, as the shadows from the statues and the things on the wall from the cave. In fact, Plato and Neo in The Matrix had motivation and an epistemic ob ligation. That is, to form their belief to feel responsible and obligated to try to take upon themselves to go back. But the difference with Neo in The Matrix is he had to fight the artifical beings in the the dream to save mankind from the enormous widespread of being ignorant and being deceived of a false reality Finally, when comparing The Matrix to Descartes, Meditation 1: Concerning Those Things That Can Be Called into Doubt, Descartes says, â€Å"he wanted to be certain, and he wanted proof that his senses were not deceiving him.† He used a form of skeptical reasoning to consider if his world is experiencing is being deceived by an evil demon. In contrast, of The matrix, Neo sees his evil demons as the artifical beings that are deceiving him and the real world. However, in the Bible, it says, â€Å"that evil demonsShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Matrix1072 Words   |  5 PagesThe Matrix The Matrix is a science fiction movie about artificial intelligence computers replacing mankind. I believe that this movie is a common type of display from the media is common paranoia so that they can get a reaction from people and sell their story. In the case of The Matrix, the movie dazzles people with awesome special effects using modern computer technology, which I find ironic. I find it self-conflicting and hypocritical for the media to use modern computer technology for theirRead MoreEssay on The Matrix2824 Words   |  12 Pages The Matrix Interweaves much symbolism, mythology, philosophy, and psychology. On the surface, the movie challenges the dominance of technology in our culture and predicts an apocalyptic result from the use of artificial intelligence. Yet, behind the human struggle for survival is a mythical backdrop upon which are backlit some of C.G. Jungs basic ideas regarding the human psyche. These Jungian ideas include the ego-Self relationship and how it rela tes to the persona, the shadow, individuation,Read MoreEssay about The Matrix1338 Words   |  6 Pagestantalizing movie, quot;The Matrixquot;, a breed of AI computers takes over the world. It harvests human embryos in laboratories called quot;fieldsquot;. It then feeds them through grim looking tubes and keeps them immersed in gelatinous liquid in cocoons. This new quot;machine speciesquot; derives its energy needs from the electricity produced by the billions of human bodies thus preserved. A sophisticated, all-pervasive, computer program called quot;The Matrixquot; generates a quot;worldquot;Read MorePlato And The Matrix Essay1463 Words   |  6 PagesIn â€Å"The Matrix† and Plato’s Phaedo and Republic questions of what makes up a whole and fulfilling life are answered. Both The Matrix and Plato provide alternate forms of reality, one that is based on truth and is fulfilling and one that is based on a false reality that offers false forms of fulfillment. The Mat rix and Plato show the difference of living a life in a true reality and a â€Å"fake† reality where everything inside this reality is fake making the lives inside this reality fake. True educationRead MoreEssay about The Matrix1131 Words   |  5 PagesThe Matrix Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, ‘The Matrix’ is a science fiction film, which was released in the year 1999. It was the first film to use the now famous camera technique of ‘bullet time’ and also introduced wirework martial arts into conventional cinemas. Its vision of the future is similar to other science fiction films such as ‘Men In Black’ with the agents always wearing sunglasses and the idea of man vs. machine\evil. In the openingRead More The Matrix Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pages The Matrix In 1999 directors/writers Larry and Andy Wachowski (Bound) made a dark and often disturbing Science Fiction film, The Matrix. With the production expertise of Joel Silver (Commando, Predator, Lethal Weapon series, and Die Hard series), Andrew Mason (The Crow, Dark City) and Barrie M. Osborne (Face/Off, The Fan, Childs Play), The Matrix is sure to be a favorite among Science Fiction movie fans for years to come. The Matrix won the Oscar award in all four categories it was nominatedRead MoreEssay on The Matrix577 Words   |  3 PagesThe Matrix The Matrix has been doing remarkably well in sales since its release in the cinema last summer and its recent video releases. This is largely due to stylish advertising techniques and word of mouth. The Matrix has been approved by critics who enjoy the film and also the ones who dislike the theme. Among young viewers, it has already achieved great status. So what else is the film about? Firstly the film copies the theme from many popular films that came before it, and involves intelligentRead MoreEssay on There is No Escaping the Matrix1916 Words   |  8 PagesThere is No Escaping the Matrix In the video game world anything is possible, and if your player dies you can always play again. The videogame industry is exploding in the market place; its far from childs play and far from the days of pong. In the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly (December 6, 2002) there is an article, Video Game Nation, discussing a new video game experience being touted as the wave of the future, The Real World meets The Matrix. In this virtual world called TheRead MoreThe Matrix And The Allegory Of The Cave1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave focus on one central idea: What is real?. They engage the audience in a fictional world where people live in false realities without knowing it. They make us question our own knowledge. Their storylines connect in that the protagonist discovers that everything he knows is a big lie and now he must discover the truth. The protagonist is thrown all of the sudden into the real world and then, he continues to seek the ab solute truth. Neo and the prisoner inquireRead MorePlato, Descartes, and the Matrix603 Words   |  3 Pagesthis information as reality. The movie The Matrix is based on the Brain in the Vat. The Matrix, Rene Descartes, Meditation I Of The Things Of Which We May Doubt and Plato’s, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† all hold similarities to the Brain in the Vat; therefore they hold similarities to each other. Although they hold similarities to each other there are also some differences between these three reasons. The similarities between the movie The Matrix, Plato’s cave analogy and Descartes’ Meditation

Top Geopolitics Essay Topics Choices

Top Geopolitics Essay Topics Choices The Argument About Geopolitics Essay Topics Certainly, the most crucial thing in regard to the total paper is its content. You may mix and match the offered titles to make something unique, yet still not need to be concerned about whether you've managed to adhere to the rules. Opt for the period of life which you think is best and compose an essay arguing why it's the ideal time of life. Before you commence writing your essay, there's a need to find the sensation of connection to the subject, the attraction to it and a deep interest. The option of compare and contrast essay topics isn't a simple task because you have to clearly show your analytical skills. These essays are hard to write as is, having to locate intriguing topics is an extra job. You should have skills to compose a very good essay. Choosing great essay topics for middle school must be a careful procedure, where a balance needs to be struck between topics that might be to o simplistic, more proper for the main school, and choosing argumentative essay topics that might be too elaborate or controversial. The Nuiances of Geopolitics Essay Topics You must be certain to understand everything clearly once you select an essay topic. Therefore, it goes without saying that if you prefer your essay to do well, then use this tool to find topic suggestions for your essay writing. It might be that you've been instructed on the sort of essay to write or, as an alternative, you could have been given free rein in regard to what styles to select. The essay itself needs to be written in a concise method. An argumentative essay is a sort of academic papers that students write in the center school. If you think about creating titles easy and you don't require any narrative essay prompts college or higher school students want to follow, it is genuinely amazing. The intent of assigning an essay to middle school students is to make awareness and permit them to dev elop writing skills. Luckily, they are not left alone. What to Expect From Geopolitics Essay Topics? To locate argumentative essay topics easy on various platforms, you want to comprehend about the argumentative essay. Regardless of what essay topic you were given, our essay generator will have the ability to finish your essay easily. You might be offered a list of essay prompts to select from. There exist numerous kinds of essays. As an example, let's say you decide on the very first topic from our list. In your list of blog titles, search for the 1 question that most aligns with your intended customer. Persuasive essay topics need a lot of reading and research. ARandom topic generatoris intended to help you locate the most fascinating and appropriate topic for your essay. Recent argumentative essay topics that are related to society is going to do. There are a few great topics to think about when deciding on a topic for your argumentative essay. To make your life simpler and give you a topic that has every one of the characteristics to qualify as an excellent topic, we developed the idea to make an essay topics generator. Geopolitics is a popular topic as today world appears to be crazy. Finding the Best Geopolitics Essay Topics No paper written for one more client is used for one more customer. The essay demands proficient handling and skilled strategy. Our writers are specially vetted and trained to make certain they work diligently to fulfill all your requirements. It's well known, that argumentative essay demands an in-depth investigation of the topic, adequate evidence and an excellent grasp of the taken position about the problem. Choosing Good Geopolitics Essay Topics One of the very first things to think about is what sort of essay you will write. Finding the correct topic is both important and hard at the exact same time. There are just a few things that define whether an essay you're working on is going to be a good one. Bear in mind you could make funny argumentative essays if you do a few things. There's well-known that you won't have the ability to compose a fantastic insightful research paper if you're not interested in the subject overall and in this issue particularly. Make the usage of the suggested research paper topic ideas and you'll be prosperous. The multiple topics could possibly be found, for instance, in the dissertation abstracts international database. When picking your research paper topic, you should make certain it is neither boring nor worn out.

Tone in George Orwell’s “A Hanging” free essay sample

George Orwell’s â€Å"A Hanging† is an essay that tells of the seemingly mundane events that occur on the day a prisoner is hanged. Orwell speaks of his experience of witnessing the delivery of a Hindu prisoner to the gallows, the execution itself, and a short time immediately after that. Orwell starts the narrative with a few somber, gloomy descriptions: the â€Å"sodden morning of the rains,† â€Å"sickly yellow light,† the high walls, and â€Å"condemned cells like small animal cages.† His narration is full of implied and understated emotion, which serves to highlight what he perceives to be the wrongness of what happened. Instead of imposing emotions upon the reader by describing what he felt, Orwell mostly omits his own feelings from the narrative and instead allows the reader to â€Å"witness† the events unfolding as Orwell had witnessed them himself, leaving the reader to respond to the narrative with his or her own emotions. We will write a custom essay sample on Tone in George Orwell’s â€Å"A Hanging† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In his cold and detailed exposition of his observations, Orwell brings to the foreground seemingly inconsequential details surrounding the execution. The superintendent, who says â€Å"Well, quick march, then. The prisoners can’t get their breakfast till this job’s over† and â€Å"For God’s sake hurry up, Francis†¦ The man ought to have been dead by this time† seems to treat the coming hanging as nothing more than a chore to be quickly done with. By portraying the treatment of a life as unimportant, Orwell emphasizes the inhumanity and provokes the opposite sentiments in the reader. Orwell is unmoved by the condemned man’s plight until almost halfway into his narration. His first and most important emotional involvement in the events occurs when he sees the prisoner step aside to avoid a puddle. Stepping aside to avoid a puddle is a very human thing to do, something that he and everyone else would be likely to do as well. The revelation he experiences upon witnessing the prisoner avoiding the puddle on his way to his own hanging is the most important event of the essay. It serves to convey the Orwell’s main intention of making the reader realize, as he did, the â€Å"unspeakable wrongness† of capital punishment. He is never more explicit with his views than when he speaks of the unspeakable wrongness of cutting a life short when it is in full tide. Unfeelingly Orwell describes the execution itself—the clanking noise, the dead silence. â€Å"the rope was twisting on itself† The prisoner was â€Å"dangling with his toes pointed straight downwards, very slowly revolving, as dead as a stone.† After the prisoner is hanged, the superintendent pokes the dead body and says â€Å"He’s all right,† an unexpected and perhaps inappropriate utterance that again underscores the â€Å"unspeakable wrongness† by trivializing what just happened. Orwell does not simply state that the prisoner repeatedly uttered, â€Å"Ram!† right before being hanged, but himself keeps repeating the word to allow the reader to â€Å"witness† it as close to firsthand as possible. The repeated utterances of â€Å"Ram!† by the prisoner suggest the bawling of a child, imparting a tone of desperation and hopelessness. Furthermore, the prisoner’s firm determination in calling his god contrasts with the discomfiture of those attending the hanging. â€Å"Oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!† was what they were all thinking.