Ancient Mythology And The End Of The World
It may sound strange but it has been seen that almost all the ancient mythologies have something or the other to tell about the end of the world. Although their exact time and date may not coincide still each of them states the destruction of the current world and the beginning of a new age.
Here is quick look at the ancient mythologies that speak about the end of the world:
• Hindu mythology: The ancient Hindu mythology speaks about four yugas, the Satya Yuga and the Yuga of Treta, the next Yuga of Dvapara and lastly the Yuga termed as Kali. At present we are living in the Kali Yuga, the age full of lies, sins and betrayal. This age will be destroyed by the Supreme Creator, Brahma and another new universe will be created by Him. It also says that at the end of the Kali Yuga, the Kalki Avatar will appear to start a new human race.
• Norse mythology: According to Norse mythology, before the end of the world happens, there will be three winters in Midgard, without any summer in between them. There will be complete chaos and anarchy among the human. The sun and the moon will be swallowed by the wolves Skoll and Hati. Worse still Fenris, the wolf son of Loki will run havoc. The sky will fall into a huge pit of flames and the earth as we all know will sink into the sea. But then at the end of the world life will flourish again on Midgard.
• Abrahamic religions: The three major Abrahamic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam speak about Judgment Day, Armageddon, the emergence of Beast (Antichrist in Christianity) and the coming of the Messiah for a second time. According to Islam, there will be three major landslides or earthquakes in the world (one in the East, one in the West and the other in the Arabian Peninsula), there will be three blasts of the trumpet and the sun will rise from the West. Christianity says that there will be a second coming of the Messiah who will indulge in one last fight with the Antichrist and hand over Earth to the Almighty God Jehovah. Even Judaism speaks of a Messianic Era i.e. an era when the Messiah will come and each and every individual will become pious and righteous.
• Zoroastrianism: According to the end of the tenth hundredth winter, people will be overcome with vices and deceit. The earth will become barren and the sinners with their bad deeds will be punished for three days and then forgiven. At the end of this world, a new world will rise that will be considered to be perfect. There will be no thirst, poverty, hunger or death in the new world.
That means it is not the Mayans who can be credited with the end of the world phenomenon alone. The concept of the end of the world can be found in several ancient mythologies of the world. Strange isn’t it? How could the same concept of the end of world through destruction and the arising of a new world find itself in so many different, ancient mythologies? Well no one knows the answer