Mayan

Strengthening one's culture in the midst of other cultures trying to weaken it is seen through the Israelite culture. The Assyrians came and destroyed the kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E. taking captives into foreign lands. (Mesopotamia, Handout). This is also another example of one culture trying to impose their traditions upon another culture. These actions towards the Israelites caused them to write down their beliefs. This became the book of the Torah and was a great landmark, changing from and oral to a written tradition (Mesopotamia Lecture). The Mayan development of the Popul Vuh and the Israelites' development of the Torah show the significance that recording history contributes to the shaping of a society by preserving their ideas. Recording history down is an example of standardization which can be seen as a key development in the Persian culture during Emperor Darius' rule (522-486 B.C.E.). Some of his achievements include standardizing gold coinage, use of trilingual inscriptions, and establishing legal codes (Spodek, pg 132). These actions aided in the unification of the culture by easing trade and communication. The making of Popul Vuh assisted in unification of people as well, causing them to share common reflections how things came to be and common customs. .
             Origins Myths like the Popul Vuh are stories that are taken from history and oral traditions that engulf many concepts that help distinguish one culture from another. The origins myth in the Popul Vuh reflects many broader ideas and concepts and begins with a world that contains only a sky and sea. The gods who reside in the sea join the gods from the sky and sea created the earth and its inhabitants (Tedlock, p.30). Although the sun is not seen yet, we know that there is light due to the dawn and also light from some of the gods (Tedlock, p.41). Some of the gods in particular that are noted for their ability to radiate light are the Maker, Sovereign Plumed Serpent, and Seven Macaw (Tedlock, p.