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Genesis Poz Diaz Ms. Caruso English 1103 April 10, 2012 Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar The idea that the world is coming to an end on December 21st 2012, has become more and more popular as the date soon approaches. The dawning of the 5th age to Mayans was seen as cataclysmic and transformative. Many films in the recent years have been produced pertaining to the Ancient civilization of the Mayans. Filmmakers have for the most part taken the cataclysmic time and created films about the infamous Mayan apocalypse. Hollywood has mainly focused on action packed thrillers that depict outrageous natural disasters that will annihilate mankind, because it is what society wants to see. However, in order to attract a larger audience, often these films are exaggerated from what was actually predicted many years ago. This has caused a great belief that there will be some kind of Armageddon, when in reality it is merely just the end of a time period. Although these films may entertain audiences more, it is time for a change, time to educate moviegoers about a topic that has been overlooked for too long. The film Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar will take a different approach to the infamous date of December 21st, 2012. The intent of the film will be to create a compelling story of a young man that learns about the ancient craft of time-keeping and in doing so discovers the importance of having a calendar. The objective in creating this film is to inform the audience

Comment [BC1]: Refer to the handout on Moodle for the proper version of MLA.

Comment [BC2]: You could use transitions or a change in sentence structure for these sentences.

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about the great accomplishment of the ancient civilization and why to this day we should be astonished that with their lack of technological advancements the Mayans were able to create an accurate calendar. The movie will also demonstrate how even then the Mayans knew when the end of their age would be, and what was to come at the end of their age. This will then be correlated to the predestined date given to the 5th age and how, the end will not be as bad as it may sound; it will be just the beginning of a new age and the transformation of one into another for the human race.
Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar clarifies all the misconceptions that the public may have about the Mayans. The factual information about the origin of the calendar will be incorporated into a drama that shall not only captivate the audience with a heartfelt story of a young man that follows his passion but also with the suspenseful story of how the Mayan age came to an end. The drama will begin with a narration of the Mayan creation myth, and shall then be followed with the birth of the main character, Ixzaluoh. The audience will learn about Ixzaluohs childhood, his family and the obstacles that he had to overcome to reach his goal. Once a day keeper, Ixzaluoh will be trusted with the prophecies of the Elders and will gain knowledge about the calendar. The story will end with the death of Ixzaluoh, who on his deathbed informs his son Ixtab about the end of their age and the Spanish conquistadors that are to come. The movie will begin with the origin of the civilization and conclude with the end of their time.
Comment [BC3]: Italicize titles of books and movies.

In the beginning of time everything laid in shadows, the face of the Earth was not clear and the sea alone pooled under the sky. So the gods Hurucan and Quetzalcoatl convinced the other gods that the ocean should be separated from the land and the sky risen above all else. Thus came about the formation of mountains, and channels of water. Once the Earth had been created, the gods then began to plan the creation of the guardians of nature. After animals came about and inhabited the Earth, the gods then instructed them to speak, to praise their names, to praise them for they were their mother and father. But when the animals attempted to speak all that was heard

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was howls, hisses and squawks; each gave a different cry. The gods then made three frustrated attempts to create humankind. First with the help of Xpiacoc and Xmucane they created men of mud, it talked at first but was quickly dissolved in water. Next the gods fashioned men out of wood. They came into being and multiplied but soon forgot about their creators. So came about a flood to destroy the ungrateful creations. This is the creation myth of the Mayans, today however it is belief that the Mayan people were made of maize. The gods were unaware of the greatness that would emerge from this human race and advancements that they would provide future generations with.
Now begins the story of Ixzaluoh, the main character of Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar. Ixzaluoh is the son of a day keeper Ix and Itzel. On the day that Itzel gives birth to Ixzaluoh the sky goes dark as the shadow of the moon covers the sun. As darkness covers the land and the temperature drops, people begin to wonder what this sign may mean. Eclipses for the Mayans were of great significance, often seen as omens of an event that was to come. In this case, the eclipse symbolized the birth of a child that would grow up to be one of the most respected day keepers of his time. As the years pass by, Ixzaluoh has now grown into a toddler that has developed an interest in the night sky and stars. He is intrigued by the stars and the mysteries of the night sky so his father, Ix, would take him up to the top of a mountain where they could be above the trees and clearly see the beautiful night sky. Ix would explain to young Ixzaluoh the wonders of the sky, how certain stars that are bigger and brighter are called planets and at a certain time of the year these planets are closer to the earth. He would also teach his son the names of different star constellations. Ix hoped that in teaching his son at a young age he would follow in his footsteps and become a day keeper as well. Even at a young age, it is evident in Ixzaluoh that there is a passion to know more about astronomy and why it has such an important significance in their lives.
Comment [BC4]: Although this paragraph is very informative, you could use transitions for the beginning and end of the paragraph, since its not clear as to how your reader should approach this is it part of your concept, or just historical background?

Poz Diaz, 4 After a few years have elapsed, Ixzaluoh is now a young man in his early twenties. Ix, Ixzaluohs father has passed away, and he has been left to look over his elderly mother, Itzel. He is now at an age that the Elders will decide if he qualifies to become a day keeper. The Elders have decided that because there is another young man, Tlanextic, interested in the position as well it is only right that the spot be filled by the best candidate. In order to determine who best suits the position both men are placed to compete in a game of Ulama. Ulama are a game played by the Mayans that resembled modern day racquetball. Ixzaluoh and Tlanextic are allowed to pick their partners for the game. Ixzaluoh choses to play against Tlanextic with his childhood best friend, Ekahau. Ixzaluoh and Ekahau are triumphant in the Ulama match, therefore gaining Ixzaluoh the position as new day keeper and having their lives spared. As was tradition the loser of an Ulama match was sacrificed to the gods, which in this case is Tlanextic. In the end it is good that Ixzaluoh is victorious over Tlanextic, because Tlanextic had wanted the position for the wrong intentions. Having rightfully earned the position, Ixzaluoh is given an induction ceremony, at which there is a great feast, performers and Ixzaluoh is even paraded around the city so that people may know that he is the newest day keeper. During the induction ceremony Ixzaluoh must take an oath of secrecy to never reveal the things he learns from the Elders. Ixzaluohs mother, Itzel, now old with age is proud of her young boy because he is following in the footsteps of his father and making a respectable name for their family. Having been properly inducted the Elders begin to tell Ixzaluoh about the calendar count and how they track the path of Venus in order to keep track of time. Having learned what there is to know about the calendar, Ixzaluoh is given the assignment of following the path of Venus. Eager to begin with his new assignment Ixzaluoh pays careful attention to the previous records that the day keepers had kept. He begins to notice a pattern of how after a certain count the path of the planet shifts. He then does further research and discovers that the shift in the planets path represents the end of an age and the beginning of a new one. When he makes the connection, Ixzaluoh at night has a dream of monstrous contraptions that rode the sea with men that were covered in metal. It was apparent in the faces of these men that greed and
Comment [BC6]: Tell why this is important. Comment [BC5]: Explain this for clarity and to show that you are thoroughly informed.

Poz Diaz, 5 avarice were all they cared for, Ixzaluoh only saw destruction in them. Terrified by what he has seen Ixzaluoh awakens not knowing that what he had seen in his dream was what is to come for his people. Once again years have passed by; Ixzaluoh is now married and has had a child of his own. Now old with age he has fallen terribly ill, no longer his young self his resistance is not as tough as it had once been and as is the circle of life he has become as weak and fragile as a newborn child. On his death bed Ixzaluoh finally tells his son about the dream that he had when he had first become a day keeper. After telling his son the dream, Ixzaluoh takes his last breath and dies. As soon as he dies the sun is once again covered by the shadow of the moon and the land is overtaken by darkness just as it had been when he had been born. The people of the village take this solar eclipse as a bad omen and begin to worry that something terrible is upon them. Not long after the death of Ixzaluoh the Spanish land on the shores of Mesoamerica and conquer everything in their path. Ixzaluohs son then realizes that these were the men that his father had dreamt about and that this was the end of their age. It was the beginning of the end. So is the story of Ixzaluoh, and how he foresaw the end of the Mayan age. This film shall hopefully attract people of many different ages. It shall hopefully also include something for everyone whether, the person is into drama, action, thrillers or romances there hopefully is a little bit of everything in this film. The hope is that it will attract a large audience and in doing so will give the opportunity of educating a larger group about the day keepers who are responsible for the well preservation of the Mayan calendar.
Comment [BC7]: Genesis, You have created an excellent concept here, and you certainly should be proud of yourself. You have managed to mesh together the content of your story with the historical components to present a well-informed view of this culture and a compelling story. As you look to revise, I would suggest that you work in a few more direct references to the historical components you already use. Although it is easy to see how the historical components come into play, others who may not know much about the Mayan culture might not see those connections. Make those connections for your reader. Also, look to develop a more concrete audience for your concept. Be sure your reader knows why this is the audience you will be catering to. Aside from changes in clarity I would like to see you work a bit more with making your sentences a bit more succinct and separating your paragraphs according to content. Both of these will help you achieve an even clearer focus. Im looking forward to seeing what youll revise in your portfolio! -Ms. C