Apocalypse myths?

Dooku's Disciple · Post by **Dooku's Disciple** » 2005-04-05 09:17pm

Aside form the obvious stuff like Ragnarok, Revelation, Nostradamus' prophecies and the alignment of seven planets on May 5th 2000, can you learned lot think of any more Doomsday stories I should look into?

Just as every mythology or belief system has a creation legend, there is a often a corresponding tale that warns of world destruction. I'm interested in finding out about as many of these as possible, then comparing the differences and similarities. Links would be most appreciated if you have 'em.

And yes I have been watching my Millennium DVDs quite a bit lately. Is it that obvious?

DD

Terr Fangbite · Post by **Terr Fangbite** » 2005-04-05 09:21pm

I think it was the Mayans who prophesized in 2015 or somethign like that, the world will end and technology will turn on us. I remember that from a program in late 1999 (yah, guess what everyone was thinking then). I liked the picture of the waffle iron jumping at its owner and frying him in the face. Also his tie stuck in a blender or something akin to that.

Spice Runner · Post by **Spice Runner** » 2005-04-05 09:21pm

There was one I heard of that told that the end of world would come when Pope JP II died and more that half of the church would become minions of the antichrist of some such thing.

someone must of put a lot of thought into that one

starfury · Post by **starfury** » 2005-04-05 09:22pm

what about the Aztec myth that tells of the return of the feathered serpent god, that ended being at the exact time the spanish conquerorers arrive.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2005-04-05 09:52pm

starfury wrote:what about the Aztec myth that tells of the return of the feathered serpent god, that ended being at the exact time the spanish conquerorers arrive.

I don't think they ever specified a time, but there were some other interesting coincidences that led them to associate Cortez with Quetzalcoatl. Truly, if it hadn't actually have happened then no one would believe it.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-04-05 10:07pm

Terr Fangbite wrote:I think it was the Mayans who prophesized in 2015 or somethign like that, the world will end and technology will turn on us. I remember that from a program in late 1999 (yah, guess what everyone was thinking then). I liked the picture of the waffle iron jumping at its owner and frying him in the face. Also his tie stuck in a blender or something akin to that.

They did nothing of the sort.

The 2012 bullshitery comes from a gross ignorance of the Maya calendar; Dec. 21st, 2012 is when it merely rolls over to the next cycle above baktun, not ends.

tumbletom · Post by **tumbletom** » 2005-04-05 11:11pm

Terr Fangbite wrote:I think it was the Mayans who prophesized in 2015 or somethign like that, the world will end and technology will turn on us. I remember that from a program in late 1999 (yah, guess what everyone was thinking then). I liked the picture of the waffle iron jumping at its owner and frying him in the face. Also his tie stuck in a blender or something akin to that.

I knew it!!!! Those damn roombas are emissaries for the cylons!! NO scouts!!!

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-04-05 11:20pm

There was a pair of Doomsday Christians who said the anti-christ was currently alive. Watch out guys, he's a Jewish male! Hitler was actually right!!! [/end sarcasm]

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2005-04-06 12:00am

From Penn and Teller: Bullshit!

There was this guy (he name was something like Tex Marin) who believed Hillary Clinton was the antichrist. He had to strike her name off the list, though, because Revelations refers to the antichrist as a male.

Sucks, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be really fun to have Hillary as the antichrist?

The Guid · Post by **The Guid** » 2005-04-06 12:57am

Might it be worth exploring some secular end of the world tales, I am sure much literature on the subject was written cold war time. Just a thought, sorry if this isn't what you're after!

Dooku's Disciple · Post by **Dooku's Disciple** » 2005-04-06 01:08am

"Just a thought, sorry if this isn't what you're after!"

No worries, Guid, I'm after just about anything I can get hold of on this subject to get as big a picture of it as possible. Pre-millennial (and obviously misguided) angst of any kind intrigues me, be it fundie hocus pocus or secular scaremongering

.

Thanks to all you folks who reminded me about the Mayans too!

DD

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2005-04-06 01:24am

Supposedly according to that 'Bible Code' (You can use computers to generate RANDOM LETTERS from the Bible that somehow spell out ominous words. Oooh! Probability scary.), in 2006, the state of Israel will be destroyed by a nuclear weapon, or weapons. Also to note, from what I heard, the apocalypse occured in the years 2000, 2001, and 2004.

Z-Ha-Dum · Post by **Z-Ha-Dum** » 2005-04-06 05:10am

Spice Runner wrote:There was one I heard of that told that the end of world would come when Pope JP II died and more that half of the church would become minions of the antichrist of some such thing.

I heard a version of that story among apocalyptic catholics. It's supposed to have come from the apparition at Garabandal, Spain. One of the prophecies is supposed to have stated that the second pope after Paul VI will be the last (JP II).

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2005-04-06 06:33am

Terr Fangbite wrote:I think it was the Mayans who prophesized in 2015 or somethign like that, the world will end and technology will turn on us. I remember that from a program in late 1999 (yah, guess what everyone was thinking then).

See "Long Count" from this article: http://www.onereed.com/articles/katun.html

Spice Runner · Post by **Spice Runner** » 2005-04-06 10:31am

Z-Ha-Dum wrote: I heard a version of that story among apocalyptic catholics. It's supposed to have come from the apparition at Garabandal, Spain. One of the prophecies is supposed to have stated that the second pope after Paul VI will be the last (JP II).

Yeah, the recent death of JPII got me thinking about that apocolyptic prediction. Well thats another group of Apolyptic fundies proven wrong!

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-04-06 10:39am

Yeah, the recent death of JPII got me thinking about that apocolyptic prediction. Well thats another group of Apolyptic fundies proven wrong!

Not quite. There's still no new Pope, so if all the cardinals decided that they really ought to give this Zoroastrianism thing another fair shake and dissolved the Church tomorrow, the prophecy could be fulfilled.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2005-04-06 01:15pm

HemlockGrey wrote:
Yeah, the recent death of JPII got me thinking about that apocolyptic prediction. Well thats another group of Apolyptic fundies proven wrong!
Not quite. There's still no new Pope, so if all the cardinals decided that they really ought to give this Zoroastrianism thing another fair shake and dissolved the Church tomorrow, the prophecy could be fulfilled.

Also, they could just claim that any popes elected afterwards aren't really Popes, just like the people who claim that the world ended in 1917 and nobody noticed.

And nobody's mentioned the Hindu doomsday stuff with Kali and all yet? (I would say more but I don't know much about it except for its existance.)

Spacebeard · Post by **Spacebeard** » 2005-04-06 03:42pm

The Guid wrote:Might it be worth exploring some secular end of the world tales, I am sure much literature on the subject was written cold war time. Just a thought, sorry if this isn't what you're after!

There's two basic scenarios for Cold War-era nuclear apocalypse fiction: the "bang" and the "whimper" (from T.S. Eliot's "Wasteland", of course).

The "bang" scenario is obviously the scenario where all the bombs fall and everyone on Earth dies in a fiery armageddon. See the book "Fail-Safe", or its film adaptation, for a tale where such a scenario is narrowly averted, but only at the cost of an agonizing decision by the US President. The more well-known film "Dr. Strangelove" is basically a comedic version of "Fail-Safe"'s basic plot.

The "whimper" scenario is where a nuclear war spreads lethal radiation over the entire planet and all of humanity dies slowly from radiation poisoning. The canonical example of this story is Nevil Shute's "On the Beach", about the final days in Australia before the airborne radioactive dust from an all-out nuclear engagement reaches them. There's a film adaption of that novel as well; I must say its final sequence is probably among the most haunting moments I've ever seen on a movie screen.

I'm not very familiar with many world religions, but my impression is that the "bang" scenario parallels most religious ends of the world, in which their followers will typically engage in a climactic final battle with the forces of evil. I don't know of any religious armageddon stories which parallel the "whimper" scenario.

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2005-04-06 09:38pm

I think out of all possible apocalypses, Ragnarok would be the most interesting. Nothing quite like a world-devouring serpent and the unleashing of the hordes of Valhalla to spice things up.

Speaking of Valhalla, though. Since that space is reserved for the strongest and bravest warriors for the upcoming Ragnarok, and Ragnarok has not occurred yet, would that mean the Valkyries are still collecting? So when the hordes of Valhalla are unleashed, there would be the stereotypical Vikings fighting alongside US Navy SEALs, Russian T-42 tank crews, and WWI German fighter aces?

I'd definitely pay for tickets to that kind of apocalypse.