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Maya Number 4 Essay

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To many people and cultures, the topic of numbers may seem to have limited to a nonexistent symbolic relationship or importance. Numbers seem to have the sole purpose to act in mathematics. Many people would not consider a number to be the center of their actions or daily thoughts. Regardless, the Maya people holds one number above all near and dear to its heart. The number four in Maya culture and literature keeps recurring in many texts. The two primary examples of addressing the importance of the number four can be seen in the sacred Popol Vuh and the popular play of the Rabinal Achi. In a close analyzation of the number four, it can be confirmed that it holds great influence on the Maya people. This can be stated because the number four can be seen in …show more content…

This text follows the trials and errors of the Maya gods in their quest to create the ancient world of Central America. The story then switches from the gods and creation to focus on the stories of the famed Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The reader follows along with the brothers on their journey to defeat and seek revenge on the lords of Xibalba who killed their father One Hunahpu. The last sections of the Popol Vuh focuses on the first humans and their future lineages. It ends with an extensive list of all the tribes and nations of the K’iche’ …show more content…

In this play, all four corners of direction like in the Popol Vuh are being utilized. When on stage, the two main warrior characters move in a west to east (and vice versa) direction. They always face the audience and never cross the invisible line that separates them on stage. Some of the minor characters then only move in a line from north to south (and vice versa) on each half of the stage. Thus, all four directions are being

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