In which the author becomes that crazy old man ranting in the street…
Chapter Four Erich von Däniken (EVD) begins this chapter with a claim that, in fairness, he could not have entirely known was an utter lie. Archaeologists have recently discovered inscriptions that prove that the supposed end date of the Mayan calendar on December 23, 2012 is no such thing. In 2009, EVD wouldn’t have known this, though he should have been aware that no one outside the alternative and New Age communities ascribed any apocalyptic import to that date. Since this claim is so thoroughly false, I won’t bother to go into the details of EVD’s mistaken notions about that date.
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In which the author argues that words have no meaning, except what he gives them…
Chapter Three Erich von Däniken (EVD) starts this chapter of Twilight of the Gods by professing his supposed admiration for the linguists who deciphered the Mayan hieroglyphs, though in his characteristic way in confuses the decipherment of hieroglyphs with understanding the Maya tongue, which is still spoken by Maya people today and is therefore not a lost mystery of history. He then explains that translating languages is more art than science and that translations are affected by linguists’ biases, which arise from the “‘zeitgeist,’ the leading trend in ‘rational’ thinking,” whatever that is supposed to mean. Yes, interpretation of ancient texts can vary based on current understanding of philological and cultural issues, but it is not so fickle that the liberal or conservative currents of politics enormously alter the meaning of ancient words to the degree EVD thinks they do, unless of course every translator acts on a hidden political agenda like EVD does. |
AuthorI am an author and researcher focusing on pop culture, science, and history. Bylines: New Republic, Esquire, Slate, etc. There's more about me in the About Jason tab. Newsletters
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