CHICHEN' ITZA' MAYA RUINS - THE TEMPLE OF KUKULKAN

Chichen Itza was a major Maya center of culture and commerce in the Yucatan from 600 ac until its violent collapse in or about 1000 ac - most likely due to internal revolt.

We had a guide that took us first to visit the main pyramid called in Spanish "El Castillo" or the Castle. It is the temple to Kukulkan - the Feathered Serpent god of rain in the Maya religion. This main god is also called Chaac.

Our guide told us about a regime based on birth-rights, fear, religion and mysticism, where an elite with access to mathematicians, scribes, and astronomers working in centers of learning - such as "El Caracol" in the map above - provided that elite with the knowledge to trick the natives into thinking that the upper caste had supernatural powers and origins.

Human sacrifice was part of their program. I will have more about it above.
Here Teri and part of our group are walking towards the North end of the temple. The temple design is based on the Maya Calendar - four stairways, each with 91 steps and a platform at the top, making a total of 365, equivalent to the number of days in a calendar year.

At the North end there is a stairway sided with descending feathered serpents - Kukulkan - at each side. In the Spring and Fall equinoxes, at the rising and setting Sun, the corners of the pyramid cast triangular moving shadows and sunlight on the sides of the serpents. In the Fall the serpent descents into the earth, and in the Spring it backs out of the earth. This was such an impresive show for the natives that they HAD to believe that Kukulkan himself was in cohorts with the elite that built the temple.
This evening light show demonstrated the view at the equinoxes if you stand on the west side.