On the case of the aztecs I think their end of the world happened, they waited for the fifth sun, the end of their civilization and the return of Quetzalcoatl. On the case of the mayan calendar I think we misinterpret their system and/or is incomplete, however the new age invaded this territory mixing reality and fiction.
I need reconize I believed on some of the mayan prophecies because first when I was a kid I knew about the count of 2012 (I was 10 when I knew about it, thanks to the school curiously) and second because I liked the topic, but I was questioning about it, after to see the fanaticism around the world and read some books on my bookstore I stopped to believe on the mayan prophecies. I believe we don´t understood the mayans, the calendar ended in 2012 and that´s all, their register ended there, some believe is cyclic as the Gregorian calendar but I don´t think so.
Is a hard topic this thing of the end of the world because is ambiguous, each civilization and prophets marked signs, fatcs and even dates, but is hard to be accuracy because:
1.- The prophecies is for their own people, not for all the world, example in the case of the aztecs, the arrive of Quetzalcoatl maybe happened when the spaniards arrived, some people say is when Christ arrives, maybe, but is force the prophecy because the cristianism havent nothing in common with the Feathered Serpent. 2.- The signs gave in some prophecies are for specific historical and social moments, not for long-term future, example the holy bible and the apocalypse, I believe was written during the Nero time and maybe is applycable after Attila invades Europe because the signs cannot be put in our times, say "fire chariots" in our days are modern tanks is force the interpretation of the texts, and saddly exist people and sects apply ancient elements on modern days. 3.- On the case of ancient civilizations like mayans not exist people from those days can interpretate correctly the signs, example if I see on an aztec picture a dog crucified as catholic, or cristian, whatever, I will interpretate maybe Christ was here Mexico, because my cultural competence give me signs for make an interpretation, however, for maybe an atheist or maybe a new age or whatever you want will think is a terrible action of brutality for the civilization, but for an historian it means is Xolotl, the evil twin of Quetzalcoatl... and maybe for arabs... infidels.
That is what I think about end of the world, and in this picture I put mayan and aztecs symbols, more specific: the aztec calendar on the head of the deer, the death on his chest and the belly the obsidian knife, and the mayans the mayan cross representing Hunab Ku: only true and living god and was the eldest of the gods of Yucatan, but had no figure, they said, he could not imagine being incorporeal.
I hope answered your question. x3
On the case of the aztecs I think their end of the world happened, they waited for the fifth sun, th