You probably know that the Maya built their cities with great precision, aligning the structures with the calendar, the cosmos, and other cities in the Mayan empire. According to legend, on the equinox, Kukulkan (the feathered serpent god) descended to earth*, and the Maya represented this in their building of the pyramid. As you see, the serpent´s head is illuminated and the pyramid´s shadows create a serpent tail that is only visible twice a year: on the autumnal and spring equinoxes.
I happened to be right in the "neighborhood" of Chichén Itzá yesterday because I was staying in Yokdzonot (Yoke-zo-NOTE) for the weekend, but because I had to get to work back in Valladolid, I couldn´t stay for the event (which is supposedly quite crowded). I found an image on wikimedia that shows exactly what happens, though, for your enjoyment.
During the spring equinox on March 21, 2010, we will have a day off from UNO, so I´ll hope to see it then with my own eyes and take some photos of my own!
-Sylvia
NOTE:
*Please feel free to correct any historical innacuracies on my part. (DAD - You have a lot more knowledge than I do about the ancient Maya!)
That is sooo cool! I just read about this in my guide book to the Yucatan. Nice to see a photo of it.
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