The theme of the movie is about survival.

Gibson has defined the title as “a new beginning or an unveiling – a revelation”; he says “Everything has a beginning and an end, and all civilizations have operated like that”. The Greek word (ἀποκαλύπτω, apokaluptō) is in fact a verb meaning “I uncover”, “disclose”, or “reveal”.

The tribemate dies after a rock hits him in the head and Jaguar Paw’s brother comes close, but is hit with a spear through the abdomen. He tries to keep walking but collapses. Next up is Jaguar Paw and the presumed headmaster of the tribe that wanted safe passage.

Mel Gibson does not think his movie should be seen as a historical document, and one expert could not agree more. Mel Gibson says Apocalypto, his new movie set during the collapse of the Maya Empire, should not be seen as a historical document.

Then my wife and I tripped over a far more horrific blue when we found Mel Gibson’s movie Apocalypto on TV and decided to watch it. The Mayas gave to blue, the color of water, a special place. It appears in their murals and pottery, and they used it to placate their rain god Chaak.

No. Mayans are native, indigenous Americans. If you meet a person who has part Spanish and part Mayan ancestry, they would be considered Hispanic.

The Maya have lived in Central America for many centuries. They are one of the many Precolumbian native peoples of Mesoamerica. In the past and today they occupy Guatemala, adjacent portions of Chiapas and Tabasco, the whole of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, and the western edges of Honduras and Salvador.

Today, ethnic Mayas in central America and Mexico suffer from discrimination, exploitation and poverty. In Guatemala, where nearly half of the population is indigenous, descendants of the once-mighty ancient civilization have even fallen victims to genocide.

Although much of the Maya life was spent doing hard work, they did enjoy entertainment as well. A lot of their entertainment was centered around religious ceremonies. They played music, danced, and played games such as the Maya ball game.

Yucatec Maya

Bloodletting was performed by piercing a soft body part, generally the tongue, and scattering the blood or collecting it on amate, which was subsequently burned. The act of burning the sacrificed blood symbolized the transferral of the offering to the gods via its transformation into the rising smoke.