Cosmic Mythology

With the approach of December 2012 - there seems to be a resurgence of interest in an old doomsday story that has been around for years.  Whilst I wrote this article a few years ago - now seems a good time to put it out there once again.

Mythology, Memes, and the Magic of the Stars

      David M Jones

In any diverse group of people, even one where there is a core interest such as astronomy, there are a variety of beliefs and opinions.  In any astronomical organization, there are enthusiastic interest groups, and erudite individuals, all of whom display quite amazing aptitude in their respective fields.  Some areas of interest may even be a little out of left-field – for example, those who delve into the world of UFOs and even mythology.  The following article might interest some more than others, but it holds elements of all aspects of human interaction with astronomy, astrology, mysticism, and the universe.

Human curiosity with the universe goes back to the beginning of time; there are even periods of history that have left behind remarkably good records of their observations.  Some of these more ancient observations are often a mix of pseudo-science and mysticism, with little room for empirical evidence.  Such records, however, have frequently provided a starting point for many of today’s observations.  This article focuses on just one of those ancient observations – the history of Nibiru – described by some sources as a Babylonian god (Marduk) – or by others as the name of a celestial object – The Dark Star!  These first references to a large celestial object are generally accepted to refer to the planet Jupiter – but by others as something infinitely more mysterious; even catastrophic!

According to some authors, the ‘ancients’ apparently included the Moon and the Sun as planets in our solar system – Nibiru was reputedly considered by these ‘ancients’ to be ‘the 12^th planet’.  Here is where a little smack of mystical license starts to arise in the story; the numbers suddenly do not stack up as they ought.  As often happens, ancient tales become embroidered, they lose their original essence and become a cross, somewhere between truth (maybe) and fantasy. 

How do such ancient accounts come down to us over thousands of years?  One way is through rare and precious fragments of text; other ‘messages’ and observations come to us through religious books of various faiths.  Yet other accounts come to us over great distances of time by way of memes (meme rhymes with "cream"). ‘Nibiru’, is described as an example of an extremely successful modern meme.

Below is a brief list of what a meme amounts to:

A meme is:

 An idea that, like a gene, can replicate and evolve.

 A unit of cultural information that represents a basic idea that can be transferred from one individual to another, and subjected to mutation, crossover and adaptation.

 A cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behaviour) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); "memes are the cultural counterpart of genes".   

There can be little doubt that the meme of Nibiru has survived down through the centuries.  It has certainly taken on a life of its own.  On occasions, the story has been ‘lost in the mists of time’, only somehow to reappear yet again, for no apparent reason.  The story has even become synonymous with names such as Nostradamus and his uncanny predictions.  Astronomy and astrology seems to have been interwoven over the years.  I’m sure we all know of those who, even today, are unsure of the difference between the two!

In 1976, Nibiru was resuscitated yet again by the author, Zecharia  Sitchin (1922), in his book, "The 12th Planet".  Whilst much of this work was later debunked, it nevertheless gained certain notoriety  and an ardent following that remains to this day. Who amongst us does not remember Erich von Daniken, and his now infamous book, "Chariots of the Gods"?  True or false, such tales always leave lasting impressions.  This then is the category into which Sitchin's  interpretation of the ancient Sumerian texts was condemned.  After Sitchin's work was discredited, one might have imagined this to be the end of Nibiru as a modern day meme - but you can never keep a good meme down it seems!

Stories about the mythical planet Nibiru and predictions of doomsday in December 2012 have recently blossomed on the Internet.  These, so-called predictions tell of the return of the mystical Nibiru, and its devastating collision with planet Earth. 

Perhaps there is some innate yearning hard-wired into the human race that requires it to create such calamitous scenarios.  I certainly recall more than one occasion on which ‘the end of the world was supposed to be nigh’.  NASA has gone as far as reassuring the pubic, via the Internet, that no truth lies behind the 2012 doomsday prediction.  A little research on the Internet will reveal a multitude of similar such failed predictions. 

However, completing the meme’s journey of nearly 4000 years, it might be wise to err on the side of caution! If one clear and starry night, when out observing the cosmos, one should happen to spy a large fiery object hurtling in our general direction, one might just recall this ancient and enduring tale.  In case of such an emergency - NASA Headquarters can be found at - Washington, DC 20546-0001 - Phone: (202) 358-0000 FAX: (202) 358-3010 E-mail: FiMiLast @mail.hq.nasa.gov or Jqpublic@mail.hq.nasa.gov 

References

Adachi, K. (1997-99). Trouble times the 12th planet. Retrieved July 4, 2009, from Prophet 2000: http://www.zetatalk.com/theword/tword12n.htm.

Anon. (unknown). The daily meme (Http://TheDailyMeme.Com). Retrieved July 31, 2009, from http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/.

Billings, L. (2009, August 3). Ask an astrobiologist. Retrieved August 4, 2009, from http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/intro/nibiru-and-doomsday-2012-questions-and-answers.

Blackmore, S. (1999). The meme machine. United States: Oxford University Press.

Wikipedia. (2009, July 25). Zecharia Sitchin (Sitchin Background). Retrieved August 4, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zecharia_Sitchin&printable=yes.