Peoples across the world have always sought to explain endings — whether of the world, an era, or their own societal order — through the lens of meaning, guilt, and renewal. While modern humans often imagine the apocalypse as a spectacular event from science fiction, for many ancient civilisations it was a matter of belief, daily life, and even the calendar. The end of the world was not merely an end, but a sign of broken harmony: between humans and gods, people and nature, rulers and laws, body and cosmos.
This text explores how different civilisations envisioned the end of the world — not as a random event, but as the result of human actions, divine will, or the very rhythm of the cosmos. From divine punishment in Egypt and China, through moral purification in India and Mesopotamia, to the annual uncertainty of the Mesoamerican Nemontemi days and the Andean idea of Pachakuti as a natural reset — each interpretation of catastrophe reveals a deeper vision of order, community, and the hope for a new beginning.
Sin and Punishment
In most ancient cultures of the so-called Old World, cataclysms and disasters were interpreted as consequences of violating moral or divine laws. Social decay had to be punished—either corrected through suffering or completely destroyed if the gods deemed it beyond saving.
Although interpretations of the end of the world varied across civilisations, they all carried the same message: human sins have consequences, and straying from divine order will bring great suffering.
In China and Egypt, special emphasis was placed on the behaviour of rulers. The Chinese emperor held the Mandate of Heaven and could rule only as long as he upheld divine laws. In Egypt, the pharaoh was a god himself—absolute power came with absolute responsibility. Invasions, upheavals, and plagues were seen as a result of the ruler’s moral failure and poor governance.
In Mesopotamia and India, the burden of guilt was placed on the broader society. Sinful and godless behaviour provoked Nature to “cleanse” humanity through catastrophe, paving the way for a more virtuous and moral rebirth.
Evil Days
In Mesoamerican cultures, the last five days of the year were known as Nemontemi — “nameless” days of danger and cosmic vulnerability. These days didn’t belong to any of the 18 months and were seen as a time when the world could easily collapse.
According to their creation myth, the current world came into being only after several failed versions. Even now, it was believed to be fragile and always at risk of destruction—especially during the Nemontemi days, when the sun’s strength was at its weakest.
To prevent catastrophe, people fasted, remained silent, prayed, and avoided all bodily pleasures—redirecting their energy toward survival. The most powerful protection, however, was human sacrifice. Blood and hearts were seen as offerings to keep the sun alive and pulsing.
In this worldview, Mesoamerican societies literally carried the world on their shoulders, watching over its survival. Fear and sacrifice were normalised and embedded in the calendar.
World Reset
In the Andean world, the idea of Pachakuti — a dramatic reversal of time and space (pacha) — still lives on. Unlike other traditions, the Andean concept of the end of the world wasn’t linked to sin or punishment. It was a natural part of existence, and people were mostly powerless — but also blameless.
Pachakuti was seen like a cosmic reset, similar to restarting a video game: the previous round ends, and a new one begins. This idea reflected the lived reality of Andean communities, frequently struck by earthquakes, floods, or droughts that forced them to rebuild from scratch.
Although these transformations were beyond human control, Andean societies didn’t leave everything to fate. To soften the impact of such shifts, they practiced principles of solidarity and reciprocity (ayni) and maintained deep respect for Nature and all life aligned with it.
