Track By Tracks: Fragmentum - Masters Of Perplexity (2021)

1. Origination Of Mankind:

Mayan gods built up a world with day and night, but people need to be created to explore the earth and serve the gods! First, some folks were created out of clay, but seemed to be too frail and were destroyed again. Then the gods made men out of wood, but they were too dull they could not honour them, so they destroyed them. Finally, mankind was created by making them out of corn, tall enough, smart enough to praise them, but not having the same skills as the gods themselves.

2. Prophecy Of The Infinite:

Mayan people tried to understand the world and the solar system. Measuring movements of the sun, moon, planets and stars they received a huge intellect. They attached a lot of importance to this by orientating their temples to star movements etc. Also, calendars were made where many cycles of celestial bodies were included. This was done so accurately they could even predict celestial firmaments and used this insight to even augur other occasions like wars or other misfortunes.

3.Victim Of The Gods:

Also about death, the Mayan folks reflected a lot and searched for meaning in sudden death or diseases. There is a link with other religions that they thought there is a kind of fate, controlled by the gods. Maybe the upper lords just claim you to the other side? The two verses in this song explain the meaning of life and death in our opinion, but with the empathy of the Mayan philosophy.

4. Mountain Of The Dead:

What is more mysterious than what happens after death? Mayans believe their ancestors accommodated their souls in the mountains. Thence the importance of the huge temples they made as they see them as mountains too where they could easily get in touch with the gods or souls of their ancestors to ask for favours or information. Having the feeling the whirling ghosts could also bring negative energy or consequences by disturbing them, they also feared to awake them unnecessary.

5.Vision Of The Snake:

To get in touch with the gods who linger in the milky way galaxy, which is seen as a huge snake with a head on both sides, the priest or priestess needed to get in trance at het acropolis of the Mayan temple. The ritual could take many hours, wearing ceremonial clothes, firing up the incense, sacrificing blood by venesection,… In the end gods could be spoken to and asked for favours or other information belonging to the empire.

6. Clash Of The Clans:

Mayan people lived as clans in their own empire, trading with other villages. Some of these settlements disappeared suddenly, maybe by drought or other climate change, but oftentimes by the supremacy of other clans. These conquests came with a lot of violence and plunder. This song is dealing with the changeover from a peaceful village to a scene of warfare.

7. Feast Of The Flesh:

Prisoners taken from other clans could be used as slaves and some were offered to the gods, but the Mayan people saw this as an honour. Like they were fortunately chosen by the gods. Hearts of living slaves were cut out and the bleeding body was thrown down from the temple stairs, just as long as the Clan chief decided there was blood enough for the gods to serve them well.

8. Screechings Of The Sacrifice:

Mayans offer rituals that could also take place in special natural environments like caves deep in the woods or sinks. There were bones and ornaments found at the bottom of such a cavity indicating to be from young girls. These lyrics deal with this sacrifice, seen from a fathers point of view.

9. Trick Of The Twins:

The Popol Vuh is a foundational sacred narrative of the Kʼicheʼ people. It includes the Mayan creation myth, the exploits of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué and a chronicle of the Kʼicheʼ people. This song is about the hero twins’ skills to defeat the wicked lords of the Underworld Xibalba. A quote of the Popul Vuh has been taken over in these lyrics (see reference on the back of the album cover).

10. Dwelling Of The Ghosts:

In Mayan culture, the soul of dead people needed to endure many tribulations before leaving the earth. The judgement to stay forever in the nasty underworld or come through all this as an important ancestor took 9 days and nights. Also, there is a link with the Screechings Of The Sacrifice (‘You’re almost divine, my son’).

11. Welcome To The Afterlife:

This song is about reaching ‘the other side after death but is describing some more details of the arduous journey the soul needs to experience to come through the Underworld. It seems like this is kind of an intelligence and perseverance test. In the end, there is a big comparison with Christian belief in Heaven or Hell, having it all or nothing, becoming kind of god or languish in pain forever.

12. Secrets Of The Stones:

This is the last song of the album. Seemingly there are secrets to be discovered again. Sun position is important to reveal them (see Prophecy Of The Infinite). Also the lyrics tell about the victory of kind of a revenge war (see Clash Of The Clans). But still those secrets are not exposed! Maybe next Fragmentum album can tell?