Myths and Legends of the World | Hunahpú and Xbalanqúc

The twin gods Hunahpú and Xbalanqúe were heroes in the mythology of the Maya, a people of central America. Through bravery and quick thinking, they outwitted the lords of Xibalba, the underworld,land of the dead and destroyed them. Their story is told in the sacred Mayan text, the Popol Vuh.

According to legend, the twins' father, Hun-Hunahpú, had also struggled with the gods of the underworld. The gods challenged him and his own twin brother to play a game of ball. Then they killed him and hung his head on a tree. A young woman passing by reached up to pick some fruit from the tree, and the head spat into her hand, saying "In my saliva and spittle I have given you my descendants." She soon gave birth to twin boys, Hunahpú and Xbalanqúe.

When the two brothers met the lords of Xibalba, the gods sent them through a series of frightening places in the...