Twin Heroes and the Maya Tradition
The twin heroes, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, were gods of the Maya of Central America, venerated for having freed the world from several monsters, among them the giants of the earth. They rescued their father and their uncle from Xibalba, the underworld. Years before they were born, their father, Hun Hunahpu, and their uncle, Vucub Hunahpu, were challenged by One Death and Seven Death, lords of Xibalba, to a match of tlachtli, the ritual ball game of the Maya. However, they are deceived, sacrificed, and buried beneath the court. When the twins grow up and learn of their father’s fate, they travel to the depths of Xibalba and expose themselves to many dangers in order to take their revenge. Upon arriving, they defeat the lords of Xibalba, and at tlachtli they are thrown into the “House of Lances,” where they are stabbed by demons.
They manage to escape, but they are locked in the Houses of Cold, of the Jaguars, of Fire, and of the Bats.
They succeed in overcoming all the trials, and the twins boast of being immortal and, to prove it, offer themselves in sacrifice and have their bones ground to dust.
Upon returning to life, their enemies are so astonished that they themselves wish to experience death and resurrection. The twins kill them, but do not bring them back to life… and in their place, they restore their father and their uncle to life.