15 The Hero Twins of the Maya

Aug 15

“To the mysterious underworld, the The Hero Twins journeyed, there to meet with the Lords of Death who killed their father. They would not fall into the same traps. With the wisdom gained from their father’s mistakes, they passed through all challenges unharmed. ”

— from the story of The Hero Twins of the Maya

Reflection

I am Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

From my father’s mistakes, I have learned. I travel far into the Earth’s core to meet the Lords of Death. I am tested—but not burned. I am tried, and I survive. I thrive. Rewarded richly: I am the sun, and I am the moon. I have met with Death, and I have conquered. I am resurrection. For me, there is no grave.

The Story of The Hero Twins of the Maya:

Retold by Mrs. Beasley

Mayan heroes, Hunahpu (Blowgunner) and Xbalanque (Jaguar Sun) are twins. Somewhere between the years 1554 and 1556, their story was recorded in one of the oldest written Mayan texts, the Popol Vuh. However, this story is much older than that. Passed orally from generation to generation, prehistoric pictures on pottery, monuments, and walls depict the twins in their many adventures. Their names are even inscribed into the Mayan calendar.

I have read several versions of this text and will carefully retell the story as I know it to you now.

Let’s begin.

Deep in the tropical rainforest, in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, in the sixth century A.D., the Maya excelled at living a good life. Raising abundant crops, fashioning beautiful pots, writing with hieroglyphs, designing calendars, and exploring astronomy and mathematics, the people were knowledgeable and industrious. Pyramids were constructed: temples and palaces for kings. Fields were terraced. Religion and art were celebrated. And in the midst of all of this, a story was told. The story of the Hero twins: Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque’s story begins with their father, Hun Hunahpu, and their uncle, Vucub Hunahpu. The two were also twins and loved to play ulama together, Mayan ball which represents the everlasting conflict between good and evil. They played hard and loud, and their gaming disturbed the Lords of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. The lords invited them to the underworld. The twins accepted the invitation. And as they entered the realm of the Lords of Death, they were immediately challenged. They failed the tests and were killed.

Hun Hunahpu’s head was severed from his body and was placed in a tree. A goddess, Xquic (blood Moon) talked with him after his death. He spit into her hand, and she realized she was expecting. When her pregnancy became obvious, she was sent into exile. She found Xmucane, Hun Hunahpu’s mother, and after passing a test herself, was welcomed into the family. Soon, she gave birth to twins, our heroes, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hunahpu had black spots all over his body, and Xbalanque had patches of jaguar skin all over hers.

They were given to their grandmother who raised them just as their father before them. They went on many adventures. Once they humbled a giant demon macaw who was terrorizing the Earth and setting itself up to be a god. Hitting her with their blowgun, she lost all of her bright feathers and flew into the sky and became the big dipper. One day, while they were adventuring, they caught a rat. The rat told them if they released him, he would tell them the story of their father. And so, they let the rat go - and well - he ratted. No — he told them the story of their father and his brother.

And just like their father and his twin, Hunahpu and Xbalanque loved to play ulama. And just like their father and his twin, Hunahpu and Xbalanque were also very noisy. This disturbed the Lords of Death, and soon, just like their father and his twin, the twins were summoned to the underworld.

Equipped with the wisdom of their father, who had learned through mistake, the twins armed themselves with great care. They were determined not to fall for any of the god’s tricks. Time and again, they were tested, and time and again they survived each challenge. They survived rivers of spikes, rivers of blood, and rivers of file substances. Presented with wooden gods dispersed among the real, with the help of a mosquito, they identified the real. Challenged to play ulama, they were aware of the blades the god had embedded in the balls and refused to play unless the gods played fair. The gods agreed. And so they played. Knowing they would be killed if they won, they let the gods win. And the tests continued. After each game, they were tested. They were tested with fire. They were tested with ice. They were wary; they were cunning; they were wise. In one game of ulama, the twins beat the Lords of Death. Angered by the overthrow, the lords ordered the twins to climb into an oven. Knowing that they had to die to become fully divine, they jumped into the oven. There they were burned and their ashes were thrown into a river.

Soon, their ashes took form, and they were fish, swimming. And then, in time, they transformed back into their human bodies again. The experience of death, and rebirth changed them. The powers of the gods awaked in them, and in their wisdom, they yielded great power. They could resurrect the dead. Aware of this new skill that the twins had, the Lords of Death summoned them back to Xibalba. In this mysterious realm, they met once more with the Lords of Death. They were commanded to kill and resurrect a dog, a human, and each other. The twins demonsonstred their powers willingly. Before the lords, one twin sliced another in half, and then put him back together. The lords were amazed and asked that they perform the same trick on them. They were quick to accept the challenge. And so, they killed the two most powerful lords of the underworld, but they did not bring them back to life. After that, the other Lords of Death acknowledged defeat and left the twins in peace.

The twins continued to enjoy their skills and experienced one adventure after another. They brought their father back from the dead, and he became the maize god.

Seeing their great victory, the gods of Heaven were pleased. They invited them to live with them in the skyland. Taking the opportunity, Hunahpu became the sun, and his sister Xbalanque became the moon. And then there was light, and a new day.

For generations of the great Mayan civilization, the kuhul ajaw, Mayan kings, descendants of Hunahpu and Xbalanque, ruled with wisdom and power.

Resources:

Ducksters. "Maya Civilization for Kids: Hero Twins Myth." Ducksters, Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), www.ducksters.com/history/maya/hero_twins_maya_mythology.php. Accessed 14 August 2021.

Maestri, Nicoletta. "Hunahpu and Xbalanque — The Maya Hero Twins." ThoughtCo, Dec. 5, 2020, thoughtco.com/hunahpu-xbalanque-maya-hero-twins-171590.

“Maya.” HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/maya Accessed August 15, 2021.

“The Hero Twins.” http://www.bearsden.e-dunbarton.sch.uk/media/11177/comprehension.pdf Assessed 14 August 2021.

Notes:

Xquic= sh-KEEK

Hunahpu = WAH-nuh-pwuh

Xbalanque = shi-BAY-lan-kay

Link to article about Mayan ball

A Nobel Birth into an Ordinary World

How is the hero's lineage mythically established?

The hero twins are born to Xquic (Blood Moon), a goddess after their father was killed in the caverns of the underworld. They are given to their grandmother, and she raises them.

Separation

The Call to Adventure

What calls the hero to take action?

The call is a request of the Lords of Death.

The Refusal of the Call

Why is this hero not following his heart fully as the story begins?

I have not read of a refusal.

The Mentor and Supernatural Aid

Who help guide the hero to begin the quest?

The twins are guided by the wisdom gained from the mistakes their father and uncle made. With the experience of the elders, they make their way.

The Crossing of the First Threshold

They step into the Mayan underworld, Xibalba.

Initiation

Helper/Mentor/Follower

Their father, against all odds, ensured their birth. Experience is their teacher.

The Road of Challenges and Temptations

The Hero Twins pass through many dangerous challenges.

Abyss

What is the defeat?

They are killed. Even though they defeated death in games, they are killed.

Revelation - Death and Rebirth

How is the hero reborn?

The are burned and their ashes are thrown into the river. They become fish and then, are transformed back into Hunahpu and Xbalanque. They then realize that they have super powers. They have defeated death and have the power of resurrection. They trick the 2 most powerful death lords - killing them - and then not resurrecting them. Heaven asks that they join them. They become the sun and the moon and rise into the heavens.

Return

Atonement

What atonement is made?

The father and uncle are avenged.

The Gift/ Reward

They are made into the sun and the moon. They have power of death. They resurrected their father and made him the god of the maize.

And so these heroes passed from the ordinary into the extraordinary and back again - home. But in the return, changed, transformed. And, bearing gifts for the community.

Works Cited