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Article: Hunahpú and Xbalanqúc
- Article from:
- Myths and Legends of the World
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference, USA. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Hunahp
ú
and Xbalanq
ú
c
The twin gods Hunahp
ú
and Xbalanq
ú
e 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,
and destroyed them. Their story is told in the sacred Mayan text, the
Popol Vuh.
According to legend, the twins' father, Hun-Hunahp
ú
, 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 ...