Maya Hero Twins

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The Maya Hero Twins is the central character of a narrative included in the colonial K'iche document called Popol Vuh, and is the oldest Maya myth that has been preserved as a whole. Called Hunahpu and Xbalanque [?? ala? 'Ke] in the K' iche language, the Twins have also been identified in the art of Mayas Klasik (200-900 AD). The twins are often described as complementary forces. Couples who complement each other live and die, heaven and earth, day and night, sun and moon, among many others have been used to represent the twins. The duality that occurs between men and women is often seen in twin myths, as conceived male and female twins to be born to represent two sides of one entity (Miller and Taube 1993: 81).

The twin motifs reappear in many native American mythologies; The Mayan twins in particular can be considered a mystical ancestor to the Maya ruler's lineage.

Video Maya Hero Twins

Heroes of Heroes in words and pictures

The sources in the twin heroes are both written (Popol Vuh, the early Spanish historian), and iconography. Classic Maya icons clearly show that the previous Twin narratives must have strayed away from the 16th-century Popol Vuh myth; to what extent, is a matter of dispute.

Popol Vuh

Many versions of the Twin Myth must have circulated among the Maya, but the only ones who survive in written form are the K'iche Classic version in Popol Vuh. According to this version, the Hero Twins are Xbalanque and Hunahpu (Modern K'iche ': Xb'alanke and Junajpu ) who are baseball players like their father and uncle, Hun Hunahpu and Vucub Hunahpu .

Called to Xibalba by the Lords of the Underworld, his father and uncle were defeated and sacrificed. Two sons were conceived, however, by the dead father's seed. The pregnant mother ran away from Xibalba. Children - or 'Twin' - grew to avenge their father, and after a lot of trials, finally defeating the Underworld ruler in ballgame. Popol Vuh featured other episodes involving the Twins as well (see below), including the devastation of vicious cock, Vucub-Caquix, and his two demon-possessed sons. The Twins also transformed their half-brother into the Howler Monkey God who was the protector of the artists and scribes. The Twins eventually turned into sun and moon, marking the beginning of a new age.

Kekchi Tradition (Q'eqchi')

It has been noted that in the world scene over Popol Vuh, Hunahpu has a dominant role, while in the underworld, Xbalanque takes the initiative. BartolomÃƒÆ'Ã‚ Â© de las Casas describes the Xbalanque has entered the underworld as a war leader. His explanation refers to the town of Kekchi in Carcha. Xbalanque is also a name given to male protagonists in the previous variant of Kekchi myth about Sun and Moon, where he hunts deer (a metaphor for making captives), and captures the daughter of the Earth God. In this case, Hunahpu has no role to play.

Iconography

Another major source for the mythology of the Twin Hero is much earlier, and consists of representations found in Mayan ceramics up to about 900 AD, and in the Dresden Codex several centuries later. What is obviously recognizable are the figures of Hunahpu, Xbalanque, and scribes and sculptures of howler monkeys. Hunahpu is distinguished by the black spots on his skin, which may be a corpse, thus marking him as a person who descends into the underworld. On the Preclassic mural of San Bartolo (Maya site), the king, marked with black spots on the cheeks, and drawing blood from his genitals in the four corners of the world, seems to symbolize Hunahpu's hero. Xbalanque - the 'War Twin' - is more like an animal, because it is distinguished by a jaguar patch on its skin and by a mustache or a beard.

Certain iconographic scenes are suggestive of episodes in Popol Vuh. The shooting of the Twins from the sharply descending birds (the 'Main Bird Gods') with the rifle can represent the defeat of Vucub-Caquix, while the main Mayan maize deer rising from the turtle's carapace in the presence of Twin Heroes can visualize the resurrection of the Twins' father, Hun- Hunahpu. The second scene has also been described differently. In many cases, the Twins are often depicted along with the main maize god, and these three semi-gods clearly feel belonging. Therefore, it may not be accidental that in Popol Vuh, the Twins are symbolically represented by two corn stalks.

Calendar name and function

The name "Xbalanque" (pronounced [? Ala ']] ) has been widely translated as' Jaguar Sun' ( x-in- que ), 'Hidden Sun' ( x-balan-que ), and 'Jaguar Deer' ( x-balam-quieh ). The initial sound may come from yax (valuable), because in the Maya Classics, the hieroglyphic element of this meaning precedes the hero's pictogram (though it has also been suggested to be the prefix of women ix - ). For a combination of prefix and pictogram, the reading as Yax Balam has been proposed. The name "Hunahpu" (pronounced [hunax'pu] ) is usually understood as Hun-ahpub 'Satu- Blowgunner' blowgun that characterizes young heroes as bird hunters.

Head Hunahpu is used as a sign of variance for the 20th day in a matter of days or tzolkin, which in this case actually has been read as '(Hun) ahpu', rather than 'Ahau' (God or King). Day 20 is also the closing day of all vigesimal periods, including cotton and baktun. The head of Xbalanque is used as a variant for the number nine ( balan similar to bolon 'nine').

Maps Maya Hero Twins

A summary of the twin myths

Here is a detailed summary of Popol Vuh Twin Myth, from the death of the father and uncle of the heroes.

Early life of heroes

Hunahpu and his brother were conceived when their mother Xquic, the daughter of one of Xibalba's nobles, spoke with the head of their father Hun who broke up. The skull spat at the girl's hand, causing the twins to be conceived in her womb. Xquic searches for Hun Hunahpu's mother, who reluctantly takes her as a ward after making a number of trials to prove her identity.

Even after birth, Hunahpu and Xbalanque were not treated well by their grandmother or their older stepbrother, One Howler Monkey and One Artisan. Soon after their birth, their grandmother demanded that they be expelled from the house for their cries, and their eldest brother was obliged to place them in the ant's nest and among the thorns. Their intention is to kill their younger siblings out of jealousy and envy, since older couples have long been respected as good artisans and thinkers, and fear newcomers will steal the attention they receive.

Attempts to kill twins after birth are failures, and children are raised without a clear grudge for their older siblings. During their youth, the twins were made to work, going hunting for the birds they brought home to eat. The eldest brother was given food to eat first, despite the fact that they spent the day singing and playing when the younger twins were at work.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque showed their intelligence at a young age in dealing with their older stepbrother. One day, the couple returned from a field without birds to eat, and were questioned by their brothers. The younger boys claimed that they did shoot some birds but they were caught in a tree and could not take them. Older brothers were brought to a tree and climbed to get the birds, when the tree suddenly began to grow even taller, and the older brothers were arrested. This is also the first example in which the twins show supernatural powers, or perhaps only a blessing from the larger gods; power achievements are often only indirectly associated with a partner.

Hunahpu further embarrassed his older brothers by instructing them to release their cloaks and tie them around their waist in an attempt to get off. The cats become tails, and the brothers turn into monkeys. When their grandmother was told that older boys were not harmed, she asked them to be allowed to return. When they returned home, their grandmother could not hold their laughter on their appearance, and their flawed brothers fleeing in shame.

Lost of the Seven Macaws and their families

At a point in their lives not specified in Popol Vuh, the twins were approached by the Huracan god of the arrogant deity named Seven Macaw (Vucub Caquix). Seven Macaw has built followers among some of the Earth's inhabitants, making false claims as the sun or moon. Seven Macaw is also very vain, adorns itself with metal ornaments on its wings and a set of dentures made of gemstones.

In the first attempt to send a useless deity, the twins tried to sneak up to him while he was eating food in a tree, and shot his jaw with a shotgun. Seven Macaws were thrown from the tree but only wounded, and when Hunahpu tried to escape, his arm was held by a god and torn.

Regardless of their initial failure, the twins again showed their smart nature in formulating a plan for the defeat of Seven Macaw. Borrowing a pair of gods disguised as grandparents, the twins commanded the gods who were called to approach Seven Macaw and negotiate to restore Hunahpu's arm. Thus, "grandparents" show that they are a poor family, earning a living as doctors and dentists and trying to care for their orphaned grandchildren. Upon hearing this, Seven Macaw requested that his teeth be repaired because they had been shot and bumped by a rifle, and his eyes were healed (not specifically said what stained his eyes). In doing so grandparents replaced their jeweled teeth with white corn, and plucked the ornaments he had around his eyes, leaving the impoverished deity of his former glory. After falling, the Seven Macaws died, perhaps in shame.

The seven sons of Macaw, Zipacna and Cabrakan, inherited most of their father's arrogance, claiming to be the creator and destroyer of the mountain, respectively. Zipacna's eldest son was destroyed when the twins deceived him with the lure of a fake crab, burying him under a mountain in the process.

Maya Huracan once again begged the young twins to help with the Seven Macaw boys, Cabrakan, Earthquakes. Again it was primarily through their intelligence that the couple were able to bring about the downfall of their enemy, after searching for him and then using his arrogance against him; they told the story of the great mountain they encountered that continued to grow and flourish. He prides himself on being a mountain man, and after hearing such a story he boldly demands to be shown the mountain. Hunahpu and Xbalanque are obliged, leading the Cabrakan towards a mountain that does not exist. Being skilled hunters, they shot down several birds along the way, roasting them over the fire and playing over the hunger of the Cabrakan. When he asked for some meat, he was given a bird that had been prepared with gypsum and gypsum, which was poison to the gods. After eating it, he weakens, and the children can tie him up and throw him into a hole in the earth, bury him forever.

Discovery of one game equipment Hunahpu

Sometime after the expulsion of their older siblings, the twins use their special powers or abilities to speed up gardening work for their grandmother - one ax swing will do a full day's cleaning, for example. The couple covered themselves in dust and pieces of wood as their grandmother approached to make it appear they had worked hard, despite the fact that they spent all day relaxing. But the next day they returned to find their work undone by the animals in the forest. After completing their work, they hid and waited, and when the animals returned they tried to capture or frighten them.

Most animals avoid their capture. The rabbits and deer they caught were tails, but the tail was cut off, giving all the rabbits and short tail of a future deer. Rats, however, they capture, showering their tails on fire in retaliation for the action. Instead of mercy, the mouse revealed an important piece of information: their father's and uncle's gear equipment was hidden by their grandmother in grief, since it was playing a ball that was directly responsible for the deaths of his sons.

Once again the ruse is designed to get their equipment, the twins once again rely on the trick to fulfill their goals. The couple sneaked mice into their house at dinner, and their grandmother cooked a spicy chilli sauce dish. They demanded water for their food, which their grandmother brought to take. The water jug, however, has been sabotaged with a hole, and he can not come back with water. When their mother went to find out why and the couple were alone at home, they sent mice to the roof to gnaw at the ropes that held up hidden equipment, and was able to take back the equipment of their father and uncle first. playing soccer. It has long been a favorite pastime for their father, and soon it will become a preferred activity for them, too.

Xibalban ballgames

Hunahpu and Xbalanque played the ball in the same court that their father and brother played away before them. When One Hunahpu and his brother had played, the voice interrupted Lord of Xibalba, the ruler of the Maya Underworld. Xibalbans called them to play the ball in their own court..

When the twins began to play the ball in court, once again the Xibalba Rulers were disturbed by a fuss, and sent a call to the children to come to Xibalba and play in their courts. Concerned they would experience the same fate, their grandmothers delivered the message only indirectly, saying it to the lice hidden in the mouth of the toad, which in turn was hidden in the stomach of a snake in the eagle. However, the children received the message, and their anxious worries, went to Xibalba.

When their father has answered the call, he and his brother meet with a number of challenges along the way that serve to confuse and embarrass them before their arrival, but the younger twins will not fall victim to the same trick. They send mosquitoes in front of them to bite Lords and reveal the real and the only mannequins, and reveal their identity. When they arrive at Xibalba, they can easily identify who the Lord of Xibalba is and call them by name. They also rejected the invitation of the Lords to sit on the bench for visitors, correctly identifying the bench as a hot stone for cooking. Frustrated by the ability of the twins to see through their traps, they send the children away to the Dark House, the first of several lethal tests designed by Xibalbans.

Their father, One Hunahpu and his brother, suffered a shameful defeat at each test, but once again Hunahpu and Xbalanque showed their greatness by defeating Xibalbans on their first test, good night in the pitch dark house without using their torches. Disappointed, Xibalbans passed the remaining tests and invited the boys straight to the game. The twins knew that Xibalbans used a special ball that had knife eyes to kill them, rather than falling down because Hunahpu trick stopped the ball with a racket and spied on a knife. Complaining that they had been called only to be killed, Hunahpu and Xbalanque threatened to leave the game.

As a compromise, Lords of Xibalba allows boys to use their own rubber balls, and long and precise games take place. In the end the twins let Xibalbans win the game, but this is again part of their ruse. They are sent to Razor House, the second deadly test of Xibalba, filled with knives that move on their own accord. Yet the twins talk to the knives and convince them to stop, thus damaging the test. They also sent pruning ants to take petals from Xibalba's gardens, a prize to be offered to Lords for their victory. The Lords deliberately chose a gift that they thought was impossible, because the flowers were well preserved, but the guards did not pay attention to the ants, and were killed for their inability to keep the flowers.

The twins played a rematch with Xibalbans and lost it again, and sent to Cold House, the next test. This test is also they beat. In turn, Hunahpu and Xbalanque with the goal of losing their ballgames so they can be sent to the remaining tests, Jaguar House, Fire House, Bat House and in turn beat the Xibalbans test. The Rulers of Xibalba were disappointed at the success of the twins, until the twins were placed in Bat House. Although they hid in their air rifles from a deadly bat, Hunahpu peeked out to see if the sun had come, and beheaded by the bat god Camazotz.

Xibalbans is very happy because Hunahpu has been defeated. Xbalanque called the animals on the field, and made a replacement head for Hunahpu. Although his original head was used as a ball for the next day's game, the twins were able to silently replace the pumpkin or pumpkin for the ball, taking the original head of Hunahpu and resulting in an embarrassing defeat for the Xibalbans.

Fall Xibalba

Shame because of their defeat, Xibalbans are still trying to destroy the twins. They have large ovens built and once again call the boys, intending to trick them into the oven and their death. The twins realized that the Lords had thought this trick was the end of them, but yet they allowed themselves to be burned in the oven, killed and milled into dust and bones. The Xibalbans were very happy at the clear death of the twins, and threw their remains to the river. However, this is part of the plans made by boys, and when thrown into the river, their bodies are regenerated, first as a pair of catfish, and then as a pair of young boys again.

Do not recognize them, the children were allowed to stay between Xibalbans. Stories of their transformation from catfish spread, as well as stories about their dances and the way they entertain the Xibalba people. They performed a number of miracles, burned houses and then brought them back from the ashes, sacrificed each other and rose from the dead. When the Ruler of Xibalba heard the story, they called the couple to their palace to entertain them, demanding to see such miracles in action.

The children answered the call, and offered to entertain the Master without charge. Their identity remains a secret for now, claiming to be orphans and vagrants, and the masters no wiser. They went through all their miracles, killed a dog and brought it back from the dead, causing the house of the Lords to burn around them while the inhabitants were not injured, and then brought the house back from the ashes. In a climax show, Xbalanque cuts Hunahpu and offers him a sacrifice, just so that his brother gets up once more from the dead.

Enchanted by the appearance, One Death and Seven Deaths, the supreme ruler of Xibalba, demanding that miracles be performed upon them. The twins were forced by killing and offering lords as a sacrifice, but allegedly did not bring them back from death. The twins then surprised Xibalbans by revealing their identity as Hunahpu and Xbalanque, the sons of One Hunahpu whom they had killed many years ago with their uncle Seven Hunahpu. Xibalbans despaired, acknowledging the crime of killing the brothers several years ago, and begging for mercy. As punishment for their crimes, the Xibalba region is no longer a place of greatness, and the Xibalbans will no longer accept offerings from people who walk on Earth. All Xibalba was effectively defeated.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque's death and rise

With Xibalba defeated and arrogant deities dumped, Hunahpu and Xbalanque have one final act to complete. They returned to the Xibalban horse hall and took their father, Hun Hunahpu.

Then finished, the couple left Xibalba and climbed back to the surface of the Earth. They do not stop there, however, and continue climbing straight up into the sky. One becomes the Sun, the other becomes the Moon.

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Heroes of Twins in other Native American cultures

Many Native American cultures in the United States have a tradition of two male hero twins. For example, in the myth of Navajo creation (called DinÃƒÆ' Ã‚ Â© Bahane '), the twin heroes of Monster Slayer and Born for Water get a lightning arrow from their father, the Sun, to get rid of the world of monsters that prey on people.

Ho-Chunk and other Siouan-speaking communities have the Red Horn's Sons tradition. The mythology of Red Horn and his two sons has some interesting analogy with Maya Hero Twins mythical cycle.