Hunahpú and Xbalanqúe are in Mayan mythology, the twin hero gods in the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the ancient Quiché Maya of Guatemala.
One day Hun-Hunahpú, the father of Hunahpú and Xbalanqúe, while playing ball with his brothers, came within the vicinity of Xibalba, the underworld in Mayan mythology. The lords of Xibalba challenged Hun-Hunahpú to a ball game, and eventually he and his brothers were tortured and killed. Hun-Hunahpú’s head was placed on a tree, which instantly bore fruit. Some time later, Xquic (little blood or blood of a woman), the daughter of a lord named Cuchumaquic, went to pick the fruit from the tree. She reached up, and some spittle from the skull fell into her palm.
“In my saliva and spittle I have given you my descendants,”
the tree said to Xquic. The girl then gave birth to Hunahpú and Xbalanqúe. As their father had before them, they encountered the lords of Xibalba. When they arrived in the underworld, they were told to sit down.
“This is not a seat for us; it is only a hot stone,”
the two told the lords. They then were told to enter the House of Gloom, then the House of Knives, then the House of Jaguars, and the House of Bats, where they encountered the vampire-bat god, Camazotz. To protect themselves, they hid inside a blowgun. All night bats flew around them but could not touch them. When morning came, Hunahpú went to see if it was light, and Camazotz cut off his head. Hunahpú’s head was placed in the ball court by the Xibalbans while a turtle took its place. Eventually, however, his head was restored. The two heroes went on to defeat the lords of Xibalba by using many magic means. They would kill each other and then restore themselves to life. When the lords saw this wonder, they also wanted to be killed and brought back to life. The heroes obliged with the first part but did not bring the lords back to life.
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SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow-Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante