Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life

and the Glories of Gods and Kings

And now we shall name the name of the father of Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Let's drink to him, and let's just drink to the telling and accounting of the begetting of Hunahpu and Xbalanque. We shall tell just half of it, just a part of the account of their father.

Here follows the account.

These are the names: One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, as they are called.

And these are their parents: Xpiyacoc, Xmucane. In the blackness, in the night, One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, were born to Xpiyacoc and Xmucane.

And this one Hunahpu had two children, and the two were sons, the first born named One Monkey and the second named One Artisan.

And this is the name of the their mother: she is called Xbaquiyalo, the wife of One Hunahpu. As for Seven Hunahpu, he has no wife. He's just a partner and just secondary: he just remains a boy.

They are great thinkers and great is their knowledge. They are midmost seers, here on the face of the earth. There is only good in their being and their birthright.

They taught skills to One Monkey and One Artisan, the sons of One Hunahpu. one Monkey and One Artisan became flautists, singers, and writers; carvers, jewelers, metalworkers as well.

And as for One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, all they did was throw dice and play ball everyday. They would play each other in pairs, the four of them together. When they gathered in the ballcourt for entertainment, a falcon would come to watch them, the Messenger of Hurricane, Newborn Thunderbolt, Raw Thunderbolt.

And for this falcon it wasn’t far to the earth here, nor was it far to Xibalba: he could get back to the sky, to Hurricane, in an instant.

The four ballplayers remained here on the face of the earth after the mother of One Monkey and One Artisan had died.

One Monkey and One Artisan became flautists, singers and writers. In this classic Mayan funerary vase painting from northern Guatemala, the twin monkey Gods are shown seated in a cross legged position, pointing to screen folded books while speaking or singing. The books they hold in their hands have jaguar-skin covers; other books are piled up at their feet. (Vase in the New Orleans Museum of Art)

Since it was on the road to Xibalba that they played, they were heard by One Death and Seven Death, the lords of Xibalba:

"What's happening on the face of the earth? They're just stomping and shouting. They should be summoned to come play ball here. We'll defeat them, since we simply can’t get no deference from them. They show no respect, nor do they have any shame. They're really determined to run right over us!" said all of Xibalba when they all shared their thoughts, the ones named One and Seven Death. They are great law givers.

And these are the lords over everything, each lord with a commission and a domain assigned by One and Seven Death.

There are the lords named House Corner and Blood Gatherer. And this is their commission: to draw blood from people.

Next are the lordships of Pus Master and Jaundice master. And this is their domain: to make people swell up, to make pus come out of their legs, to make their faces yellow, to cause jaundice, as it is called. Such is the domain of Pus Master and Jaundice Master.

Next are the lords Bone Scepter and Skull Scepter, the staff bearers of Xibalba; their staffs are just bones. And this is their staff bearing: to reduce people to bones, right down to the bones and skulls, until they die from emaciation and edema. This is the commission of the ones named Bone Scepter and Skull Scepter.

Next are the lords named Trash Master and Stab Master. This is their commission: just to catch up with people whenever they have filth or grime in the doorway of the house, the patio of the house. They they're struck, they're just punctured until they crawl on the ground, then die. And this is the domain of Trash Master and Stab Master, as they are called.

Next are the lords named Wing and Packstrap. This is their domain: that people should die in the road, just "sudden death", as it is called. Blood comes to the mouth, then there is death from vomiting blood. So to each of them his burden, the load on

And these are the lords of everything: This late Classic Maya funerary vase painting from northern Guatemala shows seven lords of Xibalba, with the head lord, corresponding to One Death of the Popol Vuh, smoking a cigar and sitting on a jaguar skin at right. The two lords immediately to his left may be Bone Scepter (on bottom row) and Skull Scepter (top row) one with a staff that looks like a spinal column in front of him and the other with a rounded bundle that could contain a skull. All seven lords wear ball game yokes on their hips. The Popol Vuh mentions fourteen lords; counting two manikins that are meant to be mistaken for lords. Perhaps each pair of names mentioned in the Popol Vuh originally belonged to a single lord, or perhaps each of the lords shown here is understood to have another seated at his side.

his shoulders; just to strike people on the neck and chest. Then there is death in the road, and then they just go on causing suffering, whether one is coming or going. And this is the domain of Wing and Packstrap.

Such are those who shared their thoughts when they were piqued and driven by One and Seven Hunahpu. What Xibalba desired was the gaming equipment of One and Seven Hunahpu: their kilts, their yokes, their arm guards, their panaches and headbands, the costumes of One and Seven Hunahpu.

And this is where we shall continue telling of their trip to Xibalba. One Monkey and One Artisan, the sons of One Hunahpu, stayed behind. Their mother died - and, what is more, they were to be defeated by Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

And now for the messengers of One and Seven Death: "You're going, you Military Keepers of the Mat, to summon One and Seven Hunahpu. You'll tell them, when you arrive:

'"They must come," the lords say to you. "Would that they might come to play ball with us here. Then we could have some excitement with them. We are truly amazed at them. Therefore they should come," say the lords, "and they should bring their playthings, their yokes and arm guards should come, along with their rubber ball," say the lords,' you will say when you arrive," the messengers were told.

And these messengers of theirs are owls: Shooting Owl, One legged Owl, Macaw Owl, Skull Owl, as the messengers of Xibalba are called.

There is shooting Owl, like a point, just piercing.

And there is One-legged Owl, with just one leg: he has wings.

And there is Macaw Owl, with a red back; he has wings.

And there is also Skull Owl, with only a head alone; he has no legs, but he does have wings.

There are four messengers, Military Keepers of the Mat in rank.

And they came out of Xibalba: they arrived quickly, alighting above the ball court where One and Seven Hunahpu were playing, at the ball court called Great Abyss at Carchah. The owls, arriving in a flurry over the ball court, now repeated

their words, reciting the exact words of One Death, Seven Death, Pus Master, Jaundice Master, Bone Scepter, Skull Scepter, House Corner, Blood Gatherer, Trash Master, Stab Master, Wing, Packstrap, as all the lords are named. Their words were repeated by the owls.

"Don't the lords One and Seven Death speak truly?"

"Truly indeed," the owls replied. "We'll accompany you."

"They're to bring along all their gaming equipment say the lords."

"Very well, but wait for us while we notify our mother," they replied.

And when they went to their house, they spoke to their mother; their father had died;

"We're going, our dear mother, even though we've just arrived. The messengers of the lord have come to get us:

"They should come," he says, they say, giving us orders. We'll leave our rubber ball behind here, they said, then they went to tie it up under the roof of the house. Until we return - then we'll put it in play again.

They told One Monkey and One Artisan:

As for you, just play and just sing, write and carve to warm our house and to warm the heart of your grandmother. When they had been given their instructions, their grandmother Xmucane sobbed, she had to weep.

"We're going, we're not dying. Don't be sad," said One and Seven Hunahpu, then they left.

After that One and Seven Hunahpu left, guided down the road by the messengers.

And then they descended the road to Xibalba, going down a steep cliff, and they descended until they came out where the rapids cut through, the roaring canyon narrows named Neck Canyon. They passed through there, then they passed on into the River of Churning Spikes. They passed through countless spikes but they were not stabbed.

And then they came to water again, to blood: Blood River.

The crossed but did not drink. They came to a river, but a river filled with pus. Still they were not defeated, but passed through again.

And then they came to the Crossroads, but here they were defeated at the Crossroads:

Red Road was one and Black Road another.

White Road was one and Yellow Road another.

There were four roads, and Black Road spoke:

"I am the one you are taking. I am the lord's road." said the road. And they were defeated there: this was the Road of Xibalba.

And then they came to the council place of the lords of Xibalba, and they were defeated again there. The ones seated first there are just manikins, just woodcarvings dressed up by Xibalba. And they greeted the first ones:

"Morning, One Death," they said to the manikin. "Morning, Seven Death," they said to the woodcarving in turn.

So they did not win out, and the lords of Xibalba shouted out with laughter over this. All the lords just shouted with laughter because they had triumphed; in their hearts they had beaten One and Seven Hunahpu. They laughed on until One and Seven Death spoke:

"It's good that you've come. Tomorrow you must put your yokes and arm guards into action," they were told.

"Sit here on our bench," they were told, but the only bench they were offered was a burning hot rock.

So now they were burned on the bench; they really jumped around on the bench now, but they got no relief. They really got up fast, having burned their butts. At this the Xibalbans laughed again, they began to shriek with laughter, the laughter rose up like a serpent in their very cores, all the lords of Xibalba laughed themselves down to their blood and bones.

"Just go in the house. Your torch and cigars will be brought to your sleeping quarters," the boys were told.

After that they came to the Dark House, a house with darkness alone inside. Meanwhile the Xibalbans shared their thoughts:

"Let's just sacrifice them tomorrow. It can only turn out to be

And here is the account of a maiden, the daughter of a lord named Blood Gatherer.

And this is when a maiden heard of it, the daughter of a lord. Blood Gatherer is the name of her father, and Blood Woman is the name of the maiden.

And when he heard the account of the fruit of the tree, her father retold it. And she was amazed at the account:

"I'm not acquainted with that tree they talk about. Its fruit is truly sweet!" they say, I hear, she said.

Next, she went all alone and arrived where the tree stood. It stood at the Place of Ball Game Sacrifice:

What? Well! What’s the fruit of this tree? Shouldn't this tree bear something sweet? They shouldn't die, they shouldn't be wasted. Should I pick one? said the maiden.

And then the bone spoke; it was here in the fork of the tree: "Why do you want a mere bone, a round thing in the branches of a tree?" said the head of One Hunahpu when it spoke to the maiden. "You don’t want it," she was told.

"I do want it," said the maiden.

"Very well. Stretch out your right hand here, so I can see it," said the bone.

"Yes," said the maiden. She stretched out her right hand, up there in front of the bone.

And then the bone spit out its saliva, which landed squarely in the hand of the maiden.

And then she looked in her hand, she inspected it right away, but the bone's saliva wasn't in her hand.

"It is just a sign I have given you, my saliva, my spittle. This, my head, has nothing on it - just bone, nothing of meat. It's just the same with the head of a great lord: it's just the flesh that makes his face look good. And when he dies, people get frightened by his bones. After that, his son is like his saliva, his spittle, in his being, whether it be the son of a lord or the son of a craftsman, an orator. The father does not disappear, but goes on being fulfilled. Neither dimmed nor destroyed is the face of a lord, a warrior, craftsman, orator. Rather, he will leave his daughters

And after the maiden was noticed by her father, when he saw that she was now with child, all the lords then shared their thoughts - One and Seven Death, along with Blood Gatherer:

"This daughter of mine is with child, lords. Its just a bastard," Blood Gatherer said when he joined the lords.

"Very well. Get her to open her mouth. If she doesn't tell, then sacrifice her. Go far away and sacrifice her."

"Very well, your lordships," he replied. After that, he questioned his daughter:

Who is responsible for the child in your belly, my daughter? he said.

There is no child, my father, sir; there is no man whose face I've known, she replied.

Very well. It really is a bastard you carry! Take her away for sacrifice, you Military Keepers of the Mat. Bring back her heart in a bowl, so the lords can take it in their hands this very day, the owls were told, the four of them.

Then they left, carrying the bowl. When they left they took the maiden by the hand, bringing along the White Dagger, the instrument of sacrifice.

It would not turn out well if you sacrificed me, messengers, because it is not a bastard that's in my belly. What’s in my belly generated all by itself when I went to marvel at the head of One Hunahpu, which is there at the Place of Ball Game Sacrifice. So please stop: don't do your sacrifice, messengers" said the maiden. Then they talked:

What are we going to use in place of her heart? We were told by her father:

Bring back her heart. The lords will take it in their hands, they will satisfy themselves, they will make themselves familiar with its composition. Hurry, bring it back in a bowl, put her heart in a bowl. Isn't that what we've been told? What shall we deliver in the bowl? What we want above all is that you should not die, said the messengers.

Very well. My heart must not be theirs, nor will your homes be here. Nor will you simply force people to die, but hereafter, what will truly yours will be the true bearers of bastards. And hereafter, as for One and Seven Death, only blood, only nodules of sap, will be theirs. So be it that these things are represented before them, and not that hearts are burned before them. So be it; use the fruit of a tree, said the maiden. And it was red tree sap she went out to gather in the bowl.

After it congealed, the substitute for her heart became round. When the sap of the croton tree was tapped, tree sap like blood, it became the substitute for her blood. When she rolled the blood around inside there, the sap of the croton tree, it formed a surface like blood, glistening red now, around inside the bowl. When the tree was cut open by the maiden, the so called cochineal croton, the sap is what she called blood, and so there is talk of nodules of blood.

So you have been blessed with the face of the earth. It shall be yours, she told the owls.

Very well, maiden. We'll show you the way up there. You just walk on ahead; we have yet to deliver this apparent duplicate of your heart before the lords, said the messengers.

And when they became before the lords, they were all watching closely:

Hasn't it turned out well? said One Death.

It has turned out well, your lordships, and this is her heart. It's in the bowl.

Very well. So I'll look, said One Death, and when he lifted it up with his fingers, its surface was soaked with gore, its surface glistened red with blood.

Good. Stir up the fire, put it over the fire, said One Death.

After they dried it over the fire, and the Xibalbans savored the aroma. They all ended up standing here, they leaned over it intently. The found the smoke of the blood to be truly sweet!

And while they stayed at their cooking, the owls went to show the maiden the way out. They sent her through a hole onto the earth, and the guides returned below.

In this way the lords of Xibalba were defeated by a maiden; all of them were blinded.

And here, where the mother of One Monkey and One Artisan lived, was where the woman named Blood Woman arrived.

And when the Blood Woman came to the mother of One Monkey and One Artisan, her children were still in her belly, but it wasn't very long before the birth of Hunahpu and Xblanque as they were called.

And when the woman came to the grandmother, the woman said to the grandmother:

I've come, mother, madam. I'm your daughter-in-law and I'm your child, mother, madam, she said when she came here to the grandmother.

Where do you come from? As for my lastborn children, didn't they die in Xibalba? And these two remain as their sign and their word: One Monkey and One Artisan are their names. So if you've come to see my children, get out of here! the maiden was told by the grandmother.

Even so, I really am your daughter-in-law, I am already his, I belong to One Hunahpu. What I carry is his. One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu are alive, they are not dead. They have merely made a way for the light to show itself, madam mother-in-law, as

you will see when you look at the faces of what I carry, the grandmother was told.

And One Monkey and One Artisan have been keeping their grandmother entertained; all they do is play and sing, all they work at is writing and carving, every day, and this cheers the heart of their grandmother.

And then the grandmother said:

I don't want you, no thanks, daughter-in-law. It's just a bastard in your belly, you trickster! These children of mine who are named by you are dead, said the grandmother.

Truly, what I say to you is so!

Very well, my daughter-in-law, I hear you. So get going, get their food so they can eat. Go pick a big netful of corn, then come back - since you are already my daughter-in-law, as I understand it, the maiden was told.

Very well, she replied.

After that, she went to the garden; One Monkey and One Artisan had a garden. The maiden followed the path they had cleared and arrived there in the garden, but there was only one clump, there was no other plant, no second or third. That one clump had borne its ears. So then the maiden's heart stopped:

It looks like I'm a sinner, a debtor! Where will I get the netful of food she asked for? she said. And then the guardians of food were called upon by her:

Come thou, rise up, come thou, stand up:

Generous Woman, Harvest Woman,

Cacao Woman, Cornmeal Woman,

thou guardian of the food of One Monkey, One Artisan

said the maiden.

And then she took hold of the silk, the bunch of silk at the top of the ear. She pulled it straight out, she didn't pick the ear, and the ear reproduced itself to make food for the net. It filled the big net.

And then the maiden came back, but animals carried her net. When she got back she went to put the pack frame in the corner of the house, so it would look to the grandmother as if she had arrived with a load.

And then, when the grandmother saw the food, a big netful;

Where did that food of yours come from? You've leveled the place! I'm going to see if you've brought back our whole garden said the grandmother.

And then she went off, she went to look at the garden, but the one clump was still there, and the place where the net had been put at the foot of it was still obvious.

And the grandmother came back in a hurry, and she got back home, and she said to the maiden:

The sign is still there. You really are my daughter-in-law! I'll have to keep watching what you do. These grandchildren of mine are already showing genius, the maiden was told.

Now this is where we shall speak of the birth of Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

And this is their birth; we shall tell of it here.

Then it came to the day of their birth, and the maiden named Blood Woman gave birth. The grandmother was not present when they were born; they were born suddenly. Two of them were born, named Hunahpu and Xbalanque. They were born in the mountains, and then they came into the house. Since they weren't sleeping:

Throw them out of here! They're really loudmouths! said the grandmother.

After that, when they put them on an anthill, they slept soundly there. And when they removed them from there, they put them in brambles next.

And this is what One Monkey and One Artisan wanted: that they should die on the anthill and die in the brambles. One Monkey and One Artisan wanted this because they were rowdyish and flushed with jealousy. They didn't allow their younger brothers in the house at first, as if they didn't even know them, but even so they flourished in the mountains.

And One Monkey and One Artisan were great flautists and singers, and as they grew up they went through great suffering