Xibalba: The mysterious Mayan underworld where the souls of the dead travelled

The vast majority of the ancient world’s primary nations counted on a murky region of darkness, comparable to the Christian hell, where people took a trip and came across odd and frightening beasts that frightened them. The Mayans, that occupied southerly Mexico and also a lot of Central America, were no exception, calling this heck the Xibalba.

The Mayans believed that the entrance to this dark and also terrible passage was through the numerous cenotes spread throughout Mexico’s southeast, which brought about a labyrinthine network of enormous depths bathed in blue waters that are currently heritage citizen of Mexico.

These websites were obviously spiritual to the Mayans, giving access to a location full of mysterious gods (called the Lords of Xibalba) and also scary animals; in the here and now, the cenotes keep a mystical mood that makes them necessary websites to discover Mexico’s past as well as the natural asks yourself that interested the old residents of that location.

In the Mayan underworld, the Lords of Xibalba were arranged by hierarchies and councils that existed side-by-side with a kind of civilization. Their look was usually inevitably cadaverous and dark, and also they symbolized the opposite post of life: because of this, they served as an equilibrium in between the globes of the living and also the.

The primary gods of Xibalba were Hun-Camé (One-Death) as well as Vucum-Camé (Seven-Death), yet the best number lacked a doubt Ah Puch, additionally referred to as Kisin or Yum Kimil, the Lord of Death. They were venerated by the Mayans, that dedicated human sacrifices in their honor.

According to the Maya divine publication, the Popol Vuh, 2 siblings named Hunahp and also Ixbalanqué was up to the Underworld prior to the development of the globe as we understand it after being challenged by the gods to play a ballgame. They needed to withstand many obstacles throughout their journey into this strange and also terrible world, such as trekking up steep actions, traversing rivers of blood and water, as well as passing through dark rooms with wild creatures or thorns.

The Popol Vuh depicts the many degrees of the Xibalba this way:

Dark residence, entirely bordered by darkness.
Cold home, where an icy wind filled every corner of its interior.
House of the jaguars, packed with wild jaguars that ran from one extreme to another.
House of bats, crowded with bats that filled the house with screeches.
Home of knives, where there was nothing but sharp and dangerous blades.
The existence of a sixth residence called your home of Heat is mentioned, where there were only ashes, fire, fires and also suffering.

Because the Mayans believed that every males and female who passed away most likely to Xibalba, they supplied water as well as food to the dead during their interment ceremonies so that their spirit would certainly not go hungry on their approaching trip to the terrible Underworld.