Popol Vuh Myths

The Popol Vuh is a story that should be examined carefully, as it can show the culture and the myths of the Mayan people. The story involves two sets of twins. First introduced is the second set of twins: Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The second set of twins introduced is the boys’ father and uncle. The boys learned that their father and uncle were great ball players, so they decided to use their genetic skills to see if they had the same gift. However, the sound of the ball game reached the underworld, where the Lords of Xibalba called upon them for a ball game. The twins ended up having to endure many magical tests, but with the help of stories from their father and uncle, they knew exactly how to pass. However, in one of the tests, Hunahpu stretched his neck to see outside, but he lost his head resulting in the boys losing the game. The Lords invited Xbalanque to play ball with Hunahpu’s head and in the middle of the game Xbalanque and a rabbit were able to sneakily replace the ball (Hunahpu’s head) with a fake.

These hero twins were smart, witty, and brave. The hero twins are so respected in their culture that if someone claims they are a descendent from the Hero twins, that person has the right to rule. The story gives us insight to the Maya’s understanding of dualism. The twins complimented each other in this way: if one brother lacked certain skills in an area, the other one excelled in that area. This practically made them as one. It was with teamwork that the twins were able to defeat the Death Lords. Teamwork is important because in that culture, if the tribe did not work together, they would parish. In addition to them showing qualities of heroism, the twins were brave enough to sacrifice themselves when they jumped to their death in their plan of defeating the Death Lords. This culture revolved around superstitions and magic heavily and for the hero twins to be able to