A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – The ancient Maya believed that the underworld – Xibalba – was a ‘place of fear’. In some ancient accounts, it is a domain of evil demons, busy with plotting against the gods in heaven. In other accounts, Xibalba is a place of decay and disease and a destination of human souls after death.
After the creation of the earth, the Popol Vuh says, one of the routes from the surface of the earth to the Xibalba council house was through a cave passageway located at the eastern horizon. It was reached by traveling through a dangerous, rocky road filled with many obstacles difficult to overcome, such as a river filled with blood or another one, full of scorpions.
This large underground city is organized into nine, gradually descending levels. It contains passages, dark caves, and the living spaces occupied by the Lords of Xibalba.
Popol Vuh of the K’iche’ people says the Xibalba has twelve gods – the Lords of Xibalba. The first among the Maya Death Gods ruling Xibalba were Hun-Came (“One Death”) and Vucub-Came (“Seven Death”).
The remaining ten Lords are referred to as demons responsible for various forms of human suffering; they cause pain, sickness, fear, starvation, fear, and finally death.
The remaining occupants of Xibalba remain under the control of these Lords of Death occupied with trials, tests, and awful traps for anyone who enter the city of Xibalba.
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