Kill One Death and Seven Death

“Now sacrifice yourselves. We would see this. Truly it is the desire of our hearts
that you dance,” said again the lords.

“Very well then, O lord,” they replied.

So then they sacrificed themselves. Hunahpu was sacrificed by Xbalanque. Each
of his legs and arms was severed. His head was cut off and placed far away. His heart
was dug out and placed on a leaf. Now all these lords of Xibalba were drunk at the
sight, as Xbalanque went on dancing.

“Arise!” he said, and immediately he was brought back to life again. Now the
lords rejoiced greatly. One Death and Seven Death rejoiced as if they were the ones doing
it. They were so involved that it was as if they themselves were dancing.

FOR it was the desire of the lords to abandon their hearts to the dances of
Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Then came the words of One Death and Seven Death:

“Do it to us! Sacrifice us!” they said.

“Sacrifice us in the same way,” said One Death and Seven Death to Hunahpu
and Xbalanque.

“Very well then. Surely you will be revived. Are you not death? For we are here
to gladden you, O lords, along with your vassals and your servants,” they said
therefore to the lords.

The first to be sacrificed was the very head of all the lords, One Death by name,
the lord of Xibalba. He was dead then, this One Death. Next they grabbed Seven Death.
But they didn’t revive them. Thus the Xibalbans took to their heels when they saw that
the lords had died. Their hearts were now taken from their chests. Both of them had been
torn open as punishment for what they had done. Straightaway the one lord was executed
and not revived. The other lord had then begged humbly, weeping before the dancers. He
would not accept it, for he had become disoriented:

“Take pity on me,” he said in his regret.

Then all of their vassals and servants fled into the great canyon. They packed
themselves into the great ravine until they were piled up one on top of the other. Then
innumerable ants swarmed into the canyon, as if they had been driven there. And when
the ants came, the Xibalbans all bowed themselves down, giving themselves up. They
approached begging humbly and weeping. For the lords of Xibalba were defeated. It was
just a miracle, for the boys had transformed themselves before them.

And then they declared their names. They revealed their names before all Xibalba.

“HEAR our names! We shall now declare them. We shall also declare the
names of our fathers to you. We are they whose names are Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Our
fathers are they who you killed, One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu by name. We are the
avengers of the misfortune and affliction of our fathers. For this reason, we have endured
all the tribulations that you have caused us. Thus we shall now destroy you all. We will
kill you, for none among you shall now be saved,” they were told.

Then all Xibalba begged humbly, weeping.

“Take pity on us, you, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Truly we have wronged your
fathers that you have named—they who are buried at Crushing Ballcourt,” they said.


- Popol Vuh