Punish Xibalba

“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.

“Very well. Here then is our word that we declare to you. Hearken all you of
Xibalba; for never again will you or your posterity be great. Your offerings also will
never again be great. They will henceforth be reduced to croton sap. No longer will
clean blood be yours. Unto you will be given only worn-out griddles and pots, only
flimsy and brittle things.

“You shall surely eat only the creatures of the grass and the creatures of the
wastelands. No longer will you be given the children of the light, those begotten in the
light. Only things of no importance will fall before you.

“Only the sinner and the malevolent, the wretch and the molester who clearly
have sinned, will be given to you. No longer will you be able to seize suddenly just any
person. You will be called upon only over the sap of the croton,” they were told, all
they of Xibalba.

Thus began their devastation, the ruin of their being called upon in worship. Their
glory was not great in the past, for they wanted only conflict with the people of ancient
times. Surely they were not true gods. Their names merely inspired fear, for their faces
were evil. They were strife makers, traitors, and tempters to sin and violence.
They were also masters of deception, of the black view and the white view. They were
called masters of harm and vexation. Fundamentally their faces were hidden. Thus
their greatness and glory were destroyed. Never again would their dominion become
great. This was the accomplishment of Hunahpu and Xbalanque.


- Popol Vuh