THIS, therefore, is the account of a maiden, the daughter of the lord named Gathered Blood.

A MAIDEN, the daughter of a lord, had heard of it. Gathered Blood was the name of her father, while the name of the maiden was Lady Blood.

When she heard the account of the fruit of the tree as told by her father, she was amazed by the tale:

“Can I not come to know it by seeing the tree that has been spoken of? I hear that its fruit is truly delicious,” she said.

Thus she went alone beneath the tree that was planted at Crushing Ballcourt:

“Ah! What is the fruit of this tree? Is not the fruit borne by this tree delicious? I would not die. I would not be lost. Would it be heard if I were to pick one?” asked the maiden.

Then spoke the skull there in the midst of the tree:

“What is it that you desire of this? It is merely a skull, a round thing placed in the branches of trees,” said the head of Hunahpu when it spoke to the maiden. “You do not desire it,” she was told.

“But I do desire it,” said the maiden.

“Very well then, stretch out hither your right hand so that I may see it,” said the skull.

“Very well,” said the maiden.

And so she stretched upward her right hand before the face of the skull. Then the skull squeezed out some of its saliva, directed toward the hand of the maiden. When she saw this, she immediately examined her hand. But the saliva from the skull was not in her hand.

“My saliva, my spittle, is merely a sign that I have given to you. This head of mine no longer functions, for it is merely a skull that cannot work. The head of a truly great lord has good flesh upon his face. But when he dies, the people become frightened because of his bones. In like manner, his son is like his saliva, his spittle. He is his essence. If his son becomes a lord, or a sage, or a master of speech, then nothing will have been lost. He will go on, and once more become complete. The face of the lord will not be extinguished nor will it be ruined. The warrior, the sage, the master of speech will remain in the form of his daughters and his sons.

“Thus may it be so, as I have done to you. Climb, therefore, up there to the face of the earth. You will not die, for you have entered into a promise. Thus be it so,” said the skull of One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu.

Now in this they merely carried out the thoughts and words of Huracan, Youngest Thunderbolt, and Sudden Thunderbolt.

Thus the maiden returned again to her home, having been given many instructions. Straightaway her children were created in her womb by the mere saliva. Thus was the creation of Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Now when the maiden had arrived at her home and six moons were completed, she was noticed by her father, Gathered Blood by name.

- Popol Vuh, The Maiden Lady Blood and the Tree of One Hunahpu