Welcome to the Ancient Mayan’s realm of hell which is called Xibalba. From the ancient Mayan, the word translates roughly to “place of fears.” And since it is an actual place, visitors should be fearful.
In the Yucatan Peninsula there is an underground labyrinth of rivers. Since the area above ground is rather void of water, the Mayans believe these waterways are sacred portals to Xibalba. The Mayan mythology states that this realm is lorded over by two main death Gods: Hun-Came, translated as “One Death” and Vucum-Came which is “Seven Death.” They are aided by five other pairs of demons who reside over different forms of human suffering. They can cause people to choke on their own blood or swell up and suffocate. They can also go into individuals’ homes and stab them to death or decay individual’s bodies to skeletons in moments.
As in Popol Vuh, the book of Mayan mytho-historical narratives, the realm is an elaborate city for the citizens of the underworld with six deadly houses to test the visitors. If the individuals outsmart the tests, they can escape Xibalba; however, the penalty for failing the tests is death. The houses are called the Dark House, the Jaguar House, the Razor House, the Hot House, the Cold house, and the Bat House. To help the souls of the dead get through the trials they faced in Xibalba, their bodies are buried with necessary tools to aid their journey.
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