Twelve Lords of Xibalbá and Mexico’s Springs

Xibalba, also spelled Xibalbá or Xibalbay, is the name of the Mayan underworld, a place of fear and darkness, ruled by the Lords of Xibalba. It's envisioned as a realm beneath the earth, often associated with caves, cenotes (sinkholes), and rivers in Mexico.

The ancient Maya believed Xibalba was a physical place, accessible through caves and cenotes, particularly in the Yucatan Peninsula and other parts of Central America.

The underworld is governed by the Lords of Xibalba, often depicted as demonic figures, including Vucub Caquix and Hun Came. 

The Twelve Lords of Xibalbá

These beings of cadaver-like appearance are the complete opposite of life. They are in charge of the underworld, and tasked with maintaining the balance between the worlds of the living and the dead. 

Xibalbá’s ultimate ruler is Ah Puch or Kitzin “the foul smelling”, god of death and king of the underworld. He reigns over Xibalbá with his wife the goddess Ixtab, deity of suicide. However, it was the Ajawab that kept the order in the depths. The council of the twelve Lords of Xibalbá was preceded by Hun-Camé and Vucum-Camé, the supreme judges of Xibalbá. It was them who dictated the other lords what their duties would be in the underworld. 

What we know about the underworld and its horrors all comers from the sacred book of Popol Vuh of Chumayel. This is the only Mayan sacred text found so far, since the Catholic church ordered the destruction of all Mayan codexes and writings in the centuries that followed the conquest. 

This is why the ancient Mayans were buried with water, food, and some tools and other objects. They believed that the deceased would need supplies for their long journey to this terrible place.

Despite the fact that they lived beneath this world, their land was not unpleasant and dark; they had night and day; their land had trees and animals; they grew maize, ate, slept, made love and died seemingly as the mortals of this world do. Ethnohistoric sources apart from the Popol Vuh frequently characterize Xibalbá as a less desirable place.

Take a trip to cenotes in Mexico to see if you can find the entrance to the underworld, or not.