THE MAYA VASE BOOK

THE HERO lWINS : MYfH AND IMAGE

MICHAEL D. COE

BACKGROUND heroes are inextricablywoven with those over his shoulders. After he had been ofgods, but also the charters for the elite duly baptized, and a Christian mass sung, I have been long puzzled by the curious groups which ruled these andent socie­ the K'ekchf drama began, to the sound of absence of any but the most cursory ties. Even today, throughout the Hindu­ shell trumpets, turtle carapaces, and other references to the Popol Yuh, the sacred Buddhist world of South and Southeast instruments. This was the Dance of bookoftheQuiche Maya, inEricThompson's Asia, the dynastic struggles of the Ma­ Hunahpu and Xbalanque, the Hero Twins, greatand encyclopedic Introduction to the habharata and the royal adventures of and theirdefeatofthe Lordsofthe Under­ Study oJ the Maya Hieroglyphs U950 and the Ramayana come alive in numberless world, Xibalba. latereditions). Surelyhemusthave noted shadow-puppet plays and ballets per­ the striking fact that in both Quiche and formed in both villages and royal courts. The performance opened with the ap­ Ixil, thenamefor the dayAhau, last ofthe Indeed, the actions ofKing Rama and his pearnnce oftwo youths in the plaza, wearing twentynamed days in the 260-daycount, monkey army in winning back his queen tight-fitting garments and great black is Hunahpu -- first-born ofthe Hero Twins. are as alive to Balinese children as events masks with horns. They proceeded to a Thompson was in many respects the ofmodern Indonesian political history. platform covered with clean mats and greatest Mayanist of all, with a deep adorned with artlfidal trees; a small knowledge of mythology and ethnohis­ Similar dramatic performances almost brushpile covered a hidden exit. After tory, and was an outstanding iconogra­ surely took place in the great cities ofthe conversingwith two na1w.ales named Xul pher, but he completely missed the over­ Classic Maya, and persisted in the high­ Ul and Pacan (the names of two diviners whelmingsignificanceofthe PopolYuh in lands following the Spanish conquest. in the Popol Yuh; see Tedlock 1985;377), solving many problems of Classic Maya One such display is documented for the they came into the presence of other iconography and epigraphy. K'ekchf Maya, (Estrada Monroy 1979:168­ masked beings--the dread Lords ofXibalba. 74) and was tied into an assertion ofsu­ TheXibalbans tried tokilltheHeroTwins, In my view, the first three parts of the zerainty by a local Maya dynast, a "ca­ buttheyevadedthedangersand emerged Popol Yuh (using Dennis Tedlock's 1985 Cique ofan caciques"namedAj Pop'o Batz unscathed to the discomfiture of their divisions of the text) constitute a mythic (Lord Howler-monkey). This was held under enemies. cycle on a par with the Ramayana and the auspices of the Dominican friars of Mahabharata of Hindu literature, the Il­ Verapaz on Sunday, 24 June 1543, to The youths then began to dance before iad and Odyssey of Homer, the Cycles of celebrate and affirm the foundation of a the UndelWorld lords, the dance becom­ the Kings ofearly Ireland, and the Norse new town, San Juan Chamelco, and to ing progressively more violent and fren­ sagas. Onemightalsocomparethemwith consolidate the power ofthe native ruler. zied; little by little the lords became fasci­ the Arthurian cycle of pre-Anglo-Saxon Lord Howler-monkey was seated upon a nated, until theyalsowere caughtupinit. Britain. In all ofthese one finds not only dais covered with monkey skin, while two Hunahpu and Xbalanque appeared to fly earlier eras in which the doings of great warriors draped a quetzal-feather cape above bonfires set around the periphery

1989 The Hero Twins: Myth and Image. In The Maya Vase Book: A Corpus of Rollout Photographs of Maya Vases, Volume 1. New York: Kerr Associates. 161 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

of the dance ground. Suddenly, unsus­ The Twins' victory over Xibalba was proba­ The Popal Yuh and the dawn oj Maya pected by the Xibalbans, they lit a multi­ bly widely celebrated in the Maya low­ civilization tude of incensarios. and in the midst of lands as well as the highlands, for Landa The archaeological record as we now dense smoke they set fIre to the grove of tells us that there was a dance called understand it makes it reasonably cer­ trees and to the mats. Everything turned Xibalba okot held dUring the New Year tain that Maya civilization took form dur­ into a great conflagration. Facing one ceremonies preceding Cauac years. in ingtheLatePre-Classic period. some time another. with extended arms. Hunahpu late pre-Conquest Yucatan. This was after 300 BC. bywhich time Olmec civili­ and Xbalanque hurled themselves into performed on the western road or sacbe zation had either disappeared or been the fire. which consumed the trapped leading to a statue of Uac Mitun Ahau. transformed beyond recognition. It was Xibalbans as well. The smoke from the "Lord ofthe Sixth Hell". at the entrance to this period that saw the flowering ofIzapan copal obscured all that was taking place the town (Tozzer 1941;147). And there is culture on the Pacific coastal plain of in the bonfIre. and even those "in the some evidence that a dance-drama fea­ Chiapas and Guatemala. of early Kami­ know" were frightened by the cries ofthe tUring the shooting of the arrogant bird­ naljuyU. and ofsuch great lowland cities dying lords. When the smoke cleared. monster. Vucub Caquix (see below). by as El Mirador. Tikal. and Lamanai. with only ashes remained. Hunahpu and Xbalanque was still en­ their prodigious architectural complexes acted in colonial times intheGuatemalan and burgeoning populations. It is in this Then, on the ground. a compartment highlands. context that the Hero Twins cycle of the opened up. from which issued an emis­ PopolYuh first appears inMesoamerican sary cloaked in a feather cape; in one In fact, the Spanish friars were qUick to art and religion. Much ofthe evidence for hand he carried an incensario. whilewith grasp the utility ofthe "HarrowingofHell" it concerns the Vucub Caquix episode. the otherhe indicated the open chamber. aspectoftheTwins' triumph and divertit As drums. shell trumpets, and the like towards the Christian theme ofthe death It appears that for the Maya. each previ­ sounded, the Hero Twins appeared from and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Curi­ ous world in the sequence of creations the compartment. covered with beautiful ously. in this piOUS transformation must have had its own "Sun", ifinforma­ feather capes, wearing on their brows Hunahpu becomes an avatar ofthe Mes­ tionon central Mexican creationmyths is ornaments appropriate to great lords. Their siah. and Xbalanque a kind of devil or pertinent here. In the Popol Yuh. the former masks had been replaced with pagan god ruling over the Underworld. presiding god of the era preceding ours thoseoftwo handsomeyouths.TheTwins Needless to say. the dynastic function of was Vucub Caquix. "Seven Macaw", who proudly greeted the populace. which the Popol Yuh cycle was steadily dissi­ Vaingloriously usurped the role of"Sun". acclaimed them for their victory over the pated throughout the colonial period, as butwas not really a true sun. He "magni­ fearsome Xibalbans. native princes, their lineages. and their fied himself'. and boasted ofthe light he courts lost power and eventually disap­ gave off: peared from the pages of history.

162 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

I am great. My place is now higher inhuntingbirdswith theirblowguns. The There is completely convincing iconogra­ than that ofthe human work, the 1\vins knewthateach day. the bird-monster phic evidence equating Vucub Caquix human design. I am their sun and I came to a nancetree to eatits fruit. There, with the Principal Bird Deity first defined am their light. and I am also their Hunahpu shot him in the jaw with his by Lawrence Bardawil (1976). This major months. (Tedlock 1985 : 86) blowgun, and broke his shining teeth. figure makes its debut in the artistic This creature was a gigantic bird-mon­ Angered, Vucub Caquix seized Hunahpu's repertoire ofMesoamerica during the Late ster ofmagnificent appearance. The eyes arm and tore it off, hanging this grim Pre-Classic. particularly at lzapa and in ofVucub Caquixwere of metal, his teeth trophy in his house. However, his teeth lzapan-related cultures. To confmn the glittered with jewels and turquoise (read and eyes caused him intolerable pain, identification, three researchers (Taube ']ade" for Classic times). his nose shone and the Twins -- tricksters as well as 1980, Cortez n.d., and Lowe 1982) have white like thesun (note theanthropomor­ heroes -- cameto "cure" him.Afterreplac­ independentlyrecognized thatStela25 at phism here), and his nest, like his eyes, ing Vucub Caquix's aching teeth with lzapa depicts not onlyVucub Caquixand was ofshining metal. In a universe with­ white maiZe and tearing out his metallic his nancetree. butalsoHunahpuwithhis out a real sun. moon. or stars. the over­ eyes, the arrogant "Sun" ofthe last crea­ arm torn off (Figure 1). At the same site, proud bird puffed himselfup on his perch, tion perished. the bird-monster descends to the nance, bragged, and gave off light for a race of whichisflanked by the Twins (Figure 2). wooden manikins that was to perish in the flood that destroyed this penultimate era. It is in the waning days of this crea­ tion that the Hero Twins myth is laid.

To vanqUish Vucub Caquix -- antithesis ofallbehaviorandvalues held dearbythe Maya -- the gods sentthe HeroTwins. The theme recalls native North American my" thology, particularly in the Southwest. in which a pair ofdivine twins is created for the express purpose of armihilating monsters left over from previous, imper­ fect creations so that the people of our world may be left in peace.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque were handsome Figure 1 Stela 25, Izapa ( AfterSmith Figure 2 Stela 2, Izapa (After Smith young lords. skilled in the ballgame and 1984, fig 56-c) 1984,fig.55-aJ

163 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

On Stela 4, the creature plunges above a staircases ofPre-Classic and Early Clas­ and Xbalanque would have been the rulerwho. Icarus-like, is fitted with Vucub sic Maya temple-pyramids represent paradigm for new elites in southeastern Caquix wings (Figure 3). Vucub Caquix -- even though those who Meso-america. fashioned such images may have known him under another name. The Hero Twins' As I shall document below. Classic Maya arrogant victim may be seen in diverse pictorial ceramics are replete with Hero times and places in the lowlands. from Twins imagery, including not only the Late Pre-Classic El Mirador and Cerros, VucubCaquixepisode. and thevictorious to Early Classic Tikal (such as in the encounter of the Twins with the Lords of masks of Str. 5D-33-3rd; see Miller the UndeIWorld. but also episodes which 1968;42), to the Late Classic reliefs of have no counterpart in the Popol Yuh as Palenque's Temple ofthe Cross and Sar­ it was written down after the Conquest. cophagus, on which the Principal Bird There are ramifications of this preoccu­ Deity perches on a crucifonn world-tree pationwiththedivine pairthroughoutthe (Figure 4). inscriptions, and even in the Post-Classic Figure 3 Stela 4, Izapa (After Smith, 1984,frg. 55-b), I cannot go into the fascinatingsubject of Asalientfigure ofVucubCaquix (I will use Vucub Caquix in the detail thatit merits. the Quiche tenn throughout this paper) for after all, my theme here is the Hero inearlyMesoamericaniconographyis the Twins. but suffice it say that this major latch-like snout or drawn-out upper lip actorinthemythic cycle makesits abrupt attached like a great. hooked beak to a appearance following on the heels of the somewhat anthropomorphic head. com­ disintegration of the old Olmec order of plete with flaring-nostril nose; the ac­ things. and when new sociopolitical enti­ coutrements. in short. ofwhat might be ties. especially among the Maya. were thought of as a "were-bird". As such. he takingshape, Onemaypresumethatthis maybe recognized inthe LatePre-Classic wasthe criticalmomentwhenthe mythor artofMonte Alban. onTres zapotes Stela myths. preserved intheearliersectionsof D. in the Izapan reliefs of the Pacific the Popol Yuh. must have assumed their a b coastal plain (including boulder sculp­ later fonn. Just as the gods and semi­ Figure 4 The Principal Bird Deity (Vucub Caquix) tures at Monte Alto), at KaminalJuyil and divine kings of the Hindu epics provided perched on a world tree, Palenque. a,Temple of throughout the Maya lowlands. Many of charters for the nascent royal houses of the Cross. b, Sarcophagous relief, Temple ofthe thegiganticstuccoheads which flank the Indian Asia. so the doings of Hunahpu Inscriptions. (After Schele 1984;67)

164 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

codices. Yet it is a fact that much of this three offspring. all born within our own ']unior" GI must be Hunahpu and the imagery disappears with the Classic Maya era. These are a- GI (recognizable by the elder his Popol Yuh father, One Hunahpu. collapseoftheeighth centuryAD, neverto fish fms at the corners ofthe mouth and By a process of elimination. then GIll reappear. by the Spondylus shells over the ears), c­ must then be Xbalanque (GIl or God K is The greatfunerary ceramic tradition that GIll, bornfour days later. and b-GII, born left unexplained). characterized the Early and Late Classic 14days after GIll and, although notmen­ 5. The PopalYuh text, however, presents found no place in the new order of the tioned by Lounsbury. clearly the well­ a problem. At the conclusion of their Post-Classsic, testifying to a downfall of known God K. a triplet of the other two triumph over Xibalba. the Twins ascend the elite as cataclysmic as that which (Figure 5). to the heavens, one of them (apparently befell theYucatecMayaoversixcenturies Hunahpu) becoming the sun, and the later, with the Spanish conquest. other the moon, and not the other way around. To reverse this situation, The nvins and the Palenque Triad: the UJm~ Lounsbury marshals considerable linguis­ LoWlsbury hypothesis tic evidence to show that Edmundson's abc Firstpresentedatthe1980 MesaRedonda translation as "Jaguar Deer" is faulty: at Palenque, an identification by my es­ Figure 5 Glyphs ofthe PaIenque TIiad. balan is certainly ']aguar". but the -que a, GI. b, GIl. c, GIII. (Drawing' 1.. &hele] teemed colleague Floyd Lounsbury 0985) could well be "sun". so that"JaguarSun" of the deities GI and GIll ofthe Palenque 3. According to Lounsbury, GIll is the is a more likely meaning to the gUiche Triad with Hunahpu and Xbalanque has Sun God. He has the Mah-K'ina title as a name. Lounsbury's view. also held by received widespread acceptance. for in­ prefix, followed bya cartouchecontaining Thompson, is that the Popol passage must stance by Schele and Miller (1986) and by a youthful head in profile. with a large be corrupt. Robicsek and Hales (1988). I feel that the Circular spot on the cheek, generally be­ 6. Iconographic evidence is also brought evidence against this identification is fore or above another cartouche with a to bear. from exactly one source: the Met­ strong. BeforeI presentit. I willattemptto plain-weave mat design. In addition. there ropolitan Museum ofArt codex-stylevase sum up Lounsbury's argument as fol­ is usually a T130 (wa or Vw) postfix, known as Grolier 46 and Princeton 4. lows: Lounsbury posits that the basic reading This shows GI dancingwith sacrificialaxe 1. In the texts ofthe tablets ofthe Cross of GIll's glyph is Ahau. and identifies it in hand to the left of an infantile. supine Group atPalenque. a pairofmythological with theSun. Actually, I feel thatthis part figure with both human and jaguar fea­ personages of the opposite sex are born oftheargumentis strong, butthatitleads tures, lying on a Cauac Monster head. To shortly before the close ofthe last era (of to a different conclusion than that which the right is God A. one ofthe Maya death 13 baktuns). The male has the same Lounsbury advocates. gods, with outstretched hands. Lounsbury glyphic name as the later GI ofthe Triad. 4. IfGIll is the Sun God, and ifthere are wholeheartedly accepts the interpreta­ 2. The mating of these two produced two Grs with the same name. then the tion ofthis scene put forward by Foncer-

165 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

rada de Molina (1970. 1972) that this is que who turned into the sun. it also says Lords" whom I had initially mistaken for Hunahpu (=GI) in the act of sacrificing that it was Xbalanque who sacrificed the Hero Twins on Maya pottery. On ce­ Xbalanque during the final entertairunent Hunahpu before the lords, and not the ramics. the Maize God is tagged not only which they put on for the delight of the reverse. by his codical glyph (1'1006). but by a Xibalbans. He identifies the victim as his • Thesceneofthe sacrificialdancewith more specifically "Hun Hunahpu" form. "Jaguar Sun" because of the med teeth GI and God A is found on a number of Thus wecanruleoutthehead form ofGI's and Roman nose (both known to be solar codex-style vases (Robicsek and Hales name as that ofHun Hunahpu. attributes), and because of the jaguar 1981, vessels 19-27; 1989). When present, markings and tail. the possible victim on the Cauac Monster I therefore believe that the Lounsbury runs the iconic gamut from a human hypothesis is untenable. In my opinion, To refute this argument in full detail would child. to one with a jaguar tail, to an theonlypath to knowledge indealingwith require a doctoral dissertation, butlet me anthropomorphic and infantile Jaguar the incredible complexities of Maya ico­ point out some flaws; God of the Underworld (JGU), to a fully nography is to examine all known occur­ • GI is a well-known deity on a multi­ feline Water-WyJaguar. Ifthis is Xbalan­ rences ofa particulariconic entity, and to tude of examples of Maya pottery and que. heisofalmost proteanvariability. To analyze its behavior with other entities. sculpture. throughout the Classic; for in­ prove that the little "victim" on the Metro­ Such a study would encompass not only stance. see the many GI cache vessels politan pot is Xbalanque. onewould have the ceramics and codices. but the monu­ illustrated by Helhnuth (1987). There are to reviewmanymore thanjustonevessel. mental art as well. For instance, to do the strongest iconographic and glyphic • There is a far better candidate for amplejustice to GI would reqUire a long­ arguments for considering him the Clas­ HunahpuintheCrossGroup tablets than term study. covering everything from the sicversionofGod B. knownasChacinthe GI: this is GIll. The glyphT1000c-f,i -- the god's probablegenesisasanOlrnecshark lowlands. Further. GI is glyphically iden­ youthful headwithspotoncheekand one deity until his final avatar as God B of tified as Chac Xib Chac on an important of the main ingredient's in GIll's glyph -­ the Post-Classic codices. with his light­ codex-styleplate (describedinScheleand is the head form for the twentieth day, ning-axe. Miller 1986:310~1). To my knowledge. GI Ahau, read as "Hunahpu in the QUiche is never present in any Maya ceramic language. I will admit to having no explanation of scenewhich canbeascribed tothedoings • Thanks to the recent research ofKarl why GI's progenitor at Palenque should ofthe Twins in Xibalba. Taube (1985, 1989), we know who have the same name as his offspring. or • Lounsbury hypothesis requires ac­ Hunahpu's father. One Hunahpu, really why GI should have beenborn on the day ceptance ofnot one, but two. corruptions was dUring the MayaClassic: hewas God 9 Wind (traditional birthdate of Quetzal­ in the relevant text: in addition to imply­ E. the familiar Maize God. He and his coati). Therearemanymysteries remain­ ing thatitwas Hunahpu and notXbalan- brother Seven Hunahpu are the "Young ing in the tablets of the Cross Group.

166 TIiE MAYA VASE BOOK

The real Hunahpu and Xbalanque: glyphic encethatitwas thesewho were Hunahpu The "decks are now cleared", so to speak, identification and Xbalanque. for reasons to become to deal with the real Hunahpu and Xbal­ Before considering the glyphic and apparent later. anque. iconographic evidence for the Classic (and Post-Classic) HeroTwins, I must recount What then. was I to do with my "Young The twentieth named day in the 260-day a bit of personal history. When I was Lords"? As mentioned above, this prob­ count is "Ahau" in Yucatec Maya. It its organizing the 1971 exhibit at the GroUer lem has been brilliantly solved by Taube more abstract fonn on monuments in the Club. I was struck by the frequency of (1985): the tonsured Young Lords are the area where Yucatec was spoken, the Ahau pairs of almost identical young men on Hero 1\vins' father and uncle One Htlllahpu sign is often affixed with T168 (here read the pictorial ceramics that I was examin­ and Seven Hunahpu, slain in the Under­ ahau andTl30 (-w), confinning the reading ing for the first time; these were usually world. The "Disembodied Head" so fre­ ahau as given by Landa and other sources. identified as deities by devices on their quently shown on polychrome plates is In the monuments of the Classic sites of torsos and limbs that I dubbed "god­ the head of One Hunahpu which magi­ the southern lowlands, however. it usu­ markings", bypeculiar, tonsured "double callyimpregnated Xquic. mother-to-be of ally appears in a more personified fonn -­ domes", and by rich jewelry. Itwas these Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Further, Taube either as a youthful head in profile with beings that led me to the Popol Yuh. and demonstrated that One Hunahpu is the dot or dots on the cheek and with a which convinced me that the Hero Twins youngMaiZe God. hisdeathand resurrec­ headband.orinfull-figure fonn (Figure6). of the Popol Yuh Underworld cycle were tion being a paradigm for the planting of Thereis noquestionthatthisyouth is one presentonthis pottery. I christened them the seed in the ground (its journey to ofthe"HeadbandGods". Now. inthe table the 'Young Lords". Xibalba) and its germination (its resusci­ of names in various Mayan languages tation by maize's Hero Twin off-spring). given for this daybyThompson (1971 ;68), As I began work on the Grolier catalogue The HeroTwins cycle is a parablenotjust it is called Ahau in Yucatec, Chuh. and (Coe 1973) and, later on, on the Princeton exhibit (Coe 1978), it became apparent Ofdeath'butOfllfe;tse~~·ii·' ~"'~~ that therewas anothervery distinct set of II rg'. twin lords that I labeled the "Headband Gods" todistinguish themfrom theYoung QD ...... Lords. One had a single spot, or some­ .-._--_.... times three of them. on the cheek, along with large spots on the body, while the Figure 6 Full-frgure other had a patch ofjaguar skin over the and head variants of ~~.D~~~. lower part ofthe face and similar patches the day-sign Ahau. as "god-markings". I soon drew the infer- (After TIwmpson 1971, frg·11l ~m~~(I;

167 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

Jacalteca, andAghualinTzeltalorTzotzil. In !xiI and QUiche, significantly, it is HWlQhpu. Surely, by the principle of Occam's razor, one can conclude thatthe QUiche identified Hunahpu of the Hero Figure 7 Heads varients ojnumber 9 (After Thompson, 1971ftg. 24. 50-55). Twins with the same day that is personi­ fied in the Classic inscriptions as the tUrning into a beard, and 3. a yax (Tl6) In summary, the evidence ofboth image Headband God with spotted cheek. affixed to the forehead. Setting aside for and writing supports the identification of the moment the yax sign. this is patently the Headband Gods as the Hero Twins of I have alreadysaid that I am notaverse to the other member of the Headband God the Popol Yuh and rules out any other identifyingGIll as Hunahpu in his aspect pair shown on Classic Maya ceramics. avatars ofthese two in Classic times. as Sun God, mainly because of the car­ even though the beard maynotalways be touched Hunahpu head, and the substi­ present. and even though both may be ~•• ~0 ~o;~ tution of the whole glyph group by the shown with dots only. ~• • • indubitable head of the Sun God, but I lOOOc lOOOd lOOOc lOOOf think the case is far from proved; one Thenominal glyphs for both these super­ would have to reach a more convincing naturals accompany them on ceramics ~. ~ reading for the woven-mat sign than that and codices. It is accepted by most epi­ (0.! ~ proposed by Lounsbury. Be that as it graphers (seeScheleand Freidel 1989:25) lOOOg a. 1000\ b. lOO3c may, it was Hunahpu who was turned thatHunahpuis named bythe coefficient into the sun, and Thompson (1971:87-8) for "one" followed by the spotted Ahau hasfairly convincingargumentsbasedon face 0'1000 in its restricted sense), while both Aztec and Maya data that the per­ Xbalanque is identified bythe personified t~cR@ sonlfledAhausignisthe"youngsungod". Number9 glyph. IntheDresdenCodex, of For instance, the patron of the corre­ Early Post-Classic date, the main sign of ~ t:r'T!f!J sponding Aztec day, Xochitl ("Flower") both nominal glyphs is Tl003c, prefixed ~d. e.~ wasXochipilli ("FlowerPrince", verydefi­ inthe case ofHunahpuwith "one", and in nitely the youthful sun. the caseofXbalanquewith yax{Figure 8). Figure 8 Nominal GlyphsJor Hunahpu and Although I use the Quiche names through­ Xbalanque. a, T1 000JormsJor HunahplL Let us now consider the personified glyphs out this essay, the Classic names for the b.• Main stgnJor the 1Wins in the codices. c.• GlyphsJor Hunahpu on pottery. ofthe Number 9 (Figure 7). The elements Hero Twins in the lowlands may have d., GlyphsJorXbalanque on pottery. common to the head form in the inscrip­ been HunAhau and possiblyYax Balam e., XbaIanque nominal glyphfrom the codies. tions are 1. a youthful proffie, 2. a patchof (Schele and Freidel, ibid), which may also (a.,b.• aJterThompson 1962; 457. c.-e. after Jaguar skin over the lower face, often have been true for Post-Classic Yucatan. Schele 1987)

168 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

HUNAHPU AND XBALANgUE: TIJEIR LIFE AND TIMES

I will now discuss various happenings in the lives oftheHeadbandGods, Hunahpu i ~ and Xbalanque, influenced in partby the It .f extantHeroTwins cycle in the PopolYuh; , " as I have done before, I would like to emphasize that this cycle presents only part ofwhat may have been a very long, ~~._-- - ''',II' complex epic, for there are scenes on the ,_ ' ,. ~.:.. t" ':, pottety which have absolutely no counter­ Figure 10 Codex-style vase, Hunahpu shoots Vucub Caquu: (©Justin Kerr 1980,frle no. 1226) part in that great book. Moreover, there are things visualized on the ceramics monkey-men episode (Coe 1977),which other side ofthis object is a portrait ofthe which are connected with the cycle, for leave out the Hero Twins even though Maya ruler himself, presumably the per­ example the Hun Batz and Hun Chuen they played a role in the narrative, sonage for whom it was made (Kerr n.d.: 17). It may be that the ruler had himself The defeat ofVucub Caquix depicted as Hunahpu, the eternal proto­ The Hero Twins are the blowgunners par type of all kings, for the glyphic text excellence. The vety name of Hunahpu, accompanying the scenes relate to the as Tedlock (1985:341) makes clear, is ruler's titles. composed of hun ,"one"; ah-, occupa­ That this identification ofthe spotted youth tional; and pu. from pull. "blowgun". Thus, with hunter's hat as Hunahpu is abso­ the name as a whole could be read as lutely correct is proved by a codex-style "One Blowgunner". The completeattire of vase first published by Robiscek and Hales Hunahpu as a hunter can be seen on a (1982, no.20), now Universally accepted beautiful carved slate scepter from the as the shooting of Vucub Caqutx by late classic period (Figure 9): hewears the Hunahpu (Figure 10). The vase shows broad-brimmed "hunter's hat" of plaited Hunahpu squatting on his haunches in Figure 9 Slate "scepter" straw, a fringed kilt, and sandals, and he front of a Cauac Monster (presumably a withfigure oj holdsatresthis longblowgunwith the left hill or mountain); he wears substantially HWlQhpu as hunter. hand, while in the right hand he holds a the same costume as the figure on the (©Justin Kerr 1987) cigar or smoking tube to his lips. On the slate scepter. The blowgun pelletis aimed

169 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

at the Principal Bird Deity, in the fonn of Hunahpualsowearshishuntingoutfiton they wear distinctive headbands. Both a God D head with wings. Infixed in the another codex-stylevase (Figure 11), in a are marked with black spots, and direct God D's head is the mirror glyph (T617), scene in which he shoots not a bird but a blowgun pellets at the Principal Bird Deity which also appears at the foot ofthe tree quadruped perched in a tree. This basi­ -- Vucub Caquix with a fantastic, long­ and in the head of the deity at the tree's cally unidentifiable creature has a long beaked bird headdress. Although the base. Justin Kerr (personal communica­ tail and an ear with toad markings. An­ distinctivejaguar-peltpatches ofXbalan­ tion) has advanced the interesting sug­ otherpersonagewitha headdress pierced que are missing here, the Twin on the left gestion that the jaguar paw extending with what may be brush pens reclines to is seated onajaguar-peltthrone, possibly from behind the tree trunkbelongs to the one side. One ofthe two glyphs below the a substitute for the usual god-markings. hidden Xbalanque. According to the ver­ rimis Hunahpu's own name, m.l000c-f.) tical text, the shooting takes place on 1 A somewhat abbreviated version of the Ahau 3 Rankin (misread as 3 Yaxkin by Best known of all Maya blowgunner im­ theme can be found to the right of the Robicsekand Hales); 1Ahau, ofcourse, is agesis thefamous BlomPlate (Figure 12), scene on a polychromevase published as the "official" date of the great heliacal said to be from Quintana Roo (Blom 1950). Princeton 8 (Fig. 13). Hunahpuwith head­ risingofthe MorningStarinthe 104-year The Hero Twins are here depicted as the band and fringed kilt has shot a downed, Venus calendar ofMesoamerica. Headband 1\vins; instead ofhunter's hats, anthropomorphic Vulture God (the ta vulture ofthe codices), perhaps a version ofthe more usual Principal Bird Deity.

Butwithout doubt the greatest ofall piC­ torial representations of the shooting of Vucub Caquixis a truly magnificentearly Classic double cylindrical vessel said to be from Rio Azul in northeastern Guate­ mala (Figure 14).

And when Seven Macaw arrived, perched over his meal, the nance, it was then thathe was shotbyHunahpu. The blowgun shot went right to his jaw, breaking his mouth. (Tedlock 1985:91-2) Figure 11 Codex-style vase, Hunahpu shoots a quadruped in a tree. (r&l]ustin Kerr 1980, frle no. 1345)

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The Hero Twins as ballplayers Having established the skin markings and distinctive costume ofthe Hero1\vins, itis a relativelysimple matterto recognize the subject matter of Drawing 21 in the cave ofNaj Tunich (FIg. 15); this is Hunahpu, with his hunter's hat (apparently also worn in the ballgame), standing before a staircase and a large rubber ball; he has the protective "yoke" on the upper part of the chest, a longjaguarpelt belowit, and a knee guard.

Figure 12 Detail; the Blom Plate. The Hero TIvins shoot Vucub CaquVc (After HeUmuth 1987. i1L425)

The great bird-monster. engaged in "self­ thebird. Three dots on his cheek leave no magnification", with huge wings raised. doubt that this is Hunahpu. "One Blow­ towers over the tableau. That he is the gunner", and he is girded with his hunter's "sun" ofthe penultimate creationis made fringed kilt. Between the two cylinders is manifest byhis sun-god eyes. and by the a third figure, kneeling and raising an k'in sign on the back of his right wing. object towards the bird-monster. Could Pendant from his latch-like beak is the this be Xbalanque, extending toward Vucub pop knot of rulership, an iconographic Caquix the fatal "white com" that they detail which can be matched in the im­ mischievously gave him as a replacement ages ofVucub Caquix on the world-trees for his destroyed teeth?Ifso, thenitmight oftheTemple ofthe Cross and thell Sar­ also be Xbalanque with "white com" in cophagus lid at Palenque. his hand who kneels before the bird­ monsteronanotherEarlyClassicdouble­ Crouched in shooting posture on the cylinder vessel in the Metropolitan Mu­ Figure 13 DetailJrompolychrome vase, opposite cylinder, Hunahpu takes aim at seum ofArt (Coe 1987:i1l.49). Hunahpu shooting the Vulture God. (©JustinKerr 1975.file no. 555)

171 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

Figure 14 Early Classic double-cylinder vase, The shooting oJVucub CaquVc by HunahplL (© Justin Kerr 1982) Figure 15 Hunahpu as ballplayer, Nqj Tunich Cave (Drawing by Andrea Stone)

172 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

We owe to Linda Sche1e (1987) the identi­ by no means easy to pick them out in fication of the two figures on the central ballgame scenes on Maya pottery. There marker of Ballcourt lIb at Copan as is certainly some pattern to the kinds of Hunahpu (whom she calls the"HunAhau headdresses worn by the principal play­ Twin", facing the half-kneeling ruler 18­ ers. often involving a deer head and the Rabbitinhis guiseas GodofZero (Fig. 16). head of a long-beaked bird, but whether She is also to be creditedwith recognizing those who wear such headgear are the not only the "Chicchan variant" of Hero Twins, or their father and uncle, or ...... Figure 17 Hunahpu drawing his own blood, Hunahpu's name glyph. butalso thevase one of the twins facing a Xibalban lord, Huehuetenango Vase (After Gordon and and codical forms of Xbalanque's name cannotbedecided atpresent. Itshould be Mason 1925-28, pI. 27) (see below). noted. though. that the characteristic facial and body markings ofthe Hero twins are David Joralemon enlarged on this theme absent. in 1974, and demonstrated that the per­ foratoritselfwasdeified. distingUished by Hwwhpu lets his blood a headdress with a distinctive stack of For the moment. we shall leave the main knots (usually three in number). Such an story line of the Popol Yuh to examine instrument can be seen on a polychrome episodes in the lives of the Twins which plate (Figure 18), grasped in the left hand haveno obvious counterpartin thatgreat of Hunahpu in his guise as Headband epiC. One of these is blood sacrifice by God; here Hunahpu is enthroned on a penis perforation. That this important Cauac glyph, which itselfindicates stone ritual act was performed not only in late "altar" or throne. pre-Conquest times but in the Classic era. is a fact thatwas brought to light by Thompson in a pioneering article ofl961. On a polychrome vase said to be from Figure 16 Central marker ofBa11court lIb. Huehuetenango (Gordon and Mason 1925­ Copan (After Barbara Fash 1987] 28,p1.27), he recognized that six gods Although Hunahpu and Xbalanque are squatting over bowls were engaged in identifiable ballplayers in these examples drawingblood from the penis by means of ofMaya art-- which is expected. given the the instrument which each held in the importance ofthegame theyplaywith the hand. One of these deities can be none Figure 18 Hunahpu with perforator, Underworld lords in the Popal Yuh -- it is other than Hunahpu (Figure 17). polychrome plate (Drawing by Karl Taube]

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TheHero'fuJins inthepresenceoJltzamna At one time I had considered that Gods N (pauahtun) and L were co-rulers in the Underworld, andthatonlythose twowere prime over the denizens of Xibalba. But Nicholas Hellmuthhas convinced methat there is a third regent among the super­ naturals pictured on Maya ceramics, namely God D orItzamna, a divinity usually connected with the skyand (according to ourpost-Conquestsources), thesupreme beingand creatorofthe universe. Thathe should also appear in Xibalba is less ofa contradiction than it first appears, for in central Mexico, the Aztec equivalent of Figure 19 Codex-style vase, the Hero Thvins in the court ofGod D (©Justin Kerr 1981,f1le no. 1607) Itzamna -- the old male/female Omete­ cuhtli -- has his/her counterpart in the personage ofMictlantecuhtli. Lord ofthe theright-hand figure isworn; this may be special interest is the "Flat-handVerb" at LandoftheDead.Thesearejusttwo sides Xbalanque. but there are no god-mark­ B which looks like OC in the Lunar Series ofthe same coin, so to speak. ings on the body. (with theJGU as patron), and theglyph at position I, which Robicsek and Hales Be that as it may, at some point in the God D is seated upon a sky-band throne identifyas Xbalanque. While they maybe extended Hero Twins cycle, they appear on a marvellous polychrome cylindrical rightaboutthat, theyfurther identifyJ as in the court of God D. On a codex-style vase (Fig.20) described by Robicsek and Hunahpu, "GI of the Palenque Triad of vase (Figure 19), the seated Twins flank Hales 0982:no.7). Before him is a deep Gods", a highly unlikely propoSition. The the slouched-over, aged god, who points vase heapedwith offerings which include middle glyph in both secondary' texts is to a bowl from which a tree rises; this is a skeletonized head. In an antechamber the "Chicchan God" variant for the main the crocodile tree, seemingly the same are Xbalanque who, although lacking god­ sign of the Hero Twins' names -- in this one depicted asVucub Caqutx's perch on markings or the headband, wears the case, the dot on the cheek probably indi­ Stela 25 at Izapa. Hunahpu is on the left, Jester God headdress, and Hunahpu, cates Hunahpu alone. andjudgingfrom his hunter's hat, it may with headband. Both Twins have bejew­ bethatheis fresh from hisvictory'overthe elled short capes and the fringed kilt. The There is an Early Classic precedent for bird-monster. Unfortunately, thehead on beautiful text at the top is the PSS u of scenes on these Late Classic vases; a

174 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

K L A B c D EF G H J deity. in some way connected with the historyofthe HeroTwins. Let us consider a famous and often-published vase at Dumbarton Oaks (Figure 22). said to be from northern Yucatan. There are two related scenes on the vase. separated by a world-tree and waterlilies arising from the crown of the JGU's head. On the left are two youths with black spots on the body (shown by cross-hatching). each holding two flint-tipped spears or darts. One is engaged in pluckingoffthe antlers from a deer wearing a blanket embel­ lished with crossed longbones. while the Figure 20 Polychrome lXlSe •The Hero Twins appear before God D l© Justin Kerr 1980. fie no. 1183) other sounds a conch-shell trumpet. Descending from above is the Vulture stuccoed and painted tripod from an The Hero 1i.vins and the Deer Ritual God. complete with headband as in Fig­ Esperanza Phase tomb at Kaminaljuyu. A still intractible problem is the role of ure 13. which has two painted panels. each with deer in Maya beliefs about the Under­ God D receiving the homage of a Hero world. at least as depicted on Classic On the far right of the world-tree is an Twin (Figure 21). Maya pottery. Given the close association armed youth. also blowing a conch. and of deer representations with death sym­ two spottedyouths with capes. seated on bolism. there can be no doubt that this either side ofthe tree. Below are two deer creature was a very important chthonic who have had their antlers removed.

Figure 22 RoUout drawing ofa polychrome lXlSe at Figure 21 PanelsfromanEarly Classic stuccoed Dumbarton Oaks. Deer tripod. Kamina!Juyu. The Hero Twins before Ritual (After Morley. Brainerd. God D. l After HeUmuth 1987 ilL 436) and Scharer 1983. frg. 13.34)

175 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

One could argue about the multiplicity of long. bound hanks of hair. while above text. is the nominal glyph ofXbalanque. "twins" here. and over why the jaguar Xbalanque's ear is an "extra' Jaguar ear inexplicably prefixed bya mo (T582) Sign. god-markings of Xbalanque are absent. and above that of Hunahpu a hybrid butbothTwins are similarly marked as a "extra" ear which suggests both a deer's The Hero 1tvins and the Resurrection oj kind of double-Hunahpu on the Blom ear and a Muan Bird feather. One Hunahpu Plate and on theVase ofthe 31 Gods (Cae We comenowtooneofthemostimportant 1973;no.37. Figures 1 and 4); in fact. episodes in the Hero Twins story. which. Xbalanque's markings seem to be ofless while a major theme on the ceramics. iconographic significance than those of receives only fleeting references in the Hunahpu. Furthermore. both Twins are Popol Vuh. sure evidence thatwe have in unmistakably distinguished in a deer ritual the text a somewhat truncated version of pictured on a tall polychrome vase of theoriginalepiC. Infact. itmustbeadmit­ unknown provenance (Figure 23). In the ted that the Popol Vuh obfuscates more top register. Hunahpu and Xbalanque areinthe presenceofGodD inthegesture ofsubmission. beforea bowlfilled with of­ Figure 23 Tall poly­ chrome vase, Hero ferings. Below. theTwins hold treefronds ThJins with God D (71, in their hands on either side of a seated Hero ThJins in Deer God; the deer's cloak has cross­ Deer Ritual bones and death-eyes. An anthropomor­ phic Bat God stands Just in back of Hunahpu. removing any doubt that this takes place in Xibalba. To the left is a Cauac Monster cave. sheltering a small. rat-like animal.

Although badly eroded in places. this vase could repay further study. For in­ stance. there are interesting details of costumeand ofpersonalornamentwhich might give iconographic clues for the identification of the Twins on other ves­ sels; note. for example. that both have

. "

176 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

slip-up is understandable, since in the ontherightisXbalanque, withjaguar-ear precedinglines, both arenamed as "their just above his own. and a screech-owl fathers". headdress without the usual feathers. His nameglyph canbeseenjustto the left So. in the Popol Yuh there are two resur­ ofthe headdress. Xbalanque is in the act rection stories; one concerning the sprout­ of inverting an Akbal jar, probably to ing ofmaize on the surface of the earth, water the sprouting and resurrected maize: and the other dealing with the head and his own father. body of One (or Seven) Hunahpu. The F1gure 24 Polychrome plate withfigure ofXbal­ iconography ofpictorial ceramics tells us Hun Hunahpu is thus seen emerging anque (After Hellmuth 1987, ilL 435) that these ideas were not separate in from the Underworld (symbolized by the Classictimes. Now. itwill be remembered Akbal skull on the side of the carapace), than clarifies this particular sUbject. that Taube has demonstrated that One The written story places the resurrection Hunahpu and the Maize God are one and eventjustafterthedefeatoftheXibalbans the same; crucial to his argument were bythe Hero Twins. and ataboutthe same several of the vessels that will be de­ time thatthecornears plantedbythemin scribed here. their grandmother's house sprouted as a sign of their own survival. The text says: Let us first identU)r the resurrection theme itselfand the principal actors. There seems And they saw the face of their father tobegeneralagreementamongthosewho again, there in Xibalba. Their father have studied the great codex-style plate spoke to them again when they had shown in Figure 25 that the Maize God -­

defeated Xibalba. One Hunahpu, with his jewelled fmery n And here their father is put back to­ is emerging from a split turtle carapace gether by them. They put Seven representing the earth's surface. It floats Hunahpubacktogether; theywent to on water, as indicated by the waterlily the Place of Ball Games Sacrifice to and other symbols below. To the left of put him together. Hun Hunahpu's head is his nominal glyph, (Tedlock 1985:159) with the "corn curl" infIX. On the left side ofthe scene is his son Hunahpu, with the Here we have a problem: their father was hybrid deer's-ear/Muan-bird feather above not Seven. but One Hunahpu. This scribal his own ear, together with his name glyph;

F1gure 25 Codex-style plate; Ressurrection of One Hunahpu (tWustin Kerr 1982.fzle no. 1892)

177 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

andthroughtheearth's sunace.Thiswas the ultimate metaphor for a people for whom maize was life itself. The descent into Xibalba by Hun Hunahpu and his brother, followed by their sacrifictal death, parallels the farmer planting his corn seed in a hole in the ground at the end of the dry season; the resurrection of Hun Hunahpu by the Hero Twins invokes the germination ofthe seed and sprouting of the young corn plant with the arrival of the rains. _.1 errr. F1gure 27 Codex-style vase, The Hero TIvins collect the head andflnery ofOne HunahptL This glorious culmination to the Hero (© Justin Kerr 1974. file no. 1004) Twins epoch is found elsewhere in the Maya ceramic corpus. On a deep, poly­ The Popol Yuh text states that the Twins letting paraphernalia. I interpret them chrome bowl (Figure 26), the MaiZe God actually reassembled their father in very differently: to me, they are the sev­ is helped from the split turtle-shell by the Xibalba, and that may well be what is ered head and regalia of Hun Hunahpu, physical efforts ofHunahpu and Xbalan­ going on an extraordinarily complex co­ gathered by his sons for reassemblage que, who tugat his arms to free him from dex-style vase (Figure 27) that has been and resurrection, "Your name will not be the earth. Both sons are attired as Head­ described by Robicsek and Hales (1982, lost", they said, 'We merely cleared the band Gods. no. 12). I will concernmyselfonlywith the road ofyour death, your loss, your pain, right-hand part of the rollout. The Hero the suffering that were inflicted upon ~~. ,'1;1)", ~ (t...· Twins are both present, depicted with you". .: theirtelltalegod-markings. As recognized by Schele (1987), the nominal glyphs for The Hero Twins in the codices both1\vinsare present, Hunahpu's being The possibility that Hunahpu and Xbal­ prefixed by a thumb -- for the coeffictent anque appear in the codices was first "One" -- and the day-sign Ahau for the raised by John Henderson in an impor­ main sign. Robicsek and Hales call this tant but unfortunately unpublished pa­ scene "Nourishment ofthe Gods", based per. In fact, they are to be found in both F1gure 26 DetaUfrom polychrome bowl, Ressurrectfon of One Hunahpu (After Helbnuth on their interpretation ofthe items in the the Dresden and Madrid Codex. 1987 ill 438) dish borne on high byXbalanque as blood-

178 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

+ It should be pointed out from the outset ~ that the codicalname glyphs oftheTwins r;~='8•• U. ~' differslightlyintheir mainsign from their Eo- c Classicforms; this isTI003c. confusingly attributed to a so-called "Chicchan God". apparently because the crosshatched element in the head is also to be found in the day sign Chicchan. Whatever the rai­ [SA son d'etre for such an infixin these nominal ~1 glyphs. it can have little to do with either the day name or snakes [the Chichan -+. .• itselfis, indeed. a serpent god). . .. Iid The first appearance of Hunahpu in the Dresden is at the top of page 2 (Figure 28a). In a 5x52 tzolkin table, the decapi­ a b e tated Hunahpu, identifiable byhis black­ Figure 28 Hunahpu in the Dreden C~ (The arrows indicated Hunahpu's nominal glyphs). spotted body, strides along with arms a., D2a. b., D3a. c., D24b. d., D49a. e., DSOa. bound behind the back. The four-glyph sentence in the block above the picture back and forth across a world tree which this subject, however. a few technical re­ opens at Al with TI90.758. a verb for rises from the open chest of a sacrificed marks are in order concerning Venus beheadingwhich also occurs on the Altar nude captive. On the lower right. Hunahpu Gods and Venus Regents in this body of de Sacrtficios Vase with God A'. At A2 is sits bound, facing another captive (some data. As has been known for over a cen­ Hunahpu's name, 1l.1003c. The sentence kind of unidentifiable animal. perhaps a tury, the Maya based their Venus calen­ closeswith the sign for death. Itwill bere­ lizard). The first two glyphs of the block dar on the fact that five synodic revolu­ called that Hunahpu really did die in the above read chucah Hunahpu. "Hunahpu tions ofthe planet. each consistingof584 story. ifonly temporarily -- inside the Bat was captured". days, are equal to eight haabs of 365 House. when a "snatch-bat" took off his days each; this is why there are five head. Farmoresignificantto the understanding pages to the calendar as it appears on ofthe Hero Twins in ancient Maya thought Dresden 47-50. Each page is divided Next. on page 3a ofthe Dresden, Hunahpu is Hunahpu's role in the Dresden Venus vertically into its periods: Superior Con­ is taken captive (Figure 28b). ina complex Tables. the principal subject of Hender­ junction. EveningStar. Inferior Conjunc­ 5x52 tzolkin in which the days zigzag son's investigation. Before we delve into tion, and Morning Star.

179 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

Listed for each ofthe 20 [5x4) periods of skull headdress. Topping the latter is a and Xbalanque/moon. However. basing the table are a world-direction and a device which suggested to Henderson the himselfupon a deep familiarity with con­ Venus Regent: thus. thereare 20 Regents Aztec day sign Xochitl or Flower, corre­ temporary Maya legends. Thompson (1971: altogether. These are to be distinguished spondingas the twentieth day to Ahau or 218-9) rejected the notion that one Twin from the Venus Gods. who represent the Hunahpu in the Maya day count. becomes the moon. since the latter is planet in its first appearance in the east­ always female among the Maya, and wife ern sky. that is, dUring heliacal rising as Facing the enthroned personage is God E of the sun (actually. the Popol Vuh may Morning Star following Inferior Conjunc­ -- the Maize God - -holding what may be not be entirely wrong in its scheme, as a tion. There are five such gods, shown a ceramic drum. Now, the corresponding young lunar deity, apparently male, is hurling darts at victims in pictures spread name glyph inboth positions appropriate twinned with Hunahpu on the Pearlman across the middle section ofpages 46-50: for the enthroned deity is TI.1003c, the ShellTrumpet). InmodernMaya thought. they are cognate to similar figures in the name of Hunahpu, the "one" coefficient the sun and Venus are brothers. Ergo, central Mexican codices (see Kelley 1976:73­ being superfixed with an element which Hunahpu is Venus and his brotherXbal­ 83 for a thorough discussion of Venus mightbephonetic (Figure 28d).The same anque is the sun. This is all compelling deities). nominal glyph appears once more on logic. and is one of the arguments ad­ page 24 (Figure 28c), as one oftheVenus vanced by Lounsbury for his hypothesis, It has been established that the glyph in Regents in the calculation table for the but I doubt whether the somewhat con­ first position in the lower series on each Venus calendar. and in damaged fonn at fused and ambiguous evidence will allow Dresden page corresponds to the deity the top of page 50. In all three cases, us tosayatpresentanymorethanthis: in enthroned in the upper right section of Hunahpu's nameis followed by the glyph the Dresden Codex, Hunahpu was a Venus that page. Similarly. the identical name group which reads chac ek. "Great Star". Regent associated with the Morning Star glyph appears as the final sign in the i.e. Venus. -- but so was the Moon Goddess! middle position on the preceding page. We can therefore class the seated gods in But what about the denouement of the Finally. what is the evidence in the codi­ these pictures as Regents ofthe Morning Popol Vuh account. in which Hunahpu ces for Xbalanque? The Resurrection Plate Star. in theeast. With that in mind. letus and Xbalanque become the sun and the has told us what his nominal glyph should now turn to page 50. Here we have a moon (or, in Tedlock's translation, "the looklike; yax ("Green" or "new'), followed personage (Figure 28e) seated upon a sun belongs to one and the moon to the by a main sign: On the plate. this sign is sky-bandthrone: hisbodyis coveredwith other")?Sadly. the PopolVuhdoes nottell the head ofthe god with jaguar-skin patch black spots. immediately suggestingthat us which belongs to which, but since over the lower face -- as it is in the head we are confronted with Hunahpu. This is Hunahpu and Xbalanque are always variantfor NumberNine. Inthe codices, it a very sinister Hero Twin, however. since named in that order. it is reasonable to is the same "Chicchan God" head that is he is adorned with a death collar and a suppose that it should be Hunahpu/sun used for Hunahpu.

180 THE MAYA VASE BOOK

This nominal glyph can be found in a many Mayan languages. includingYucatec. Goddess is coupled with various deities. 4x65daytzolk1nonDresden23b. ina text Could the glyph group be a variantofthis among whom is Xbalanque (Figure 29c). which lists the inauguration dates and word? The second syllabic glyph of the He can be identified only through his appropriate offerings for a series ofgods. group is T149. nu, y'isually already a ,( ,­ nominal glyph. since he lacks god-mark­ of whom Xbalanque is one (Figure 29a). reduplicatedsign. Possiblybynotrepeat- ings or any other distinguishing feature. On page 7 of the same codex. in a 5x52 ing the nu they avoided further duplica­ In the Madrid Codex he materializes in a tzolk1n. the god. with pelage markings on tion which would have been confusing to beekeeping section on page 104b (Figure the body. is seated with hand raised as the reader. The word chich is generally 28d); in this section. the glyphic passage though in discourse (Figure 29b). A glossed in Yucatec as "word" or"d1scourse". associated with each supernatural usu­ hummingbird hovers head down before The entire text could thus read "hum­ ally reads. as here. u palc' u kab [name of his mouth; the beak of the same bird mingbird his word. Xbalanque. his bur­ godl.inthiscase. "hehived hisbees. Xbal­ appears affixed to the mouth of God D. ial". (u TTUlC. a common auguryfor days of anque". Although there is nothing in the Itzamna? in another picture within the bad omen). Popol Yuh that throws any light on this same tzolkin. The first two glyphs of the activity. itdoes showthatXbalanquewas text accompanying each ofthe four prin­ A thirdappearanceoftheyoungerTwinin an importantdeityinthelowlands during ciples in this tzolkin are the same: ts'un u the Dresden is on page 21. in another the late pre-Conquest period. chich. Now. ts'unun is "hummingbird" in 5x52 tzolk1n. in which the young Moon

Figure 29 Xbalanque in the codices. a., D23b. b., D7b. c., D21c. d., Ml04b.

a b c d

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CONCLUDING REMARKS The Headband Gods are notjust a yo\llIger issues of such complexity, such as ce­ or alternate version of the Hero Twins; ramicimageand text, itwouldbefarwiser Visualand glyphic evidencefor Hunahpu theyare the Hero Twins. Much confusion to base our conclusions on a whole range and Xbalanque --for their triumphs over has resulted from an untenable equation ofexamples rather thanjust one or a few Vucub Caquix and the Lords ofXibalba ­ ofTriad GI with Hunahpu, and GIII with vessels. This danger is particularly acute reaches from the Late Pre-Classicinto the Xbalanque. Resting on the analysis of a inthecaseof"dirt"archaeologistsventur­ early colonial period, and includes both singleClassicMayavessel, the Metropoli­ ing into this difficult field; nothing could the highland and lowland Maya areas. In tan Vase, this hypothesis has spawned be more risky than to draw sweeping their conquest ofthe arrogant forces within numerous progeny, to the point that the iconographic generalizations from lonely natureandSOCiety, and ofdeath itself, the GIll concept has come to embrace just specimens of archaeologically-excavated Twins were the very model ofwhat ruling about every image and glyph that deals, pottery while highmindedly refusing to princes should be. They were eternally orseems to deal, withjaguarsand thesun take into account comparable. but un­ youthful and therefore immortal. Their (as in Schele and Miller 1986;50-1). To documented, material. Iamthinkinghere father the Maize God had suffered death make matters worse, it distorts the true ofthe errors committed by R.E.W.Adams in the Underworld, but thanks to their roleofGI, whosemainfunction as a god of 0971 , 1977) in his analysis ofthe Altar de efforts hewas reborn onthesurfaceofthe rain and lightning is confirmed by his Sacrificios Vase. which has been sub­ earth; in a like manner. so were the tem­ Classic name. Chac Xib Chaco There is jected to much-needed criticism by Schele porallords ofthe Maya realm responsible simplyno way to connect theHunahpu of (1988;294-9). for the seasonal planting. germination. the Popol Vuh with rain. Show me any and harvest of their great staple food, image of GI and GIII (or any supposed Sources like the Popol Vuh, the Books of maize. Iconographically and glyphically. version of Gnij with blowguns, or shoot­ Chilam Balam. and the Ritual ofthe Bacabs the Hero Twins ofthe PopolVuh are to be ing a bird-monster. or playing ball, or mustbe used in thisquest. butwith great identified as the Headband Gods (Coe resurrecting One Hunahpu, the Maize care. for there are many pitfalls. We can­ 1973:83), although they may manifest God. and I might reconsider my position! notalwaysexpecttodefme clearcuticonic themselves at times without headbands. categories from any of this material, for The face and bodyofone -- Hunahpu -- is We have a long way yet to go in under­ Maya and central Mexican iconography spotted, while the face and body of the standing Maya iconography. particularly simply does not work that way. And, other -- Xbalanque -- hasjaguar-peltgod­ in our best source of all. the scenes on finally. we mustbe onguard for iconogra­ markings andjaguar skin over the lower Classic Maya pictorial ceramics. Great phic traps which the ancient Maya seem part of the face. Both may appear with caution must be exerted in this early to have laid for us. with our minds so spotting. butjaguarpelage is neverfound stageofourinvestigationsto avoid "lump­ conditioned by western logic. They al­ on both. Hunahpu is the God of the Day ing" distinct iconic forms into categories ways seem to have in reserve a few sur­ Ahau/Hunahpu. and Xbalanque is the that might later prove unacceptable and prises which can lay waste many of our God of Number Nine. misleading. In addition, in dealing with seemingly watertight explanations!

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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