The House of Cold, Jaguars, Fire, Bats

Chapter 10

Afterwards, they entered the House of Cold. It is impossible to describe how cold it was.

The mansion was full of hail. Soon, however, the cold was ended because with a fire of old logs the boys made.

That is why they did not die. They were still alive when it dawned.

Surely the Lords of Xibalba wanted them to die. But when it dawned, they were still full of health, and they went out again, when the messengers came to get them.

“How is this? They are not dead yet?” said the Lords of Xibalba. They were amazed to see the deeds of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.

Then the boys entered the House of Jaguars which was full of jaguars.

“Do not bite us! Here is what belongs to you,” the boys said to the jaguars. Quickly, they threw some bones to the animals, which pounced on the bones.

“Now surely they are finished. Now already they have eaten their own entrails. At last they have given themselves up. Now their bones have been broken,” so said the guards, all happy because of this.

But the boys did not die. As usual, well and healthy, they came out of the House of Jaguars.

“What kind of people are they? Where did they come from? " said all the Lords of Xibalba.

Presently they [the boys] entered into the midst of fire in the House of Fire, inside which there was only fire; but they were not burned. Only the coals and the wood burned.

As usual, they were well when it dawned. But what they [the Lords of Xibalba] wished was that [the boys] would die rapidly, where they had been. Nevertheless, it did not happen thus, which disheartened the Lords of Xibalba.

Then they put them into the House of Bats. There was nothing but bats inside this house, the house of Camazotz, a large animal, whose weapons for killing were like a dry point, and instantly those who came into their presence perished.

They [the boys] were in there, then, but they slept inside their blowguns. And they were not bitten by those who were in the house. Nevertheless, one of them had to give up because of another Camazotz that came from the sky, and made him come into sight.

The bats were assembled in council all night, and flew about: “Quilitz, quilitz,” they said: So they were saying all night. They stopped for a little while, however, and they did not move and were pressed against the end of one of the blowguns.

Then Xbalanqué said to Hunahpú: “Look you, has it begun already to get light?”

“Maybe so. I am going to see,” [Hunahpú] answered.

And as he wished very much to look out of the mouth of the blowgun, and wished to see if it had dawned, instantly Camazotz cut off his head and the body of Hunahpú was decapitated.

Xbalanqué asked again: “Has it not yet dawned?” But Hunahpú did not move. “Where have you gone, Hunahpú? What have you done?” But he did not move, and remained silent.

Then Xbalanqué felt concerned and exclaimed: “Unfortunate are we. We are completely undone.”

They went immediately to hang the head [of Hunahpú] in the ball-court by special order of Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé, and all the people of Xibalba rejoiced for what had happened to the head of Hunahpú.

Chapter 11

Immediately he [Xbalanqué] called all the animals, the coati, the wild boar, all the animals small and large, during the night, and at dawn he asked them what their food was.

“What does each of you eat? For I have called you so that you may choose your food,” said Xbalanqué to them.

“Very well,” they answered.

Immediately each went to take his [own food] and they all went together. Some went to take rotten things; others went to take grasses; others went to get stones. Others went to gather earth. Varied was the food of the [small] animals and of the large animals.

Behind them the turtle was lingering, it came waddling along to take its food. And reaching at the end [of Hunahpú’s body] it assumed the form of the head of Hunahpú, and instantly the eyes were fashioned.

Many soothsayers came, then, from heaven. The Heart of Heaven, Huracán, came to soar over the House of Bats.

It was not easy to finish making the face, but it turned out very well; the hair had a handsome appearance and [the head] could also speak.

But as it was about to dawn and the horizon reddened: “Make it dark again, old one!” the buzzard was told.

“Very well,” said the old one, and instantly the old one darkened [the sky]. “Now the buzzard has darkened it,” the people say nowadays.

And so, during the cool of dawn, the [Hunahpú] began his existence.

“Will it be good?” they said. “Will it turn out to look like Hunahpú?”

“It is very good,” they answered. And really it seemed that the skull had changed itself back into a real head.

Then they [the two boys] talked among themselves and agreed: “Do not play ball; only pretend to play; I shall do everything alone,” said Xbalanqué.

At once he gave his orders to a rabbit: “Go and take your place over the ball-court; stay there within the oak grove,’’ the rabbit was told by Xbalanqué; “when the ball comes to you, run out immediately, and I shall do the rest,” the rabbit was told, when they gave him these instructions during the night.

Presently day broke and the two boys were well and healthy. Then they went down to play ball. The head of Hunahpú was suspended over the ball-court.

“We have triumphed! [said the Lords of Xibalba]. You worked your own destruction, you have delivered yourselves,” they said. In this way they annoyed Hunahpú.

“Hit his head with the ball,” they said. But they did not bother him with it; he paid no attention to it.

Then the Lords of Xibalba threw out the ball. Xbalanqué went out to get it; the ball was going straight to the ring, but it stopped, bounced, and passed quickly over the ball-court and with a jump went toward the oak grove.

Instantly the rabbit ran out and went hopping; and the Lords of Xibalba ran after it. They went, making noise and shouting after the rabbit. It ended by all of the Lords of Xibalba going.

At once Xbalanqué took possession of the head of Hunahpú; and taking the turtle he went to suspend it over the ball-court And that head was actually the head of Hunahpú and the two boys were very happy.

Those of Xibalba ran, then, to find the ball and having found it between the oaks, called them, saying:

“Come here. Here is the ball. We found it,” they said, and they brought it.

When the Lords of Xibalba returned, they exclaimed, “What is this we see?”

Then they began to play again. Both of them tied.

Presently Xbalanqué threw a stone at the turtle, which came to the ground and fell in the ball-court, breaking into a thousand pieces like seeds, before the lords.

“Who of you shall go to find it? Where is the one who shall go to bring it?” said the Lords of Xibalba.

And so were the Lords of Xibalba overcome by Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. These two suffered great hardships, but they did not die despite all that was done to them.