The bat house: In the Maya underworld of Xibalba, the Hero Twins had to survive a night in a house filled with flesh-eating b
Chapter 1

The currency of cacao

Chapter 2

The high stakes of the ballgame

Chapter 3

Mesoamerican science and engineering

Chapter 4

Gods, myths, and the underworld

YOUR GOAL

Master of The Maya and Aztec worlds

Ch 4 · Gods, myths, and the underworld
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misslily The feathered serpent

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misslily Gods, myths, and the underworld

They paid for turkeys with cacao in the square, But wax-filled fake cacao shells were sliding everywhere.

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misslily The creation of humans

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The creation of humans

misslily Aztec and Maya myths agree that humans were crafted from sacred materials, with corn playing a central role in our creation.

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The heroic ballplayers

misslily The famous Popol Vuh manuscript tells the story of the Hero Twins who defeated the lords of death in a ballgame.

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Choco-Myths and Mighty Gods
BETA

misslily Match sacred myths to mighty gods to discover how chocolate was used as money.

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Fun Fact

The bat house: In the Maya underworld of Xibalba, the Hero Twins had to survive a night in a house filled with flesh-eating bats.

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Glossary
xibalba (noun)
The underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by various death gods and associated with dangerous physical trials. In the Popol Vuh, the Hero Twins descended into Xibalba to play a ritual ballgame.

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Gossip

Which mythical helper would you want on your quest through the underworld?

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Quiz

Why did the Maya lords of the underworld invite the Hero Twins' father to play a ballgame in the first place?

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misslily The heroic ballplayers

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Quiz

Who are the legendary brothers in the Popol Vuh who defeated the underworld lords at a ballgame?

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misslily The underworld of Xibalba

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Quiz

What optical illusion happens at the El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza during the equinoxes?

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Quiz

In the Popol Vuh, what animal's head did the Hero Twins use to temporarily replace Hunahpu's decapitated head?

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Quiz

What was the name of the Aztec underworld, which souls had to travel through for four years to reach rest?

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Quiz

What bird's brilliant green feathers were used to represent the plumage of the god Quetzalcoatl?

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Quiz

What was the name of the terrifying Maya underworld ruled by the lords of death?

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Quiz

According to Maya creation myths, what sacred crop did the gods successfully use to create human flesh?

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