Xan- Maya CreatureCreature
Domains
Description
Created from a hair plucked from Hunahpu's shin, the mosquito Xan flew into the council chamber of Xibalba and bit the Lords of Death one by one. Each cry of pain drew out a name. The Hero Twins gained the intelligence their father had died without.
Mythology & Lore
The Spy of the Hero Twins
When Hunahpu and Xbalanque prepared to descend into Xibalba, they faced a problem their father had not solved. Hun-Hunahpu and Vucub-Hunahpu had entered the underworld blind, not knowing the names of the Lords of Death, and the ignorance killed them. The twins would not repeat the mistake.
Hunahpu plucked a hair from his own shin and transformed it into a mosquito. They sent Xan ahead into Xibalba as their spy: bite each lord in turn, note who cried out and what name was spoken.
The Biting of the Death Lords
Xan flew into the council chamber where the lords sat in session. He bit a wooden mannequin first. No reaction. The trap that had fooled the first generation of ballplayers was exposed. Then Xan bit the real lords one by one. Each lord cried out, and the lord beside him called his name: "What is it, Hun Came?" "What bit you, Vucub Came?" Down through the ranks the mosquito worked.
Xan returned to the twins with every name and position. When Hunahpu and Xbalanque arrived in Xibalba, they greeted each lord by name, walked past the wooden mannequins without a glance, and showed the death lords from the first moment that these were not easy victims.
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