In Maya mythology, the underworld visited by the Hero Twins in the Popol Vuh is Xibalba.
The Popol Vuh, a K’iche’ Maya narrative recorded in the colonial period, tells how the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque confront the rulers of Xibalba. The underworld is presented as a dangerous place containing trials, deceptive tests, and threatening supernatural beings.
Xibalba is often translated as the underworld, although its meaning and imagery are richer than a simple equivalent of later European Hell. The story includes dark houses, ordeals, and contests that test the twins’ intelligence and courage. Their victory helps explain cosmic order and the origins of the sun and moon in the narrative tradition.
Xibalba belongs to Maya mythology, not Aztec mythology. Mictlan is the Aztec underworld, while Aztlan is a legendary place of origin in Aztec tradition. Tamoanchan is another Mesoamerican mythic location with different associations.