What is the Mayan underworld called?

The Mayan underworld is called Xibalba.

Xibalba is the K’iche’ Maya name for the underworld, often translated as “place of fright.” It is described most fully in the Popol Vuh, where it functions as a subterranean court ruled by powerful death gods and their helpers. The underworld is not simply a single location: it contains dangerous roads, a ballcourt, and a series of terrifying houses designed to test visitors.

Among its principal rulers are Hun-Came, or “One Death,” and Vucub-Came, or “Seven Death.” Other Lords of Xibalba are associated with suffering such as disease, hunger, fear, pain, and death. Their power is challenged by the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who survive the underworld’s traps and eventually humiliate its rulers.

Xibalba is specifically the K’iche’ term. Other Maya traditions used different names; for example, Mitnal is a Yucatec Maya name for the underworld. This regional variation is why “Mayan underworld” should not be treated as a single uniform belief shared identically by every Maya community. Caves were often viewed as possible entrances, linking the underworld with the landscape.