Who were the Hero Twins in Mayan mythology?

The Hero Twins in Mayan mythology were Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

They are the central protagonists of the Hero Twins narrative in the Popol Vuh, the sacred K’iche’ Maya account of creation, mythology, and history. The story describes them as the sons of Hun Hunahpu and Xquic, a woman connected to the lords of the underworld. Their father had been killed in Xibalba, the realm of death, before the twins were born.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque are clever, competitive, and highly skilled at the Maya ballgame. They travel to Xibalba and face a succession of dangerous tests, including the House of Bats and other deadly trials. Through trickery, courage, and supernatural abilities, they defeat or outwit the underworld’s rulers and avenge their father and uncle.

The twins’ story is not merely a simple adventure. It explores death, rebirth, sacrifice, maize, and the movement of celestial bodies. In the Popol Vuh’s ending, the brothers rise into the sky, becoming associated with the Sun and Moon. Similar twin figures also appear in Classic Maya art dating from roughly 200–900 CE, centuries before the surviving colonial text was recorded.