Inkoliso yamazwe aphambili ehlabathi lamandulo ayekholelwa kummandla omnyama wobumnyama, ofana nesihogo sobuKristu, apho abantu babehamba bedibana nezilo ezingaqhelekanga nezoyikekayo ezaziboyikisa. I AmaMeya, ababehlala emazantsi eMexico nakwinkoliso yoMbindi Merika, abazange bahluke, babiza esi sihogo ngokuba yiXibalba.
AmaMayans acinga ukuba ukungena kweli tonela emnyama kunye nesihogo kwakudlula amakhulu eecenotes asasazwe kulo lonke elaseMexico-mpuma, nto leyo eyakhokelela kuthungelwano lwe-labyrinthine yobunzulu obukhulu buhlanjwe kumanzi aluhlaza ngoku alilifa lemveli laseMexico.
Ezi sayithi ngokucacileyo zazingcwele kwi AmaMeya, ukunika ukufikelela kwindawo egcwele oothixo abangaziwayo (eyaziwa ngokuba ziiNkosi zaseXibalba) kunye nezidalwa ezoyikekayo; okwangoku, i-cenotes igcina i-aura engaqondakaliyo eyenza ukuba iziza ezinyanzelekileyo zokufumanisa ixesha elidlulileyo laseMexico kunye nemimangaliso yendalo enomdla kubemi bamandulo baloo ndawo.
Kwi Ehlabathini laseMayan, iiNkosi zaseXibalba zaququzelelwa ngamacandelo kunye namabhunga ahlala kunye nohlobo lwempucuko. Inkangeleko yabo yayidla ngokuguquguquka kwaye imnyama, kwaye babefanekisela ipali eyahlukileyo yobomi: ngenxa yoko, basebenza njengolungelelwano phakathi kwehlabathi labaphilayo kunye nehlabathi labafileyo.
Oyena thixo baphambili beXibalba yayinguHun-Camé (Ukufa okunye) kunye noVucum-Camé (uKufa okuSixhenxe), kodwa oyena mntu ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo yayinguAh Puch, okwabizwa ngokuba nguKisin okanye uYum Kimil Nkosi yokufa. Ayenqulwa ngamaMaya, awayebingelela ngabantu ngenxa yembeko yawo.
Ngokutsho kwencwadi engcwele yamaMaya, iPopol Vuh, abazalwana ababini abagama linguHunahp kunye no-Ixbalanqué bawela kwi-Underworld ngaphambi kokubunjwa kwehlabathi njengoko siyazi emva kokucelwa umngeni ngoothixo ukuba badlale umdlalo webhola. Kwakufuneka banyamezele imicelimngeni emininzi kulo lonke uhambo lwabo lokuya kulo mmandla ungaqhelekanga nowoyikekayo, njengokuhamba iminqantsa, ukunqumla imilambo yegazi namanzi, nokudlula kumagumbi amnyama anezilwanyana zasendle okanye ameva.
I-Popol Vuh ibonisa amanqanaba amaninzi e-Xibalba ngale ndlela:
- Indlu emnyama, ijikelezwe bubumnyama ngokupheleleyo.
- Indlu ebandayo, apho umoya womkhenkce wawuzalise yonke ikona yengaphakathi layo.
- Indlu yeengwegwe, izele zizingwe zasendle ezazibaleka ukusuka kwelinye icala ukuya kwelinye.
- Indlu yamalulwane, yayizele ngamalulwane azalise indlu ngezikrweqe.
- Indlu yeemela, apho kwakungekho nto ngaphandle kweemela ezibukhali neziyingozi.
- Ubukho bendlu yesithandathu ebizwa ngokuba yiNdlu yoBushushu kuthethwa, apho kwakukho amalahle kuphela, umlilo, amadangatye kunye nokubandezeleka.
Ngenxa yokuba AmaMeya babecinga ukuba yonke indoda nomfazi ababhubhileyo baya eXibalba, babenikela amanzi nokutya kwabangasekhoyo ngexesha lemingcwabo yabo ukuze umoya wabo ungalambi kuhambo lwabo olusondelayo oluya kwelangaphantsi komhlaba eloyikekayo.
