Iningi lamazwe amakhulu asendulo emhlabeni lalikholelwa esifundeni sobumnyama esimnyama, esifana nesihogo sobuKristu, lapho abantu babehamba khona futhi bahlangane nezilo ezingajwayelekile nezesabekayo ezazibethusa. I- AmaMaya, ababehlala eningizimu yeMexico futhi iningi leMelika Ephakathi, babengenjalo, bethi lesi sihogo iXibalba.
AbaseMayan babecabanga ukuthi ukungena kulo mhubhe omnyama nowesihogo kwakungamakhulu ama-cenotes ahlakazeka kulo lonke elaseningizimu-mpumalanga yeMexico, okwaholela kwinethiwekhi ye-labyrinthine yokujula okukhulu okugezwe ngamanzi aluhlaza manje ayigugu laseMexico.
Lezi zindawo ngokusobala zazingcwele ku- AmaMaya, ukuhlinzeka ukufinyelela endaweni egcwele onkulunkulu abangaziwa (abaziwa ngokuthi yi-Lords of Xibalba) nezidalwa ezesabekayo; njengamanje, ama-cenotes agcina i-aura engaqondakali ebenza babe nezindawo eziyimpoqo zokuthola okwedlule eMexico kanye nezimangaliso zemvelo ezaheha izakhamuzi zasendulo zaleyo ndawo.
In the IMayan underworld, Amakhosi aseXibalba ayehlelwe yimikhandlu ephakeme kanye nemikhandlu eyayiphila nohlobo oluthile lwempucuko. Ukubukeka kwazo kwakuvame ukuba yisidlakela futhi kumnyama, futhi zazifanekisela isigxobo sempilo esiphikisayo: ngenxa yalokho, basebenza njengebhalansi phakathi kwemihlaba yabaphilayo kanye nemihlaba yabafileyo.
Onkulunkulu abayinhloko bakaXibalba kwakunguHun-Camé (One-Death) noVucum-Camé (Ukufa Okuyisikhombisa), kodwa ngaphandle kokungabaza umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke wayengu-Ah Puch, owaziwa nangokuthi uKisin noma uYum Kimil, Nkosi Yokufa. Babekhonzwa ngamaMaya, ayenza imihlatshelo yabantu ebahlonipha.
Ngokwencwadi engcwele yamaMaya, iPopol Vuh, izelamani ezimbili uHunahp no-Ixbalanqué bawele e-Underworld ngaphambi kokwakhiwa komhlaba njengoba sazi ngemuva kokuphonswa inselelo onkulunkulu ukuthi badlale umdlalo webhola. Kwakudingeka babekezelele izinselelo eziningi kulo lonke uhambo lwabo bengena kule ndawo exakile neyesabekayo, njengokuhamba ngezitebhisi, ukunqamula imifula yegazi namanzi, nokudlula emagumbini amnyama anezidalwa zasendle noma ameva.
IPopol Vuh iveza amazinga amaningi eXibalba ngale ndlela:
- Indlu emnyama, ezungezwe ngokuphelele ubumnyama.
- Indlu ebandayo, lapho umoya obandayo wagcwala khona yonke ingaphakathi layo.
- Indlu yama-jaguar, igcwele ama-jaguar asendle agijima esuka kolunye ulaka aya kolunye.
- Indlu yamalulwane, kugcwele amalulwane agcwalise indlu ngama-screeches.
- Indlu yemimese, lapho kwakungekho lutho ngaphandle kwemimese ebukhali neyingozi.
- Kukhulunywa ngobukhona bendlu yesithupha ebizwa ngeHouse of Heat, lapho kwakukhona amalangabi kuphela, umlilo, amalangabi nokuhlupheka.
Ngoba i AmaMaya babecabanga ukuthi wonke owesilisa nowesifazane abashonile baya eXibalba, banikela ngamanzi nokudla kwabafileyo ngesikhathi semikhosi yabo yokungcwaba ukuze umoya wabo ungalambi ohambweni lwabo oluzayo oluya e-Underworld esabekayo.
