Passages similar to: Secret Teachings of All Ages — American Indian Symbolism
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Western Esoteric
Secret Teachings of All Ages
American Indian Symbolism (22)
to exalt themselves before our face?" So the princes of Xibalba sent for the two youths, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, that they might destroy them also in the seven days of the Mysteries. Before departing, the two brothers bade farewell to their grandmother, each planting in the midst of the house a cane plant, saying that as long as the cane lived she would know that they were alive. "O, our grandmother, O, our mother, do not weep; behold the sign of our word which remains with you. " Hunahpu and Xbalanque then departed, each with his sabarcan (blowpipe), and for many days they journeyed along the perilous trail, descending through tortuous ravines and along precipitous cliffs, past strange birds and boiling springs, cowards the sanctuary of Xibalba.
But here will be the sign which we shall leave of our fate: each of us shall plant a reed, in the middle of the house we shall plant it; if it dries, ...
(9) "We are going, grandmother, we came only to say goodbye. But here will be the sign which we shall leave of our fate: each of us shall plant a reed, in the middle of the house we shall plant it; if it dries, this shall be the sign of our death. 'They are dead!' you shall say, if it begins to dry up. But if it sprouts again: 'They are living!' you shall say, oh, our grandmother. And you, mother, do not weep, for here we leave the sign of our fate," thus they said. And before going, Hunahpú planted one [reed] and Xbalanqué planted another; they planted them in the house and not in the field, nor did they plant them in moist soil, but in dry soil; in the middle of their house, they left them planted.
The boys said to their grandmother: "We have done everything possible, dear grandmother; they came once, then we tried to call them again. But do not...
(15) The boys said to their grandmother: "We have done everything possible, dear grandmother; they came once, then we tried to call them again. But do not grieve, here we are, your grandchildren; you must look to us, oh, our mother! Oh, our grandmother! to remind you of our elder brothers, those who were called and have the names of Hunbatz and Hunchouén," said Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. They were invoked by the musicians and singers, and by the old people. The painters and craftsmen also invoked them in days gone by. But they were changed into animals and became monkeys because they became arrogant and abused their brothers. In this way they were disgraced; this was their loss, in this way Hunbatz and Hunchouén were overcome and became animals. They had always lived in their home; they were musicians and singers and also did great things when they lived with their grandmother and with their mother.
The messengers of the lord have come to take us. 'They must come,' they said, according to the messengers. "We shall leave our ball here in pledge," t...
(3) And having gone straight home, they said to their mother, for their father was dead: "We are going, our mother, but our going is only for a while. The messengers of the lord have come to take us. 'They must come,' they said, according to the messengers. "We shall leave our ball here in pledge," they added. They went immediately to hang it in the space under the rooftree. "We will return to play," they said. And going to Hunbatz and Hunchouén they said to them: "Keep on playing the flute and singing, painting, and carving; warm our house and warm the heart of your grandmother." When they took leave of their mother, Xmucané was moved and burst into tears. "Do not worry, we are going, but we have not died yet," said Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú as they left.
What the Lords of Xibalba coveted were the playing implements of HunHunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú-their leather pads and rings and gloves and crown and ma...
(8) And having gathered in council, they discussed how to torment and wound Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú. What the Lords of Xibalba coveted were the playing implements of HunHunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú-their leather pads and rings and gloves and crown and masks which were the playing gear of Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú. Now we shall tell of their journey to Xibalba and how they left behind them the sons of HunHunahpú, Hunbatz, and [Hun] Chouén, whose mother had died. Then we shall tell how Hunbatz and Hunchouén were overcome by Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.
Then they returned to their home, and when they arrived they spoke to their grandmother and their mother, and said to them: "What could it be,...
(9) Then they returned to their home, and when they arrived they spoke to their grandmother and their mother, and said to them: "What could it be, grandmother, that has happened to our elder brothers, that suddenly their faces turned into the faces of animals?" So they said. "If you have done any harm to your elder brothers, you have hurt me and have filled me with sadness. Do not do such a thing to your brothers, oh, my children," said the old woman to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. And they replied to their grandmother: "Do not grieve, our grandmother. You shall see our brother's faces again; they shall return, but it will be a difficult trial for you, grandmother. Be careful that you do not laugh at them. And now, let us cast our lot," they said.
Now we shall tell of the birth of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. Here, then, we shall tell about their birth. When the day of their birth arrived, the girl...
(1) Now we shall tell of the birth of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. Here, then, we shall tell about their birth. When the day of their birth arrived, the girl named Xquic gave birth; but the grandmother did not see them when they were born. Instantly the two boys called Hunahpú and Xbalanqué were born. There in the wood they were born. Then they came to the house, but they could not sleep. "Go throw them out! "said the old woman, "because truly they cry very much." Then they went and put them on an ant-hill. There they slept peacefully. Then they took them from the ant-hill and laid them on thistles. Now, what Hunbatz and Hunchouén wished was that they [Hunahpú and Xbalanqué] would die there on the ant-hill, or on the thistles. They wished this because of the hatred and envy Hunbatz and Hunchouén felt for them. At first they refused to receive their younger brothers in the house; they would not recognize them and so they were brought up in the fields.
These two [last] did nothing all day long but shoot their blowguns; they were not loved by their grandmother, nor by Hunbatz, nor by Hunchouén; they...
(4) These two [last] did nothing all day long but shoot their blowguns; they were not loved by their grandmother, nor by Hunbatz, nor by Hunchouén; they were given nothing to eat; only when the meal was ended and Hunbatz and Hunchouén had already eaten, then the younger brothers came to eat. But they did not become angry, nor did they become vexed, but suffered silently, because they knew their rank, and they understood everything clearly. They brought their birds when they came, and Hunbatz and Hunchouén ate them without giving anything to either of the two, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. The only thing that Hunbatz and Hunchouén did was to play the flute and sing. And once when Hunahpú and Xbalanqué came without bringing any bird at all, they went into the house and their grandmother became furious. "Why did you bring no birds?" she said to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. And they answered: "What happened, grandmother, is that our birds were caught in the tree and we could not climb up to get them, dear grandmother. If our elder brothers so wish, let them come with us to bring the birds down," they said. "Very well," the older brothers answered, "we shall go with you at dawn."
Immediately [the boys] told their names and they extolled themselves before all the people of Xibalba. "Hear our names. We shall also tell you the...
(1) Immediately [the boys] told their names and they extolled themselves before all the people of Xibalba. "Hear our names. We shall also tell you the names of our fathers. We are Hunahpú and Xbalanqué; those are our names. And our fathers are those whom you killed and who were called Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú. We, those whom you see here, are, then, the avengers of the torments and suffering of our fathers. That is the reason why we resent all the evil you have done to them. Therefore, we shall put an end to all of you, we shall kill you, and not one of you shall escape, "they said. Instantly all the people of Xibalba fell to their knees, crying. "Have mercy on us, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué! It is true that we sinned against your fathers as you said, and that they are buried in Puchbal-Chah," they said. "Very well. This is our sentence, that we are going to tell you. Hear it, all you of Xibalba:
Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú went immediately and the messengers took them on the road. Thus they were descending the road to Xibalba, by some very...
(4) Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú went immediately and the messengers took them on the road. Thus they were descending the road to Xibalba, by some very steep stairs. They went down until they came to the bank of a river which flowed rapidly between the ravines called Nuziván cul and Cuziván, and crossed it. Then they crossed the river which flows among thorny calabash trees. There were very many calabash trees, but they passed through them without hurting themselves.
Here is the account of the death of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. Now we shall tell of the way they died. Having been forewarned of all the suffering which...
(1) Here is the account of the death of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. Now we shall tell of the way they died. Having been forewarned of all the suffering which the [Lords of Xibalba] wished to impose upon them, they did not die of the tortures of Xibalba, nor were they overcome by all the fierce animals which were in Xibalba. Afterward they sent for two soothsayers who were like prophets; they were called Xulú and Pacam and were diviners, and they said unto them:
When they arrived, they brought the rat with them, but they did not show it; one of them went directly into the house, and the other went to the corne...
(11) And having arranged it thus, during the night after talking together, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué arrived at midday. When they arrived, they brought the rat with them, but they did not show it; one of them went directly into the house, and the other went to the corner and there let the rat climb up quickly. Immediately they asked their grandmother for food. "Prepare our food, we wish a chilisauce, grandmother," they said. And at once the food was prepared for them and a plate of broth was put before them. But this was only to deceive their grandmother and their mother. And having dried up the water which was in the water jar, they said, "We are really dying of thirst; go and bring us a drink," they said to their grandmother.
They have gone to the forest. What have you done, grandmother of ours? We may make this trial but four times and only three are left. Let us call them...
(11) "Now you see, grandmother! They have gone to the forest. What have you done, grandmother of ours? We may make this trial but four times and only three are left. Let us call them [back again] with flute and with song, but you, try to control your laughter. Let the trial begin!" said Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.
There were many places of torture in Xibalba, but Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú did not enter them. We only mention the names of these houses of...
(10) There were many places of torture in Xibalba, but Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú did not enter them. We only mention the names of these houses of punishment. When Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú came before Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé, they said: "Where are my cigars? Where are my sticks of fat pine which I gave you last night?" "They are all gone, Sir." "Well. Today shall be the end of your days. Now you shall die. You shall be destroyed, we will break you into pieces and here your faces will stay hidden. You shall be sacrificed," said Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé. They sacrificed them immediately and buried them in the Pucbal-Chah, as it was called. Before burying them, they cut off the head of Hun-Hunahpú and buried the older brother together with the younger brother.
Then they [Hunahpú] and [Xbalanqué] began to work, in order to be well thought of by their grandmother and their mother. The first thing they made...
(1) Then they [Hunahpú] and [Xbalanqué] began to work, in order to be well thought of by their grandmother and their mother. The first thing they made was the cornfield. "We are going to plant the cornfield, grandmother and mother," they said. "Do not grieve; here we are, your grandchildren, we who shall take the place of our brothers," said Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. At once they took their axes, their picks, and their wooden hoes and went, each carrying his blowgun on his shoulder. As they left the house they asked their grandmother to bring them their midday meal. "At midday, come and bring our food, grandmother," they said. "Very well, my grandsons," the old woman replied. Soon they came to the field. And as they plunged the pick into the earth, it worked the earth; it did the work alone. In the same way they put the ax in the trunks of the trees and in the branches, and instantly they fell and all the trees and vines were lying on the ground. The trees fell quickly, with only one stroke of the ax.
At once Xbalanqué took possession of the head of Hunahpú; and taking the turtle he went to suspend it over the ball-court. And that head was actually...
(5) At once Xbalanqué took possession of the head of Hunahpú; and taking the turtle he went to suspend it over the ball-court. And that head was actually the head of Hunahpú and the two boys were very happy. Those of Xibalba ran, then, to find the ball and having found it between the oaks, called them, saying: "Come here. Here is the ball. We found it," they said, and they brought it. When the Lords of Xibalba returned, they exclaimed, "What is this we see?" Then they began to play again. Both of them tied. Presently Xbalanqué threw a stone at the turtle, which came to the ground and fell in the ballcourt, breaking into a thousand pieces like seeds, before the lords. "Who of you shall go to find it? Where is the one who shall go to bring it?" said the Lords of Xibalba. And so were the Lords of Xibalba overcome by Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. These two suffered great hardships, but they did not die despite all that was done to them.
The boys returned happily to the ball-court to play; they were playing alone a long time and cleared the court where their parents had played. And...
(1) The boys returned happily to the ball-court to play; they were playing alone a long time and cleared the court where their parents had played. And the Lords of Xibalba, hearing them, said: "Who are they who play again over our heads and disturb us with the noise they make? Perchance Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú did not die, those who wished to exalt themselves before us? Go at once and call them!"
At once he gave his orders to a rabbit: "Go and take your place over the ball-court; stay there within the oak grove," the rabbit was told by...
(4) At once he gave his orders to a rabbit: "Go and take your place over the ball-court; stay there within the oak grove," the rabbit was told by Xbalanqué; "when the ball comes to you, run out immediately, and I shall do the rest," the rabbit was told, when they gave him these instructions during the night. Presently day broke and the two boys were well and healthy. Then they went down to play ball. The head of Hunahpú was suspended over the ball-court. "We have triumphed! [said the Lords of Xibalba].You worked your own destruction, you have delivered yourselves," they said. In this way they annoyed Hunahpú. "Hit his head with the ball," they said. But they did not bother him with it; he paid no attention to it. Then the Lords of Xibalba threw out the ball. Xbalanqué went out to get it; the ball was going straight to the ring, but it stopped, bounced, and passed quickly over the ball-court and with a jump went toward the oak grove. Instantly the rabbit ran out and went hopping; and the Lords of Xibalba ran after it. They went, making noise and shouting after the rabbit. It ended by all of the Lords of Xibalba going.
Well, then, Hunbatz and Hunchouén were with their mother when the woman called Xquic arrived. When the woman Xquic came before the mother of Hunbatz...
(1) Well, then, Hunbatz and Hunchouén were with their mother when the woman called Xquic arrived. When the woman Xquic came before the mother of Hunbatz and Hunchouén, she carried her sons in her belly and it was not long before Hunahpú and Xbalanqué, as they were called, were to be born. When the woman came to the old lady, she said to her: "I have come, mother; I am your daughter-in-law and your daughter, mother." She said this when she entered the grandmother's house.
(8) "Hail, Hun-Camé! Hail, Vucub-Camé! Hail, Xiquiripat! Hail, Cuchumaquic! Hail, Ahalpuh! Hail, Ahalcaná! Hail, Chamiabac! Hail, Chamiaholom! Hail, Quicxic! Hail, Patán! Hail, Quicré! Hail, Quicrixcac!" they said coming before them. And looking in their faces, they spoke the name of all, without missing the name of a single one of them. But what the lords wished was that they should not discover their names. "Sit here," they said, hoping that they would sit in the seat [which they indicated]. "That is not a seat for us; it is only a hot stone," said Hunahpú and Xbalanqué, and they [the Lords of Xibalba] could not overcome them. "Very well, go to that house," the lords said. And they [the youths] went on and entered the House of Gloom. And neither there were they overcome.
After all of the above talking, the maiden returned directly to her home, having immediately conceived the sons in her belly by virtue of the spittle...
(5) After all of the above talking, the maiden returned directly to her home, having immediately conceived the sons in her belly by virtue of the spittle only. And thus Hunahpú and Xbalanqué were begotten. And so the girl returned home, and after six months had passed, her father, who was called Cuchumaquic, noticed her condition. At once the maiden's secret was discovered by her father when he observed that she was pregnant. Then the lords, Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé, held council with Cuchumaquic. "My daughter is pregnant, Sirs; she has been disgraced," exclaimed Cuchumaquic when he appeared before the lords. "Very well," they said. "Command her to tell the truth, and if she refuses to speak, punish her; let her be taken far from here and sacrifice her." "Very well, Honorable Lords," he answered. Then he questioned his daughter: "Whose are the children that you carry, my daughter?" And she answered, "I have no child, my father, for I have not yet known a youth." 'Very well," he replied. "You are really a whore. Take her and sacrifice her, Ahpop Achih; bring me her heart in a gourd and return this very day before the lords," he said to the two owls.