In Maya-Quiché mythology, Ixbalanque or Xbalanque is a son of Hun-Hunahpu and Xquic, the daughter of one of the lords of the underworld. His twin is Hunahpu. The story of the Maya Hero Twins forms a large part of the Popol Vuh, the most important Maya mythological text from the colonial period. Together, the Twins outwitted arrogant demons, their jealous half-brothers (see Howler Monkey Gods), and the lords of the Maya Underworld, Xibalba. Maya mythology refers to the pre-Columbian Maya civilizations extensive polytheistic religious beliefs. ... Xquic (alternatively, Ixquic, sometimes glossed as Blood Moon or Blood Girl/Maiden in English) is a Maya deity known from Postclassic and Colonial-era accounts of Maya mythology. ... In Maya mythology, Hun-Apu was a son of Hun Hunahpu and a virgin. ... The Hero Twins feature prominently in Maya mythology. ... The Popol Vuh (Quiché for Council Book or Book of the Community; Popol Wuj in modern spelling) is the book of scripture of the Quiché, a kingdom of the post classic Maya civilization in highland Guatemala. ... The howler monkey god was a major deity of the arts and the patron of the artisans among the Classic Mayas, especially of the scribes and sculptors. ... In Maya mythology Xibalba (IPA: ) is the name of the underworld, ruled by the Mayan deities of death. ...

Xbalanque is described by Las Casas (16th century) as a war leader. Related to this, in the underworld scenes of the Popol Vuh, Xbalanque seems to have been the dominant one among the brothers, often the one to do the talking and the planning, although Hunahpu was not merely a hapless sidekick. In fact, Xbalanque is credited with saving his brother's life at least once. The Twins are finally stated to have become sun and moon, although it is not clear how the roles were divided; perhaps only a metaphor for joint supremacy is intended.

Xbalanque is also the male protagonist in the Q'eqchi' myth of Sun and Moon, where he is hunting for deer, and is already mentioned by Las Casas in connection with the Q'eqchi' town of Coban. In these cases, Hunahpu has no role to play.

As a name, 'Xbalanque' has been variously translated as 'Jaguar Sun' (x-balam-que) and 'Hidden Sun' (x-balan-que). The initial sound probably stems from yax 'precious', since in Classical Maya, a hieroglyphic element of this meaning precedes the pictogram of the hero. Xbalanque is distinguished by jaguar patches on his skin and by whiskers or a beard (see Jaguars in Mesoamerican culture). In Classical Maya iconography, he regularly occurs together with his twin, Hunahpu, and with the main Maya maize god. The jaguar played an important role in the culture and religion of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ... Like other Mesoamerican peoples, the traditional Mayas recognize in the maize a vital force with which they strongly identify. ...

In Classical Maya calendrics, the head of Xbalanque serves to denote the number nine (bolon).

Sources

• B. de Las Casas, Apologética Historia Sumaria (Edmundo O'Gorman, ed.). Mexico: UNAM 1967. (Serie Historiadores de Indias, 1). 2 volumes.
• Michael Coe, The Hero Twins: Myth and Image. Maya Vase Books Vol. 1 (Kerr ed.).
• Dennis Tedlock, Popol Vuh. New York: Simon and Schuster 1986.
• J.E.S. Thompson, Maya History and Religion. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press 1970.

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