Yax Balam
The Maya Hero Twins are the central figures of a narrative included within the colonial Kʼicheʼ document called Popol Vuh, and constituting the oldest Maya myth to have been preserved in its entirety. Called Hunahpu [hunaxˈpu] and Xbalanque [ʃɓalaŋˈke] in the Kʼicheʼ language, the Twins have also been identified in the art of the Classic Mayas (200–900 AD). The twins are often portrayed as complementary forces.
The Twin motif recurs in many Native American mythologies. Classical rulers often claimed to be descendants or supernatural ancestors who were linked to the Hero Twins or other mythological figures depicted in royal art. The Hero Twins were not always regarded as the founders of all Mayan dynasties.
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