Ixbalanque

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In Maya-Quiché mythology, Ixbalanque or Xbalanque was originally a son of Hun Hunahpu and the lady Xquic. His twin was Hunahpu. The two were the Maya Hero Twins and together their story forms a large part of the Popol Vuh, the most important Maya mythological text from the colonial period.

Xbalanque and his brother Hunahpu were quite inseparable in their lives, together outwitting arrogant gods and the lords of the Maya Underworld, Xibalba. 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 older brother's life at least once.

As a name, Xbalanque has been variously translated as 'Jaguar Sun' and 'Hidden Sun'. Nonetheless, in the Popol Vuh, Xbalanque finally ascends into the sky to become associated with the full moon.

Xbalanque is also the male protagonist in the Q'eqchi' myth of Sun and Moon, and is already mentioned by Las Casas (16th century) in connection with the Q'eqchi' town of Coban. In these cases, Hunahpu has no role to play.

In Classical Maya iconography, Xbalanque regularly occurs together with his twin, Hunahpu, and with the Tonsured Maize God. In Classical Maya calendrics, the head of Xbalanque serves to denote the number nine.