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Seven Hunahpu
Xmucane is one of the oldest deities in Mayan theology. She's known as the grandmother and the midwife, and is sometimes referred to as "plate shaper, bowl shaper." Xmucane is the mother of One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, and raises One Hunahpu's children, One Monkey and One Artisan. Though she's very wise, she's also exceptionally cautious: when Blood Moon arrives on Xmucane's doorstep claiming to be pregnant with twins by One Hunahpu, Xmucane refuses to believe Blood Moon's story until Blood Moon manages to pass a test and Xmucane finds evidence in corn that Blood Moon is telling the truth. Xmucane is also an essential parental figure to Hunahpu and Xbalanque, though she joins her other grandsons in neglecting them until One Monkey and One Artisan become monkeys. After this, she takes her role more seriously. When Hunahpu and Xbalanque descend to Xibalba to avenge their father and uncle, they plant corn in the middle of Xmucane's hut, which is supposed to let her know if the twins are still alive depending on whether the corn grows or dies. Later, when Sovereign Plumed Serpent approaches Xmucane about creating humans again, she personally grinds the maize with which to make them nine times.
Xmucane Quotes in Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh quotes below are all either spoken by Xmucane or refer to Xmucane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part One Quotes
So this is why monkeys look like people: they are a sign of a previous human work, human design—mere manikins, mere woodcarvings.
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The narrator explains that when Hurricane destroyed the wood people because they were inadequate humans, those carved wood manikins became monkeys. By making this connection, those who originally composed the Popol Vuh endeavor to, first of all, create a link between modern humans and their natural surroundings. This in turn reinforces the idea that humans were created to care for the earth—which, like humans themselves, was created by the gods with very specific goals in mind. Second, this is very much an origin story of monkeys, which reinforces the emphasis that the Popol Vuh places on the necessity of understanding Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. A
Part Three Quotes
But Hunahpu and Xbalanque aren't turning red with anger; rather, they just let it go, even though they know their proper place, which they see as clear as day.
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The narrator explains that One Monkey and One Artisan treated their younger brothers horribly: they didn't save them any food, and never showed them any affection. Hunahpu and Xbalanque took all of this abuse with a smile because they're aware that they're the true heroes of the story. This suggests that when someone knows they're heroic or have a great deal of power, it's possible to endure all manner of abuse—and doing that can become a trick of sorts. Because the twins never chafe against their poor treatment, eventually tricking One Monkey and One Artisan into becoming howler monkeys isn't Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus co
"Our elder brothers will be remembered. So be it: they have lived here and they have been named; they are to be called One Monkey and One Artisan."
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When it becomes apparent that One Monkey and One Artisan aren't going to ever return to human forms or return to their grandmother, Hunahpu and Xbalanque assure Xmucane that One Monkey and One Artisan won't be forgotten. By specifically saying that "they have been named," the text very clearly draws a relationship between naming individuals or places and memory. It insists that by recording something, especially in a text like this that was passed down in multiple forms for many generations, anyone who makes it into the text itself won't be forgotten. Further, it's worth noting that One Monkey and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas au
And this was when their grandmother burned something, she burned copal before the ears of green corn as a memorial to them. There was happiness in their grandmother's heart the second time the corn plants sprouted. Then the ears were deified by their grandmother, and she gave them names...
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This passage goes back in time to explain what Xmucane did while Hunahpu and Xbalanque were in Xibalba, dying and coming back to life again. When the twins planted corn in Xmucane's house, they established corn as very literally a symbol for life and death, given that whether the corn was alive or dead was supposed to correspond to the fate of Xbalanque and Hunahpu. This passage also establishes several precedents that are important for the next section, when the gods create humans. First, Xmucane deifies the corn and burns copal (a type of resin) for it. Several of the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque om
Part Four Quotes
It was staples alone that made up their flesh.
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After the narrator explains how Xmucane and Sovereign Plumed Serpent created humans, they stress the fact that humans were created out of staple foods, especially corn. This first reinforces the intended connection between humans and the land—and one of the major reasons the gods wanted to create humans in the first place was to care for the land, which the humans would do by cultivating crops. In this way, the text creates a very visible connection between humans and the land by creating humans out of what will eventually be the thing that keeps them alive. Then, the creation of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo mi
"What should we do with them now? Their vision should at least reach nearby, they should see at least a small part of the face of the earth, but what they're saying isn't good. Aren't they merely 'works' and 'designs' in their very names? Yet they'll become as great as gods, unless they procreate, proliferate at the sowing, the dawning, unless they increase."
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After the gods create the first four humans, they realize that the humans are flawed because they see and know too much. This would allow them to become divine themselves. With this assessment, the story begins to consider the differences between men and gods. It again reinforces the purposes of humans (to procreate, to praise the gods, and to care for the land), activities that the gods themselves are exempt from for the most part. This also drives home the fact that humans were created, rather than just existing like the gods do. Thus, by thinking about the purpose of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo mi
They were blinded as the face of a mirror is breathed upon. Their vision flickered. Now it was only from close up that they could see what was there with any clarity.
And such was the loss of the means of understanding, along with the means of knowing everything, by the four humans.
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In order to fix the problem of their too-perfect humans, the gods partially blind the first four humans, robbing them of their intense knowledge and sight. By blinding the humans, the gods assert a fourth important quality of humans: that the state of being human is a state of seeking and not knowing. Taking away the humans' sight and understanding means that the first four men will spend their entire lives searching for meaning and knowledge in their world. Though the Popol Vuh itself is a tool to combat this loss of sight and understanding, it can't entirely restore full Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa
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Xmucane Character Timeline in Popol Vuh
The timeline below shows where the character Xmucane appears in Popol Vuh. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part One
...be an account of how the world was created by Sovereign Plumed Serpent, Xpiyacoc, and Xmucane. The narrator mentions that they're recording this story "amid the preaching of God," or after...
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...they might make a better human. They decide to call on the gods Xpiyacoc and Xmucane for help.
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Sovereign Plumed Serpent and Hurricane ask Xmucane and Xpiyacoc if they should mold humans out of wood. Xmucane and Xpiyacoc reply that...
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Part Three
...is One Hunahpu, brother of Seven Hunahpu. One and Seven Hunahpu are the children of Xmucane and Xpiyacoc, and One Hunahpu has two other sons, One Monkey and One Artisan, with...
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...One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu to Xibalba, but the brothers insist that they must tell Xmucane where they're going first. When they reach Xmucane's hut, they explain the situation and learn...
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Blood Moon goes to Xmucane for help. She explains that she's Xmucane's daughter-in-law and is pregnant with her grandbabies. Wrought...
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Xmucane shouts that she doesn't want Blood Moon, that Blood Moon's babies are bastards, and that...
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When Blood Moon returns to Xmucane's hut, animals carry her full net for her. Xmucane is livid that Blood Moon apparently...
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...in the mountains. When she brings the babies into the house they cry loudly, and Xmucane insists that Blood Moon take them outside. One Monkey and One Artisan place their baby...
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Xmucane, One Monkey, and One Artisan treat Xbalanque and Hunahpu horribly. They don't show them love...
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One day, Hunahpu and Xbalanque return home without birds. Xmucane angrily demands to know why they didn't bring birds, and the boys explain that their...
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Xbalanque and Hunahpu return to Xmucane's hut and tell her that their brothers have become "simply shameless," like animals. Xmucane is...
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When they hear the song, One Monkey and One Artisan come, dancing. When Xmucane sees her grandsons looking so ugly and silly, she laughs. This scares One Monkey and...
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Hunahpu and Xbalanque tell Xmucane to not be sad, as she still has them as grandchildren. They explain that One...
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...can begin their process of becoming truly great. They start by assuring Blood Moon and Xmucane that they'll take over the gardening duties. They pick up their tools and instruct Xmucane...
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...that they were actually working. When they get home that evening, Xbalanque and Hunahpu tell Xmucane that they're very tired. The next morning when the twins return to their garden, however,...
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...and Xbalanque again allow their tools to work the land. They head home and tell Xmucane what happened, and inform her that they're going to keep watch overnight. They hide themselves...
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...rat tells the boys that One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu's gaming equipment is hidden in Xmucane's roof, and she doesn't want them to see it because she doesn't want the boys...
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...or wasted food is his for the taking. The rat asks what will happen if Xmucane sees him when they try to get the equipment down, and the boys insist that...
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When Hunahpu and Xbalanque get to Xmucane's house, they put the rat on the roof and he starts to chew through it...
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Xbalanque and Hunahpu ask Blood Moon to go help Xmucane since she's taking so long, and as soon as she's gone, the rat lets the...
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...invite Hunahpu and Xbalanque to a game in seven days. The messengers travel directly to Xmucane's hut where they find only her, as the boys are away playing. They relay their...
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Xmucane's heart is broken. She sobs that she's going to lose her grandsons, just as she...
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...Death to come in seven days with equipment to play ball. He says too that Xmucane is distraught. Hunahpu and Xbalanque hurry to their grandmother. They tell Xmucane that they must...
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On earth, Xmucane cries in front of the dry ears of corn that signify her grandsons' deaths. Then...
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Part Four
...a place called Split Place, and there, Sovereign Plumed Serpent discovers the staple foods. Then, Xmucane grinds the corn nine times and mixes it with grease and water to create blood...
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...encourages the men to walk around, and then the men praise Sovereign Plumed Serpent and Xmucane and thank the gods for creating them. However, Sovereign Plumed Serpent sees that there's a...
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Next, Sovereign Plumed Serpent and Xmucane create wives for the first men. They make Red Sea Turtle for Jaguar Quitze; Prawn...
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