Xmucane () and Xpiacoc (), alternatively Xumucane and Ixpiyacoc (Xpiyacoc) , are the names of the divine grandparents of

Maya mythology Maya mythology or Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Maya tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles. The legends of the era have to be ...

of the

Kʼicheʼ people Kʼicheʼ (pronounced ; previous Spanish spelling: ) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas and are one of the Maya peoples. The eponymous Kʼicheʼ language is a Mesoamerican languages, Mesoamerican language in the Mayan languages, Mayan langu ...

and the daykeepers of the ''

Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...

''. They are considered to be the oldest diviners who are very close to the supreme creators of the Kʼicheʼ pantheon and are identified by a number of names throughout the text, reflecting their multiple roles throughout the Maya creation myth. They are usually mentioned together, although Xmucane seems to be alone during most of the interactions with the

Maya Hero Twins 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 and Xbalanque in the Kʼ ...

, when she is referred to as simply "grandmother". In the Popol Vuh of the Maya, Xpiyacoc and Xmucane perform divinatory handcasting during the creation of humankind. Similarly, the Aztec

Codex Borbonicus The Codex Borbonicus is an Aztec codices, Aztec codex written by Aztec priests shortly before or after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. It is named after the Palais Bourbon in France and kept at the Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée National ...

depicts the first human couple,

Oxomoco Oxomoco' also known as Oxomo is an Aztec deity, the goddess of the night, the astrology and the calendar. Oxomoco and Cipactonal were said to be the first human couple, and the Aztec comparison to Adam and Eve in regard to human creation and evolu ...

and

Cipactonal Cipactonal is the Aztec god of astrology and calendars. Oxomoco and Cipactonal were said to be the first human couple, and the Aztec comparison to Adam and Eve in regard to human creation and evolution. They bore a son named Piltzin-tecuhtli, who ...

, using maize kernels for divination. The pair were invoked during the creation of the world in which the Maya gods were attempting to create humanity. Xmucane and Xpiacoc ground the

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

that was used in the third, successful attempt to make people, after a first attempt with mud and a second with wood, the products of which were described as being simply

mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...

s and not real people. These two are also invoked, often by other powerful deities, for their powers in divination and matchmaking. Xmucane herself also plays an integral role in the development of the Maya Hero Twins. She was at first wary of them and their mother,

Xquic Xquic (or Ixquic , ALMG: Xkikʼ, sometimes glossed as ''"Blood Moon"'' or ''"Blood Girl/Maiden"'' in English) is a mythological figure known from the 16th century Kʼicheʼ manuscript ''Popol Vuh''. She was the daughter of one of the lords of ...

, and ordered them out of her house when they were yet infants, but she would come to accept them almost as her own sons, raising and caring for them.

Notes

References

* *Christenson, A. J. (2003). ''Popol Vuh.'' O Books. *Tedlock, D. (1985). ''Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings.'' (D. Tedlock, Trans.). Simon and Schuster. Characters from the Popol Vuh Maya deities {{mesoamerica-myth-stub