The Maya culture

Even the Maya-ruins contain reliefs in the pyramid-temples in Palenque as parts of the magic shaman path :

1. The primary father creates two sons, who become very strong (step 12 :  2 pillars). 

2. After that the father must go to the underworld, the kingdom of the Jaguar, which reminds to the daoist tiger (U.Path step 13 : mystic death). 

3. However, thanks to the power of his sons, he passes all the examinations. He is then reborn (step 14).

== Popul Vuh ==

A comparable story with adventures in the underworld  can be found in the Popul Vuh, where the two sons end as the sun and the moon. (Hunahpu). 

In Chichén Itzá, a cult of these heroic brothers was found.

Their birth after a failure on the part of their parents  'HunHunahpu and Xquic' is reminiscent of Adam and Eve(and Kain and Abel).

Their later course through the underworld,  in which they defeated the houses of gloom, knife, cold, jaguar, fire and bats and also defeated the gods  in a ball game.

Their overthrow and killing of the rulers of the underworld (Xibalba: "place of fear") can be considered as steps 13 and 14 of the path. 

They must die after a lost battle on the pyre. The combustion and the resurrection of the twins  correspond then to the final phase of step 14.

== Mayaworlds ==

The Mayas differentiated 9 planes of the underworld, the middleworld of  the humans  and 13 planes of the skyworld.

The worlds were held together by the worldtree. The vision - snake lived in the middle - axis of the worldtree. She was the direct connection between the worlds of the gods and the physical world und remembers at the Kundalini of Yoga.

The Mayas also beleived that their Pyramid-temples were places at which these worlds could be passed. Therefore the maya-kings practiced rituals and trance techniques.

== Literature ==

* Taube, Karl (1997). Aztec and Maya Myths (The Legendary Past) (3rd ed.). Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-78130-X.

* Myers : Hero twins, Explorations of Mythic and Historical Dichotomies

Weblinks

• Wiki about the Maya-Civilisation
• Wiki about the Maya Hero-Twins
• Hero Twins of the Popul Vuh
• Vessel depicting lords of Xibalba
• Wiki about Palenque
• Wiki about Maya-Gods