Xbalanque was born with vengeance in his heart.


As one of the Hero Twins, Xbalanque, and his brother Hunahpu, knew their lives would eventually force them to face the Lords of Death, chiefs of the Underworld who murdered their father, but first they would need to master the arts of hunting with blowguns and the violent ball game Pitz.


As a test of their strength, they decided to defeat the vain and evil bird-lord, Seven Macaw, who declared himself the Sun and the Moon and replaced his teeth with glistening jewels.


The Hero Twins fired their blowguns at the perching bird-lord, knocking out several of Seven Macaw’s glittering teeth. Ferociously he came at them, but only snatched Hunahpu and tore off the boy’s arm. Cleverly, the twins enlisted the aid of an elderly couple and advised them to pose as dentists. Seven Macaw sought to ease the pain in his mouth, so, as they were instructed, the dentists pulled the rest of Seven Macaw’s teeth and replaced them with white corn. So humiliated was the great bird that he died of despair.


It would be many years and several trials later that, at last, the Hero Twins were able to challenge the Lords of Death and avenge their father, but their final victory allowed them to ascend to the heavens, where Xbalanque was immortalized as the moon, lighting the night for clever hunters everywhere.