Page "Xibalba" Paragraph 1

Xibalba (), roughly translated as " place of fear ", is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers.

In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala.

According to some of the K ' iche ' Maya presently living in the vicinity, the area is still associated with death.

Cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba.