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ZIPACNA

In Mayan mythology, Zipacna was a son of Vucub Caquix (Seven Macaw) and
Chimalmat. He and his brother, Cabrakan (Earthquake), were often considered
demons. Zipacna, like his relatives, was said to be very arrogant and violent.
Zipacna was characterized as a large caiman and often boasted to be the creator
of the mountains.

The Popol Vuh tells the story that one day Zipacna was basking on the beach when
he was disturbed by the Four Hundred Boys (possibly patron deities of alcohol),
who were attempting to construct a hut. They had felled a large tree to use as
the central supporting log, but were unable to lift it. Zipacna, being immensely
strong, offered to carry the log for them, which he did. Although most
translations of the Popol Vuh would seem to indicate this was done as a gesture
of goodwill, it is generally agreed that Zipacna did so in a spirit of
arrogance, mocking the boys for their inability to do so.

The Four Hundred Boys decided it was not good that one man had such strength,
and that Zipacna should be killed. They attempted to deceive Zipacna by asking
him to dig a hole for their post, intending to thrust the massive column into
the hole and kill him. Zipacna realized their deceit, however, and saved himself
by surreptitiously digging a side tunnel and hiding inside it when the boys
dropped the post in the hole. To complete the illusion of his death, Zipacna
cried out in pain, and later allowed ants to carry bits of his hair and
trimmings from his nails out of the hole, satisfying the boys that he had been
killed.

On the third day after their apparent success, the Four Hundred Boys finished
the construction of their hut and celebrated both its completion and Zipacna’s
death by preparing wine and engaging in a drunken revelry. Zipacna emerged from
his hole after the boys had passed out, and with his massive strength he felled
the column and caused the house to crash down upon the sleeping boys, killing
the lot without a single survivor. After their death, the boys entered into the
heavens as the open cluster known as the Pleiades.

Hunahpu and Ixbalanque, the two divine Hero Twins, decided to exact revenge upon
Zipacna for the death of the Four Hundred Boys; they also did so in a
continuation of their quest to bring down the arrogant gods. The pair devised a
scheme in which an elaborate fake crab was constructed and hid it deep in a
canyon. They then sought out Zipacna along the beach, where he was hunting for
his usual favourite food, crabs. Zipacna was very hungry and had been unable to
locate any crabs for his meal, and the pair informed him they had spotted a very
large crab for the taking. They guided Zipacna to their trap, and being overcome
with hunger, he was unable to see through the trick. Zipacna went in for the
crab, and by means not specified by the Popol Vuh, a mountain was made to
collapse or fall over on top of him, either killing him or turning him into
stone.

The account of Zipacna “entering” in search of the crab (which is specified to
be a female), in particular his going in “on his back” on the second try, seems
to be a parody of sexual intercourse. Indeed, it has been suggested by some
interpretations of the Popol Vuh that it was Zipacna’s lust and sexual appetite,
not his hunger, that drove him to his doom.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Zipacna".

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https://www.zipacna.com/
Last updated: Thursday, 9th January 2020

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