The Maya race, now living mostly in Guatemala and Yucatan, seem to be the descendants of a people whose civilization was old long before the appearance of those Aztecs whom Cortes found ruling in Mexico.
Their wise men, like those of Cholula, knew from their fathers that there was a time when the earth had not yet recovered from the effects of the flood, and when mighty giants walked abroad. Nay, more, they took the pains to set down the facts in the only native American book we have which dates back to the times before Columbus—the Popol Vuh, or Collection of Written Leaves.
The submerging waters had returned to their appointed places on, above, and below the earth; but the face of both sun and moon were still veiled, and shone not with their wonted splendor.
In this twilight period there lived a gigantic being named Vukub-Cakix, for his countenance shone with seven times the brilliance of flame.
His eye-balls gleamed like silver set with precious stones; the enamel of his teeth was so brilliant that to look at them was like gazing at some gleaming emerald, or the light-filled face of the sky. There was nothing in all the world that gave forth light like the eyes and teeth of Vukub.
Great as was his radiant beauty, his pride was greater still. Orgulous was he and puffed-up. And he said:
“Of a truth, only those have been saved from the flood who were above their fellow men. And of all those left alive there is not one like unto me. I am their sun, their dawn, and their moon. It is my splendor by which men come and go. I can see to the limits of creation, and it is so.”
Thus he spoke in his arrogance. Nor was his pride lessened when he looked upon his two giant sons: Zipacna, who ruled the cloud-piercing peaks, and Cabrakan, at whose word the mountains belched forth fire, and the earth trembled in sudden convulsions. Moreover, there was none who dared deny that only when he advanced from his throne did the world come to life.
But the gods on high were not deaf to this boasting. They heard and smiled when Vukub said: “I am the Sun”; they smiled when Zipacna said: “I heaped-up and rule the mountains”; and again they smiled when Cabrakan said: “I shake the sky and earth.”
Nevertheless, when they perceived that all on earth bowed in assent before these vain boasters, they stirred up against them the hearts of the marvellous twin brothers Hun-Apu and Xbalanque. Miraculously born of an earthly princess, these brethren had become heroes of many surprising adventures; none might compete with them at tlachtli, that universal form of hockey by which a man’s prowess was measured; deadly were the long blow-pipes they carried over their shoulders; and withal they were very crafty.
“It is not good that this should be,” said the brethren, when they heard the vaunts of Vukub. “Let us put an end to the jewels by reason of which he is so puffed-up.”
Now, next to his light-giving features, the thing dearest to Vukub was a huge nanze tree, a tapal, loaded with its round, yellow, aromatic fruit; and each morning he was wont to breakfast on this delicious fare.
Coming one day as usual, he climbed up to the summit of the lofty tree that he might take his choice of the most luscious fruit. Very wrathful was he this morning, when he perceived that the spreading branches were almost completely stripped of the bountiful supply which had hung there the day before.
He glared about to see who had dared to do this thing, and his anger grew ten times greater when he perceived the twins, almost hidden in the thick foliage.
Before he could attack them, Hun-Apu raised the blow-pipe to his mouth and sped a dart which buried itself in the giant’s cheek. With a frightful screech he fell from the tree-top to the ground.
Quickly the brothers descended, and ran to seize the groaning giant; but he grasped the arm of Hun-Apu with so fell a grip that he tore it completely away from the shoulder; whereupon they fled from him in haste.
Still holding his enemy’s arm, and pressing his hand against the wounded jaw, Vukub made his way home, groaning aloud.
“What has happened to my lord?” asked his wife.
“Those wicked ones have shot a dart into my cheek which tortures me beyond endurance. But I have torn off the arm of one of them; and I shall revenge myself by roasting it over the fire till the pain drives that demon to come for it.”
So he suspended the arm before the fire, bidding his wife never cease turning it over the blazes, and lay down groaning more than ever: for the teeth of which he was so proud now caused him an anguish he could not bear. Moreover, the pain had extended even to his shining eye-balls.
Meanwhile the brothers, in order to combat this magic torture, had consulted a pair of mighty sorcerers. Man and wife were this ancient couple; their hair was white as the snows upon the mountain peaks, and the woman was bent double when she sat or stood or walked. Between them they fashioned a subtle plan.
Vukub lay before his golden throne, moaning and howling with the pain that affected him, so that his cries could be heard afar off without the palace.
There came one who told him that two doctors were at the door, enquiring who it might be that suffered so greatly. He ordered that they should be admitted.
In hobbled a very ancient white-haired man and woman. Even in his agony the heart of Vukub was pleased to notice that the woman bowed almost double as she came before him.
“Who are you, and what do you wish?” said the giant king.
“We are doctors, mighty Lord. Hearing one cry out we stopped to enquire the trouble: for we make our living by curing ailments.”
“Who are those behind you—your sons?” demanded Vukub suspiciously, noticing two slim figures, dressed in skins, in the rear.
“Not so, lord. These are our grandchildren. Their father and mother are both dead, and they follow us everywhere as we go about to heal, since only thus can we get food for us all.”
“What can you heal? Can you ease this pain which devours me?”
“Doubtless we can, for we are wise in all arts—though our special knowledge is that of removing aching teeth.”
“Teeth!” exclaimed the king, groaning afresh, and scarcely able to speak. “That is what is killing me—they and my eyes.”
“Let me see,” said the old man. He bent forward and examined the wounded cheek. “Ah, you have a bad wound there. No wonder you suffer.”
“It was those demons who shot me with a blow-pipe,” said Vukub thickly. “Cure me if you can, and you shall not complain of your reward.”
“It will be necessary to remove those teeth,” said the sorcerer. “Also I think the eye-ball is diseased already.”
“What! Remove my teeth which give light to all the world! Impossible.”
“Are they not loose in the jaw anyhow?”
“Yes, yes, they move in their sockets—and when they do so, deadly pains run throughout my body.”
“You see they must come out. But have no fear: such is our skill that we will replace them with others more beautiful by far. More, we will remove them all, so that the new set will be alike. Even the eye-balls we will match as before.”
“If you are sure—,” began Vukub. Then, as the pain gripped him,—“Quick! Do as you say. I cannot eat; not once have I slept since those evil ones shot me; surely I shall die if I be not healed speedily. But use all your arts: for it is because of the beauty of my teeth and my eyes that I am king.”
“Rest assured. Pure and strong and polished will be the new teeth that we shall put in their place.”
“Hurry,” said Vukub.
Then the two cunning sorcerers, aided by the disguised twins, removed the shining teeth, while the giant howled and wept. And in place of them they inserted only grains of white maize.
Immediately his splendor fell. He knew within himself that he was no longer the dawn and the moon. Nor was he able to resist when they proceeded to remove the gleaming eye-balls which still gave lustre to his countenance.
But when these also were gone, Vukub-Cakix ceased to be. For without his colossal pride he was not.
All this time his wife had been busily turning the severed arm over the fire, to increase the torments of its absent owner. Hun-Apu now snatched the arm, and with the aid of powerful incantations by the sorcerers, replaced it firmly in its socket. Whereupon the brothers went away, well content in that they had humbled the pride of Vukub.
And it is set down in the Written Leaves how later on they overcame through craft both of those gigantic sons of the Proud One, so that the seed of the earth-giants perished utterly from among the Mayas.