Graphic Myths and Legends: the Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death: a Mayan Myth (Graphic Universe)

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THE STORY OF THE HERO TWINS, HUNAHPU AND XBALANQUE, IS ONE OF MANY EXCITING TALES FOUND IN THE COLLECTION OF MAYAN STORIES KNOWN AS THE POPOL VUH. AUTHOR DAN JOLLEY CONSULTED SEVERAL TRANSLATIONS OF THE POPOL VUH TO CREATE THIS EXCITING AND FUNNY BOOK. TO CREATE AUTHENTIC COSTUMING AND SETTING, ARTIST DAVID WITT REVIEWED NUMEROUS BOOKS EXPLORING MAYAN HISTORY, ART, AND ARCHITECTURE. FINALLY, MESOAMERICAN FOLKLORE EXPERT JOHN BIERHORST REVIEWED THE STORY AND THE ARTWORK TO ENSURE ITS AUTHENTICITY AND RESPECT FOR THE MAYAN TRADITION.

story by dan jolley pencils and inks by david witt coloring by hi-fi colour design lettering by marshall dillon and terri delgado consultant: john bierhorst Copyright © 2008 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Graphic Universe™ is a trademark of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Graphic Universe™ A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jolley, Dan. The hero twins : against the lords of death : a Mayan myth / story by Dan Jolley ; pencils and inks by David Witt. p. cm. — (Graphic myths and legends) Includes index. ISBN-13: 978–0–8225–7495–8 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. Mayas—Folklore. 2. Maya mythology. 3. Mayas—Games—Juvenile literature. 4. Popol vuh. I. Witt, David, ill. II. Title. F1435.3.F6J65 2008 398.2089'9742—dc22 2007025897 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 13 12 11 10 09 08

eISBN-13: 978-0-7613-3997-7

table of contents the hero twins and the ball game . . . 6 the lords of xibalba . . . 14 dark house . . . 18 razor house and cold house . . . 23 jaguar house and fire house . . . 31 bat house . . . 36 the final game . . . 40 glossary and pronunciation guide . . . 46 further reading and websites . . . 47 creating the hero twins: against the lords of death . . . 47 index . . . 48 about the author and the artist . . . 48

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glossary and pronunciation guide hunahpu (hoo-nah-poo): the hero twin also known as Hunter

pok-ta-pok (pohk-ta-pohk): the ancient Mayan ball game

xbalanque (sh-bah-lahn-kay): the Hero Twin also known as Jaguar Deer

xibalba (shee-bahl-bah): the underworld of Mayan folklore

popol vuh (poh-pohl voo, or poh-pohl woo): an ancient Mayan text that includes the story of the Hero Twins as well as many other tales

quiché maya (kee-chay mah-yuh): a Mayan ethnic group, creators of the Popol Vuh

original pencil sketch from page 43

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xibalban (shee-bahl-bahn): someone who lives in Xibalba

further reading and websites Bierhorst, John. The Monkey’s Haircut and Other Stories Told by the Maya. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1986. “The Monkey’s Haircut” is one of twenty-two fascinating Mayan stories in this collection compiled by one of the world’s foremost experts on folktales of the Americas. Clarke, Barry, and Elizabeth Baquedano. Aztec, Inca, and Maya. New York: DK Publishing, 2005. Learn more about the ancient Maya—as well as the Aztec and Inca—in this photo- and fact-filled volume from the Eyewitness Books series. Day, Nancy. Your Travel Guide to Ancient Mayan Civilization. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2001. Day prepares readers for a trip back to ancient Mayan civilization, including which places to visit, how to get around, what to wear, and how to fit in with the locals. Mayan Kids.com http://www.mayankids.com/ This educational website features kid-friendly information about the Mayan people and Mayan civilization, including details about the Mayan ball game often called pok-ta-pok or pok-a-tok. Perl, Lila. The Ancient Maya. New York: Franklin Watts, 2005. Learn more about the ancient Maya from this volume in the People of the Ancient World series.

creating the hero twins: against the lords of death Author Dan Jolley consulted several translations of the Popol Vuh to create this book. To create authentic costuming and setting, artist David Witt reviewed numerous books exploring Mayan history, art, and architecture. Finally, Mesoamerican folklore expert John Bierhorst reviewed the story and the artwork to ensure its authenticity and respect for the Mayan tradition.

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index bat house, 36–38

jaguar house, 30–32

cold house, 27, 28

pok-ta-pok, 11, 43 Popol Vuh, 6, 45

dark house, 18–20 Quiché Maya, 6 fire house, 33, 34 razor house, 23–25 Hero Twins (Hunahpu and Xbalanque): discovery of Pok-ta-pok, 10, 11, 12; greeting lords of Xibalba, 17; journey to Xibalba, 15, 16; mischievousness of, 8

Xibalba, 13

about the author and the artist dan jolley began his writing career in the early nineties. His limited series Obergeist was voted Best Horror Comic of 2001 by Wizard magazine, and his DC Comics project JSA: The Unholy Three received an Eisner Award nomination (the comics industry's highest honor) for Best Limited Series of 2003. May of 2007 saw the debut of Jolley’s first novel series, an original young-adult sci-fi espionage story called Alex Unlimited, published by a joint venture of TokyoPop and HarperCollins. He's also scripting the manga project Warriors: The Lost Warrior, based on the novel series by Erin Hunter, as well as writing the novelization of the motion picture Iron Man. Jolley lives in Cary, North Carolina, where he's on the design team of Icarus Studios' post-apocalyptic MMORPG, Fallen Earth. Jolley spends more time playing video games than he probably should.

david witt is a busy all-purpose illustrator. In addition to his work for Graphic Universe’s Graphic Myths and Legends series (which includes Isis and Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth) and Twisted Journeys series (Captured by Pirates), he creates flyers, posters, screenprints, comics, T-shirt designs, logos, and all variety of illustrations and paintings for the world to enjoy. Witt lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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can two young boys . . . . . . outwit the lords of death? THE HERO TWINS, HUNAHPU AND XBALANQUE, WERE BLESSED BY THE MAYAN GODS WITH SPECIAL POWERS. BUT THEIR INCREDIBLE SKILL AT PLAYING POK-TA-POK, THE MAYAN BALL GAME, ANGERS THE LORDS OF XIBALBA, RULERS OF THE LAND OF THE DEAD. WHEN THE LORDS CHALLENGE THEM TO A POK-TA-POK GAME IN XIBALBA, THE TWINS KNOW THEY MUST USE ALL OF THEIR POWERS AND CUNNING TO DEFEAT THE LORDS’ MANY CHALLENGES. WILL THEY SURVIVE THE LAND OF THE DEAD?

GRAPHIC MYTHS AND LEGENDS TITLES: ALI BABA: FOOLING THE FORTY THIEVES AMATERASU: RETURN OF THE SUN ARTHUR & LANCELOT: THE FIGHT FOR CAMELOT ATALANTA: THE RACE AGAINST DESTINY BEOWULF: MONSTER SLAYER DEMETER & PERSEPHONE: SPRING HELD HOSTAGE GUAN YU: BLOOD BROTHERS TO THE END HERCULES: THE TWELVE LABORS THE HERO TWINS: AGAINST THE LORDS OF DEATH ISIS & OSIRIS: TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH JASON: QUEST FOR THE GOLDEN FLEECE

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KING ARTHUR: EXCALIBUR UNSHEATHED ODYSSEUS: ESCAPING POSEIDON’S CURSE PERSEUS: THE HUNT FOR MEDUSA’S HEAD ROBIN HOOD: OUTLAW OF SHERWOOD FOREST SINBAD: SAILING INTO PERIL SUNJATA: WARRIOR KING OF MALI THESEUS: BATTLING THE MINOTAUR THOR & LOKI: IN THE LAND OF GIANTS TRISTAN & ISOLDE: THE WARRIOR AND THE PRINCESS THE TROJAN HORSE: THE FALL OF TROY YU THE GREAT: CONQUERING THE FLOOD