Cizin Explained

Type:Maya
Cizin
God Of:God of death
Other Names:Kisin, Ah Puch, Xibalba, Yum Cimil,[1] Hunhau,[2] Ah Puchah, Au Puch, Cum Hau, Eopuco, Hu Ahau, Tzontemoc,[3] Ahpuch, and Ahal Puch.

Cizin is a Maya god of death and earthquakes.[4] He is the most important Maya death god in the Maya culture.[5] Scholars call him God A.[6]

To the Yucatán Mayas he was Hun-Came and Vucub-Came. He also has similarities to Mictlāntēcutli.

Name and etymology

The God Cizin goes by several names like Kisen, Yom Cimil,[7] Kisin, Ah Puch, Xibalba,[8] Yum Cimil,[9] Hunhau,[10] Ah Puchah, Au Puch, Cum Hau, Eopuco, Hu Ahau, Tzontemoc,[11] Ahpuch, and Ahal Puch. He was sometimes called Kimi.[12] Maya today call him Yum Cim or Yum Cimil.

The name Cizin probably means stench.[13] Cizin comes from the root "ciz" which means flatulence.[14] His name is said to mean Stinking One.

Yum Cimil means lord of death while Hun Ahau means one ruler.[15] Ah Puch means to melt.[16]

Mythology

He is considered the brother of Nohochacyum[17] and Bacabs.[18]

According to Lacandon myth when a person dies Cizin burns the soul on his mouth and his anus. When the soul complains Cizin douses the soul in cold water, causing the soul to complain more leading Cizin to burn them until the soul disintegrates into nothing.[19] [20] Then, it is believed the soul goes to the god Sucunyum, who spits in his hand to clean the soul, so the soul can go where it likes.

In popular culture

Xibalba is referenced in a scene from the movie The Road to El Dorado when the chief and high priest ask the protagonists to make a sacrifice to Xibalba. Later Conquistador Hernan Cortes is mistaken for the deity by the exiled high priest.

Cizin makes an appearance as a playable god in the 2014 free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena video game Smite as part of the Maya pantheon by the name Ah Puch.[21]

The 2013 game "9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek" features Cizin as part of its supernatural mystery plot.

Xibalba appears in the film, The Book of Life (2014 film), voiced by Ron Perlman.

Ah-Puch is the main antagonist in the 2018 novel The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes, but a supporting protagonist in the sequels.

The 2021 animated mini-series Maya and the Three features Ah Puch as a supporting character, voiced by Rita Moreno.

References

  1. Book: Read. Kay Almere. Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Gonzalez. Jason J.. 2002-06-13. OUP USA. 978-0-19-514909-8. 149. en.
  2. Book: Quick, P. S.. All About: Mysterious Maya. 2015-11-17. Andrews UK Limited. 978-1-78538-320-5. en.
  3. Book: Abel, Ernest L.. Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. 2009-03-20. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-35713-8. 9. en.
  4. Web site: Cizin Maya god. 2020-10-05. Encyclopedia Britannica. en.
  5. Book: Jordan, Michael. Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. 2014-05-14. Infobase Publishing. 978-1-4381-0985-5. 67. en.
  6. Book: Witschey. Walter Robert Thurmond. Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica. Brown. Clifford T.. 2012. Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-7167-0. 90. en.
  7. Web site: The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya. 2021-10-07. World History Encyclopedia. en.
  8. Book: Willey, Gordon R.. Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 2 and 3: Archaeology of Southern Mesoamerica. 1965-01-01. University of Texas Press. 978-1-4773-0655-0. 674. en.
  9. Book: Read. Kay Almere. Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Gonzalez. Jason J.. 2002-06-13. OUP USA. 978-0-19-514909-8. 149. en.
  10. Book: Quick, P. S.. All About: Mysterious Maya. 2015-11-17. Andrews UK Limited. 978-1-78538-320-5. en.
  11. Book: Abel, Ernest L.. Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. 2009-03-20. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-35713-8. 9. en.
  12. Book: Mahoney, Emily. The Mysterious Maya Civilization. 2017-12-15. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. 978-1-5345-6185-4. 85. en.
  13. Book: Kampen, Michael Edwin. The Religion of the Maya. 1981. BRILL. 978-90-04-06400-3. 7. en.
  14. Book: Taube. Karl A.. The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan. Taube. Professor of Anthropology Karl A.. 1992. Dumbarton Oaks. 978-0-88402-204-6. 14. en.
  15. Book: Faiella, Graham. Mesoamerican Mythology. 2005. The Rosen Publishing Group. 978-1-4042-0772-1. 36. en.
  16. Book: Bingham. Ann. South and Meso-American Mythology A to Z. Roberts. Jeremy. 2010. Infobase Publishing. 978-1-4381-2958-7. 3. en.
  17. Web site: The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya. 2021-09-11. World History Encyclopedia. en.
  18. Book: Coulter. Charles Russell. Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Turner. Patricia. 2013-07-04. Routledge. 978-1-135-96390-3. 28. en.
  19. Book: Thompson, John Eric Sidney. Maya History and Religion. 1990. University of Oklahoma Press. 978-0-8061-2247-2. 303. en.
  20. Book: Read. Kay Almere. Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Gonzalez. Jason J.. 2002-06-13. OUP USA. 978-0-19-514909-8. 149. en.
  21. Web site: Ah Puch Horrific God of Decay . 2021-09-11 . www.smitegame.com.

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