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as Xibalba.

Xibalba is a land ruled by the "gods of death and putrefaction," (Maya Civilization) who delight in tricking dwellers in the world above with their cleverness. When the ball playing of two godly brothers in the world above disturbs them, they send their messengers to these brothers. Directly from their playing field, the very first ballcourt, these brothers journey to the underworld where they are tricked and sacrificed. Much later, the spiritual successors to these brothers, Hunahpu and Xblanque, in the course of enacting a great many godly deeds that shape the Mayan world, reclaim their father's ball gear and begin to play in their old ballcourt. Once more do the summons arrive, and once more do these ball players venture into what is, for all intents and purposes, death (Tedlock, 39).

However, the twins are not defeated by death. Rather, they confound the tricksters of Xibalba and reemerge into the land of light and life once more, sprouting like maize in spring (Tedlock, 39-43). By doing so, they perhaps complete the last of the great cycles so present in the Mayan ballcourts. In them is seen both mortal and divine, dying through play, yet arising again, victorious over death, vigorous and powerful once more, like hungry gods after a bloody sacrifice.

Furthermore, and finally, it has been observed that the Mayan ballcourts bear a distinct resemblance not only to the physical route of a cave or canyon to the Underworld, but also to the stretch of empty space in Mayan astrology representative of the same path to Xibalba. To say that astronomy and astrology were of importance to the Maya would do their fathomless research in the matter a disservice, and so, in being linked to the stars, the ballcourts of Mesoamerica take on even greater central importance in Mayan life. Their architecture has already been shown to direct starlight and sunlight on specific celestial dates, so it is not illogical to believe that the similarity of shape between the ballcourts and this astral pathway is not entirely coincidental (Fox, 1991, 235). Indeed, it can be seen in many sites that the ballcourt is part of an elaborate architectural scheme denoting the path of the sun (Fox, 1991, 232-235).

Such are the ways in which these ballcourts of the ancient Maya and Mesoamerican civilizations filled a wide variety of social and religious roles, most specifically as a gateway into death for the purpose of perpetuating the gods livelihood. Given their multifaceted nature,

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