The story describes the origins of the Hero twins Venus Lord and First Jaguar in Mayan mythology. The twins were born after the death lords sacrificed the twins One Marksman and Seven Marksman for disturbing them with ball games. Venus Lord and First Jaguar were given challenging tasks by the death lords in the underworld but used their cleverness and tricks to pass each test. In the end, the Hero twins defeated the death lords who had tried to kill them.

1. Retold By
Melissa

2. The story of the Hero twins started with two twins One Marksman and
Seven Marksman (they are not the hero twins) who were playing the
ball game really loudly.

3. All the noise the twins made angered the death lords. The twins were
called to the underworld, tricked by the death lords, and sacrificed.

4. The lords buried One Marksman underneath the playing field and Seven
Marksman’s skull was hung from a gourd tree to remind the people not
to anger the death lords.

5. One day Blood Moon, a daughter of one of the death lords, found the
skull hanging from the tree. The skull spit into her hand and she
became pregnant. Her father was so mad she went to live with the
grandma of the dead twins.

6. My
boys.
Blood Moon gave birth to twins named Venus Lord and First Jaguar. They
became very good ball players and found the equipment that their
father and uncle used. But they too disturbed the death lords and were
called to the under world

7. They were given many tasks and if they were to fail one, they were to die.
The first task was to keep a torch and their cigars lit all night, which
was impossible. When morning came they put fireflies on the top of
the cigars to look like flames, and pretended that a red macaw feather
was the light of the flame on the torch.

8. The brothers’ next task was to get flowers, but for a challenge the lords
put the brothers in a room with blades that looked for something to
cut. The brothers told the blades they would give them fine animal
skin. The blades stopped. The brothers asked leaf cutting ants to bring
back flowers, and they did!

9. The lords were furious! Especially since the flowers were from their
garden.

10. Another task the brothers had to do was to survive the bat house. When
Venus Lord thought it was safe and poked out his head a giant bat
came at him and knocked his head off. Quickly, First Jaguar carved a
squash to look like his brother’s head.

11. Once more the brothers played ball with the lords, but the ball was Venus
Lords’ head. First Jaguar kicked the ball into the tall grass. A rabbit
bounded away and the lords followed it. First Jaguar placed his
brothers head on its body. They continued playing with the squash
ball.

12. When one of the Lords tried to hit the ball, it exploded on him. The lords were so
angry they decided to burn the brothers. When the brothers found out about
their fate, they asked seers to direct the lords where to put their remains

13. The lords invited the twins to see the huge fire pit they used. The lords
told them they should have a contest. They needed to jump the pit. The
twins did and died. The lords thought they won, but it was not over yet.

14. The lords did what the seers had suggested to do with the remains. They
ground their bones and threw the powder into the river.

15. The brothers came back to life but they were catfish!!! Eventually they
became normal again. They became actors performing dances. The
lords heard about them and told them to come. When the brothers
arrived they killed the death lords.

16. The End!