Xtabay

Lore & Background

Xtabay is described as wearing a white dress, with large black eyes and long black hair down to her ankles. She waits behind a ceiba tree, combing her hair with the spines of the Tzacam cactus, and lures men deep into the forest. After seducing them, she transforms into a poisonous serpent and devours them, or in other versions throws them over a cliff and rips out their heart. An alternative version, particularly in Quintana Roo, states that Xtabay punishes drunks, thieves, and violent criminals.

Reader's Guide

The legend of Xtabay serves as a moral tale contrasting inner virtue with outward purity. Xkeban, despite her promiscuity, was kind-hearted and became a sweet-smelling flower, while Utz-colel, though celibate, was haughty and became a demon. The story warns against pride and emphasizes compassion over sexual purity. In contemporary Maya culture, the word Xtabay illustrates undesirable behavior, and the myth is used by mothers and grandmothers to teach children good conduct and to warn against marital infidelity and nighttime temptations. The legend has influenced music, such as Les Baxter's album *Voice of the Xtabay* by Yma Sumac, and appears in the 2009 Mexican animated film *Nikté* and the 2013 video game *Guacamelee!*. Xtabay has been compared to the Churel of Indian folklore and shares similarities with La Llorona.

Did You Know?

• The name Xtabay derives from the Maya goddess Ixtab, goddess of suicide by hanging, with 'Ix' as a feminine prefix and 'tab' meaning rope.
• Xtabay is said to comb her long black hair with the spines of the Tzacam cactus.
• The ceiba tree, behind which Xtabay hides, is sacred in Maya culture as an axis mundi connecting heaven, earth, and underworld.