When you play the 7th DLC The Path Home, there is another Challenge Tomb called: Mother Protector.

This is a story of the creator of the silver box of Ix Chel and the beings that were protecting it, the Yaaxil.

Lara follows the path that leads her to the place of the stela, which is in a giant statue that Lara identifies as Xquic. The name “Xquic” translates into “Blood Maiden” She can be found in the Maya Popol Vuh Her connection to the Maya creation myth is she is the mother of the hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, and the daughter of one of the lords of Xibalba his name was Cuchumaquic. We see Xibalba in another Tomb Raider game by the way. I am sure you all remember Tomb Raider Underworld. Xibalba (Maya underworld) it’s also known as the Place of Fear.

I enjoy the game when they weave a real belief from a real civilization into the game as they did here. Though Xquic is not mentioned in the creation of mythos as creating the box and the beings from the game plot, we can see how she fits into their world by reading the Popol Vuh.

What she did …

Xquic was a maiden that heard about a fruit tree a calabash tree. She dreamed to see this fantastic tree with the finest fruit, she told her father. She set off to see it and found the tree. However, to her surprise, the tree was covered with skulls. When she approached the tree the head of Hun-Hunahpú which was among the branches spoke to her. Through the words of the mythos, he transferred spittle into her hand making her pregnant.  

Her father did not believe her story and sentenced her to death declaring her a whore. However, she staged a trick and was not sacrificed as instructed. She outsmarted the lords of Xibalba and birthed her twin sons.

Thank you for reading this short and direct piece.

I shall return with another archaeological update etc …

Explore the World!

~Emma