Xibalba

Xibalba (Mayan pronunciation: [ʃiɓalˈɓa]), roughly translated as "place of fear", is the name of the underworld in K'iche' Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. According to some of the K'iche' Maya presently living in the vicinity, the area is still associated with death. Cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba. In some Maya areas, the Milky Way is viewed as the road to Xibalba.

Inhabitants

Xibalba is described in the Popol Vuh as a court below the surface of the Earth associated with death and with twelve gods or powerful rulers known as the Lords of Xibalba. The first among the Maya Death Gods ruling Xibalba were Hun-Came ("One Death") and Vucub-Came ("Seven Death"), though Hun-Came is the senior of the two.

The remaining ten Lords are often referred to as demons and are given commission and domain over various forms of human suffering: to cause sickness, starvation, fear, destitution, pain, and ultimately death. These Lords all work in pairs: Xiquiripat ("Flying Scab") and Cuchumaquic ("Gathered Blood"), who sicken people's blood; Ahalpuh ("Pus Demon") and Ahalgana ("Jaundice Demon"), who cause people's bodies to swell up; Chamiabac ("Bone Staff") and Chamiaholom ("Skull Staff"), who turn dead bodies into skeletons; Ahalmez ("Sweepings Demon") and Ahaltocob ("Stabbing Demon"), who hide in the unswept areas of people's houses and stab them to death; and Xic ("Wing") and Patan ("Packstrap"), who cause people to die coughing up blood while out walking on a road. The remaining residents of Xibalba are thought to have fallen under the dominion of one of these Lords, going about the face of the Earth to carry out their listed duties.

The Book of Life (2014 film)

The Book of Life is a 2014 American3D computer-animated adventure musical comedy film produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Co-written and directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, it was produced by Aaron Berger, Brad Booker, Guillermo del Toro and Carina Schulze. The film stars the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum with supporting roles by Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman and Kate del Castillo. The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014 and was theatrically released in the United States on October 17, 2014. It received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The film grossed $99.9 million on a $50 million budget.

Plot

Mary Beth, a museum tour guide, takes a group of children on a tour of Mexican folk myths and legends. She tells them the story of the Mexican town of San Angel from the Book of Life, which holds every story in the world.

The spirits La Muerte, ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, set a wager on San Angel's Day of the Dead festival after seeing two best friends, Manolo and Joaquín, competing over a girl named María. La Muerte bets that Manolo will marry María, while Xibalba bets on Joaquín. If La Muerte wins, Xibalba can no longer interfere in mortal affairs; if Xibalba wins, he and La Muerte switch realms. However, Xibalba cheats by giving Joaquin his Medal of Everlasting Life, which grants the wearer invincibility. María frees a herd of pigs from being slaughtered, causing her father to enroll her in a boarding school in Spain the hopes of removing her rebellious streak to become a proper lady instead. While saying their goodbyes, Manolo gives her a baby pig from earlier and she gives him a guitar engraved with "Always play from the heart"while Joaquin keeps her hat that flew off the train.

Xibalba (band)

Xibalba is an American metal band from Pomona, California, formed in 2007. They play a blend of sludge metal and death metal, with some doom metal tendencies, with lyrics in English and Spanish, but not in Mayan. Their debut album, Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias (2011) was released through A389 Recordings. Their second album, Hasta La Muerte (2012), was released by Southern Lord.

History

The band started in 2007 in Pomona, California when long time friends Nate, Brian, Jason and Bryan wanted to play dark and heavy music as opposed to the hardcore punk bands they were in before. In 2012, the band went on an Australian tour with Warbrain and Incendiary. In 2013, they traveled with the "No Way Out" U.S. tour with headliners The Acacia Strain, and Within the Ruins, Fit for an Autopsy, and American Me. Xibalba was toured on the "Die Knowing" U.S. tour alongside Comeback Kid, Backtrack, Downpresser, and To the Wind.

Discography

Studio albums

Laxå

Laxå is a locality and the seat of Laxå Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 3,064 inhabitants in 2010.

History

The town was founded in the mid-19th century when the main line railway between Gothenburg and Stockholm (Västra Stambanan) was built in 1883. Laxå is situated exactly 226 km from both those cities.

In the vicinity of the town Laxå lies the Porla Well. It iron rich water made it a popular spa between 1724 until 1939. Although not a spa, its water is sold in bottles with the brand "Porlavatten" and have been distributed nationwide since the 1920s.

On August 17, 2012, it was reported in Dagens Nyheter that Laxå is Sweden's poorest municipality and the only one in the country with a net debt.

References

External links

LAX (disambiguation)

LAX is the airport identifier code for Los Angeles International Airport.

LAX or Lax may also refer to:

Places

Sports

Media and entertainment

Lax, Switzerland

Lax is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

History

Lax is first mentioned in 1295 as Lacx. Lax is next documented as a community named Zend Goms Lax in 1308. The first division of irrigation was in 1347; the current system feeds seven farms around the small town. The first local regulations date from 1436.

Geography

Lax has an area, as of 2011, of 5 square kilometers (1.9 sq mi). Of this area, 37.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 38.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and 17.6% is unproductive land.

The municipality is located above the Deisch valley on a small plateau on the right bank of the Rhone.

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure, a mountain fesswise Argent, in chief three pine trees eradicated Vert trunked proper.

Demographics

Lax has a population (as of December 2014) of 296.As of 2008, 13.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -4.7%. It has changed at a rate of -9.7% due to migration and at a rate of 3.7% due to births and deaths.