Camazotz: The Death Bat
The House of Bats
The Mayan underworld, Xibalba, is structured as a series of torture chambers known as "Houses." The most lethal of these is Zotzilaha: The House of Bats.
It is a pitch-black cavern system populated by thousands of shrieking, carnivorous bats. The air is thick with guano and the metallic scent of blood. Hanging from the ceiling, larger than a man and wielding a sacrificial flint knife, is their king. The Maya call him Camazotz (Death Bat). He is the executioner of the gods.
The Decapitation God
Camazotz is a deity associated with night, death, and sacrifice. His iconography in the Popol Vuh and on ceramic vessels depicts a therianthropic figure—a human body with the head and wings of a leaf-nosed bat.
His primary function is decapitation. Unlike other death gods who might use disease or famine, Camazotz is a direct combatant. He swoops from the dark to sever the head of the victim in a single motion, often using the snatching claws of his feet or a obsidian blade. This act mirrors the Mayan ritual of head-hunting and the "beheading" of corn stalks during harvest.
The Hero Twins Incident
The most famous account of Camazotz involves the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Forced to spend the night in the House of Bats, the twins utilized their shapeshifting ability to hide inside their own blowguns.
They survived the night in silence. However, as dawn approached, Hunahpu grew impatient. He extended his head from the blowgun to check if the sun had risen. Camazotz, who had been hovering in silent wait, dived immediately. He tore Hunahpu's head from his shoulders. The head was later used as the ball in a game of Pok-ta-Pok between the gods.
Biological Roots
Physical analysis suggests Camazotz may be a surviving relative of the giant vampire bat (Desmodus draculae), which inhabited Central America during the Pleistocene. This creature was 30% larger than modern vampire bats and capable of targeting large mammals. The entity likely preserves the memory of a time when the night sky held actual predators.
Interaction Protocols
Survival in Xibalba depends on passivity.
- Stay Covered: The Hero Twins survived only while they remained protected inside their weapons. Exposure invites attack.
- Silence: Bats navigate by echolocation. Noise creates a target.
- No Curiosity: Hunahpu died because he looked. The desire to see the sun cost him his life.
The Final Warning
The sun is setting over the jungle canopy. The sky turns a bruised purple. From the cave mouth, thousands of small shapes flutter into the twilight. They are small. They eat insects. But if a shadow blocks out the stars, and the screeching stops... do not look up; keep your head down.
