Mesoamerican Pantheon
Camazotz
Also known as Death Bat, Zotz
- bats
- death
- sacrifice
- night
- caves
The terrifying bat god of death and sacrifice. Camazotz dwells in the House of Bats in Xibalba, decapitating those who fail to survive the underworld's trials.
About Camazotz
The Death Bat
Camazotz rules the House of Bats (Zotzilaha), one of the deadly trial houses in Xibalba. His giant form, obsidian blade wings, and hunger for blood make him one of the most feared beings in Maya mythology.
The Hero Twins' Trial
In the Popol Vuh, Hunahpu and Xbalanque faced Camazotz in his house. Hunahpu peeked from their blowgun shelter and was instantly decapitated. Only through cleverness—replacing his head with a squash—could his brother resurrect him.
Sacred Terror
Camazotz represents the genuine danger of caves, where ancient Maya encountered real bat colonies. His cult involved sacrifice, with offerings of blood to appease his hunger.
Origin story
Camazotz was created or summoned by the Lords of Xibalba to guard the House of Bats and test those who entered the underworld.
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Camazotz
Death bat of the Popol Vuh house of bats. Cave fear and a story trial. No evidence of a friendly bat festival. Leave it grim.
Sacred sites
- No attested temple in the surviving record
In the atlas
Where Camazotz appears
Sources and further reading
Source notes
These references are recorded in the catalog. Their passage wording and translation have not been checked, so quotations are not displayed here.
- Lewis Spence, The Myths of Mexico and Peru (1913), retelling the Popol Vuh
Appears in
Ancient and classical works featuring this figure.
Monstrous death-bat of Xibalba who beheads Hunahpu during the trial of the Bat House (Part III)
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.
Keep exploring
One myth a week, with its sources in a short email. The sign-up form is just below.
Genealogy
Family tree
Camazotz's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.