Cizin

Cizin
Cizin
God of death
Other names	Kisin, Ah Puch, Xibalba, Yum Cimil, Hunhau, Ah Puchah, Au Puch, Cum Hau, Eopuco, Hu Ahau, Tzontemoc, Ahpuch, and Ahal Puch.

Cizin (also Kisen or Kisin) is a Maya god of death and earthquakes. He is the most important Maya death god in the Maya culture. Scholars call him God A.

To the Yucatán Mayas he was Hun-Came and Vucub-Came.^{[clarification needed]} He also has similarities to Mictlāntēcutli.

Name and etymology

The God Cizin goes by several names like Ah Puch, Xibalba, Yom Cimil, Yum Cimil, Hunhau, Ah Puchah, Au Puch, Cum Hau, Eopuco, Hu Ahau, Tzontemoc, Ahpuch, and Ahal Puch. He was sometimes called Kimi. Maya today call him Yum Cim or Yum Cimil.

The name Cizin probably means stench. It is derived from the Yucatec Maya root "ciz" which means flatulence or a foul stench. His name could also have been a title, Stinking One, as he was believed to smell of decay.

Yum Cimil means lord of death while Hun Ahau means one ruler. Ah Puch means to melt.

Mythology

He is considered the brother of Nohochacyum and Bacabs.

According to Lacandon myth when a person dies Cizin burns the soul on his mouth and his anus. When the soul complains Cizin douses the soul in cold water, causing the soul to complain more leading Cizin to burn them until the soul disintegrates into nothing. Then, it is believed the soul goes to the god Sucunyum, who spits in his hand to clean the soul, allowing the soul to go where it pleases.

In popular culture

Cizin, under the name Ah Pook, is used as a title for the William S. Burroughs book Ah Pook Is Here (1979).

Cizin, under the name Ah Puch, appears in the Ben 10 episode "Ultimate Weapon" (2006) as the guardian of the Sword of Ek Chuaj.

Cizin, under the name Ah Pook, appears in the default Golarion setting of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (2009) as a god of death and destruction. He is primarily known in the continent of Arcadia, analogous to the pre-Columbian Americas.

Cizin appears in the video game 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek (2013), where he is central to the supernatural mystery plot.
Cizin, under the name Ah Puch, appears as a playable character in Smite (2014).
Cizin, under the name Ah Puch, appears as the main antagonist in the 2018 novel The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes, and a supporting protagonist in the sequels.
Cizin, under the name Ah Puch, appears in Maya and the Three (2021), voiced by Rita Moreno.

References

1 2 3 4 "Cizin | Maya god". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
1 2 Read, Kay Almere; Gonzalez, Jason J. (2002-06-13). Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. OUP USA. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-19-514909-8.
↑ Quick, P. S. (2015-11-17). All About: Mysterious Maya. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-78538-320-5.
↑ Abel, Ernest L. (2009-03-20). Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. ABC-CLIO. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-313-35713-8.
1 2 3 4 5 Bingham, Ann; Roberts, Jeremy (2010). South and Meso-American Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4381-2958-7.
↑ Jordan, Michael (May 14, 2014). Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. Infobase Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4381-0985-5.
↑ Witschey, Walter Robert Thurmond; Brown, Clifford T. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica. Scarecrow Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-8108-7167-0.
1 2 Read, Kay Almere; Gonzalez, Jason J. (June 13, 2002). Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. OUP USA. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-19-514909-8.
↑ Willey, Gordon R. (January 1, 1965). Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 2 and 3: Archaeology of Southern Mesoamerica. University of Texas Press. p. 674. ISBN 978-1-4773-0655-0.
↑ "The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
↑ Quick, P. S. (November 17, 2015). All About: Mysterious Maya. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-78538-320-5.
↑ Abel, Ernest L. (March 20, 2009). Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. ABC-CLIO. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-313-35713-8.
↑ Mahoney, Emily (December 15, 2017). The Mysterious Maya Civilization. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-5345-6185-4.
↑ Kampen, Michael Edwin (1981). The Religion of the Maya. BRILL. p. 7. ISBN 978-90-04-06400-3.
↑ Taube, Karl A.; Taube, Professor of Anthropology Karl A. (1992). The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan. Dumbarton Oaks. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-88402-204-6.
↑ Faiella, Graham (2005). Mesoamerican Mythology. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4042-0772-1.
↑ "The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
↑ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (July 4, 2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-135-96390-3.
1 2 Thompson, John Eric Sidney (1990). Maya History and Religion. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-8061-2247-2.
↑ "Ah Puch | Horrific God of Decay". www.smitegame.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
↑ Giardina, Carolyn (August 24, 2021). "Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Rita Moreno Lend Their Voices To 'Maya and the Three'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2026.

[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 "Cizin | Maya god". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 5, 2020.

[:1-2] 1 2 Read, Kay Almere; Gonzalez, Jason J. (2002-06-13). Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. OUP USA. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-19-514909-8.

[3] Quick, P. S. (2015-11-17). All About: Mysterious Maya. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-78538-320-5.

[4] Abel, Ernest L. (2009-03-20). Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. ABC-CLIO. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-313-35713-8.

[:2-5] 1 2 3 4 5 Bingham, Ann; Roberts, Jeremy (2010). South and Meso-American Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4381-2958-7.

[6] Jordan, Michael (May 14, 2014). Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. Infobase Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4381-0985-5.

[7] Witschey, Walter Robert Thurmond; Brown, Clifford T. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica. Scarecrow Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-8108-7167-0.

[:12-8] 1 2 Read, Kay Almere; Gonzalez, Jason J. (June 13, 2002). Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. OUP USA. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-19-514909-8.

[9] Willey, Gordon R. (January 1, 1965). Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 2 and 3: Archaeology of Southern Mesoamerica. University of Texas Press. p. 674. ISBN 978-1-4773-0655-0.

[10] "The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2021.

[11] Quick, P. S. (November 17, 2015). All About: Mysterious Maya. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-78538-320-5.

[12] Abel, Ernest L. (March 20, 2009). Death Gods: An Encyclopedia of the Rulers, Evil Spirits, and Geographies of the Dead. ABC-CLIO. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-313-35713-8.

[13] Mahoney, Emily (December 15, 2017). The Mysterious Maya Civilization. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-5345-6185-4.

[14] Kampen, Michael Edwin (1981). The Religion of the Maya. BRILL. p. 7. ISBN 978-90-04-06400-3.

[15] Taube, Karl A.; Taube, Professor of Anthropology Karl A. (1992). The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan. Dumbarton Oaks. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-88402-204-6.

[16] Faiella, Graham (2005). Mesoamerican Mythology. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4042-0772-1.

[17] "The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 11, 2021.

[18] Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (July 4, 2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-135-96390-3.

[thompson-19] 1 2 Thompson, John Eric Sidney (1990). Maya History and Religion. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-8061-2247-2.

[20] "Ah Puch | Horrific God of Decay". www.smitegame.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.

[:13-21] Giardina, Carolyn (August 24, 2021). "Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Rita Moreno Lend Their Voices To 'Maya and the Three'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2026.