Ah Puch

Ah Puch is the Maya god of death and the ruler of the lowest underworld realm, often identified as Metnal within the Xibalba hierarchy. He was associated with disease, decay, and the dead, and was one of the most feared deities in the Maya pantheon.

Ah Puch is typically depicted as a skeletal figure with a decomposing body, often shown with a skull-like face and protruding ribs. He is frequently adorned with rattles worn around his body and sometimes wears a collar of disembodied eyes, emphasizing his connection to death and corruption.

In Maya cosmology, Ah Puch rules over Metnal, which is considered the lowest and most terrible level of Xibalba—the Maya underworld. Xibalba was the realm of death reached after dying, and Metnal was specifically associated with the most profound suffering and decay.

Ah Puch is sometimes identified with or equated to Hunhau (Hun Ahau), who was described by colonial-era sources such as Bishop Diego de Landa as a principal lord of death in the Maya underworld. Scholars debate whether these names refer to the same deity or to distinct death gods worshipped in different Maya regions and time periods.