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> Homepage > Welcome > Learn more > Culture > Mayan traditions >   Snake woman of the forest
The female being called the Xtabay is shrouded in mystery and there are several versions of the myth. According to one story she is an evil spirit who dwells in the trunk of an ancient ceiba. She preys on men who venture into the jungle alone, suddenly appearing in the form of a lovely but snake-like woman and luring them off the path. She bewitches them so that they forget everything, makes them mad and sends them to hell. Another version relates that the Xtabay controls moral behavior in the community, punishing those who commit crimes or violent acts by stealing them away and killing them. The cizin or devil can be conjured up by just calling his name and is called kakazbaal (a very bad thing). He is a shape shifter and his disguise varies with his purpose at the time.
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© 2004 Editorial Veras. La guía Oficial del Caribe Mexicano.