Among the Yucatec Maya, there exists a tale of two sisters. The people called this woman
, and they called her sister
.
The girl named
, who was commonly known as Xkeban, was infamous in her hometown for her lascivious way of life. Hardly a person could be found who had not either lain with her, or could not name one who had. As such, she was reviled by the public for her improper way of life.
And yet, even as the masses looked upon her behaviour with scorn, Xkeban would give all that she had for the poor and downtrodden. Much of the many gifts and great wealth she acquired from her paramours would be given to dress those who had no clothes, or to buy medicine to treat the sickly. When her neighbours had 'useless' or sickly animals to get rid of, Xkeban would take them in and tend to them herself. Even as the townsfolk spat vicious words at her, Xkeban would never reply in kind.
One day, Xkeban went missing. This disappearance was paid little mind by most of the people - it would not be the first time that Xkeban had left town for a day or two to visit a lover from a neighbouring town. However, as time passed and Xkeban did not return, an enticing scent caught the attention of all across town, and so they searched for the source. Eventually, the people traced that lovely aroma to Xkeban's home. When they entered, they found her on the floor, dead. Around her were the animals she raised, licking her corpse clean of grime and flies, keeping her body fresh, and it was that body that gave off that sweet perfume.
Xkeban's funeral was a small affair - she was buried by a few people who felt pity for the hated woman's fate. But the next day, the townsfolk would all flock to her grave, as it was suddenly overgrown with flowering vines, each bloom giving off that same bewitching scent for all to enjoy. This plant came to be known by the Maya people as
xtabentún
The Twisting Vine that Grows Upon the Rocks
.
Utz-Colel was outspoken with her disbelief regarding this state of events; she declared that this must have been the work of wicked spirits seeking to tempt others to embrace sin, for how else could anything but a foul stench come from the corpse of a sinner? She declared that when her end came, her corpse would give off a scent far, far more lovely than that of a whore like Xkeban.
Some time would pass, and Utz-Colel would also die. Her funeral was a grand affair - all of the town came in sorrow for the beloved woman's fate. But soon after her burial, a rancid scent would emerge from Utz-Colel's grave, disproving the claim she made when Xkeban died. Furthermore, in the days to follow, a
tzacam cactus grew from Utz-Colel's grave, adorned by flowers that gave no scent at first approach, but proved to be foul when held close to the nose.
It would be from witnessing these events, that the people would reflect upon the ways of the two sisters, and they would conclude that regardless of the purity or sinfulness of one's actions, a person's goodness came from their heart.
While the legend behind the name
Xtabay would continue on, Xkeban's tale would end here... except for one matter. The flowers that grew upon her grave, the
xtabentún, would become the source of a honey-based liquor of the same name, said to be as sweet and intoxicating as the love of that woman who pursued and shared the pleasures of the flesh with the entirety of her pure heart.