Tradition / Region: Maya Mythology, Guatemala Mythology
Alternative names: Cama-Zotz, Sotz, Zotz
Category: Bat
The Myth
Camazotz, whose name means “Death Bat,” is a bat spirit that serves the lords of Xibalba, the Maya underworld. It is closely associated with the night, death, and sacrifice.
According to the Popol Vuh, the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque encountered Camazotz during their trials in the underworld. One of the ordeals required them to spend the night in the House of Bats, a chamber inhabited by deadly bat spirits. To protect themselves, the twins hid inside their hollow blowguns while the bats circled around them.
Before dawn, Hunahpu cautiously poked his head out to see whether the sun had risen. Camazotz immediately swooped down, severed his head, and carried it away. The bat spirit placed the head on the ballcourt, where it was used as the ball for the underworld gods’ sacred ballgame.
Camazotz is portrayed as a fearsome supernatural bat whose sudden attack became one of the greatest trials faced by the Hero Twins on their journey through Xibalba.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Camazotz. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camazotz