Xibalba (Mayan pronunciation: [ʃiɓalˈɓa]), roughly translated as "place of fear",[1] is the name of the underworld in K'iche' Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. Cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba.[2] In some Maya areas, the Milky Way is viewed as the road to Xibalba.[3][4][5].