Xtabay

[5] According to Perez' Lexicon of the Maya Language, "Ix" is the feminine prefix, and "tab", "taab", and "tabil" translate to "rope intended for some exclusive use.

"[5] Ixtab was seen as a benevolent goddess who acted as a psychopomp to whoever hung themselves, leading them to paradise, as suicide was considered an honorable way of dying.

[8] Xkeban was treated poorly by her community for her promiscuous behavior while Utz-colel was considered virtuous for remaining celibate.

[4][7] Several days after Xkeban's death, the townspeople discovered her body guarded by animals and surrounded by fragrant flowers.

Xtabay will lie in wait under a tree to seduce her victim before throwing them over a cliff and finally ripping out their heart.

[2] An alternative version of the legend, particularly in Quintana Roo, states that Xtabay is the punisher of drunks, thieves, and violent criminals.

[12] Despite her promiscuous nature and the resulting ill-treatment by her community, Xkeban helped those around her, which ultimately made her worthy of being transformed into the xtabentún flower.

In contrast, Utz-colel believed she was virtuous because of her sexual purity and her community’s resulting kind treatment, but was also haughty and unkind to the downtrodden.

The moral of the legend is that celibacy and outward virtue can lead the unwary into the sin of pride and count for little unless governed by a kind heart (inner beauty) capable of compassion for those less fortunate than oneself.

[8] The Xtabay is known for her long black hair falling past her shoulders that she combs with the spines of the tzacam cactus.

[4] In the Yucatán peninsula, the word Xtabay illustrates undesirable behavior in women and men, and the legend is used by mothers and grandmothers to inculcate good behaviour in children.

[3] The myth also serves as a warning against the dangers of marital infidelity in the modern world, Xtabay's victims being generally husbands who have ventured from their homes at night to drink alcohol and seek the attention of other women.

[4] The myth is used by both parents and grandparents to impress early upon the young the need to resist the temptations they will face in adulthood to go out drinking at night and cheat on their partners.