Gods of Jade and Shadow

Hun-Kamé is the Lord of Xibalba, the kingdom of the Underworld. In the fairy-tale framework, he is the archetypal handsome prince with “beauty sketched from smoke and dreams” (22). His fatal flaw is his arrogance born of immortality and inherited power. As the Lord of Death, he was never questioned and expected deference at all times. Vucub-Kamé’s betrayal was the first time Hun-Kamé experienced defiance against his rule, and as a god, the only path he knows is of regaining power and punishing Vucub-Kamé. Only with the humanity provided through his connection with Casiopea can he gain perspective on his power lust and save himself, Xibalba, and his brother. If Hun-Kamé had punished Vucub-Kamé for his betrayal, Vucub-Kamé could have found a way to betray Hun-Kamé again continuing a violent cycle that could lead to the gods’ extinction. Casiopea’s humanity and his awakened love help Hun-Kamé forgive his brother forever change the character of Xibalba. Instead of taking Casiopea as a prize like a traditional fairy-tale prince, Hun-Kamé maintains his freedom, keeping his love for Casiopea in his eyes. Unlike the traditional fairy-tale hero, he does not save Casiopea; she frees him from his enchanted confinement, and together they help defeat Vucub-Kamé. These departures from the traditional fairy tale show that myths need not operate within patriarchal narrative boundaries to produce exciting, epic stories and that good and evil are nuanced rather than binary concepts.

Vucub-Kamé is the antagonist of Gods of Jade and Shadow. He thinks of himself as “a selfish creature, prone to nursing grievances” (49). These characteristics establish the backstory of Gods of Jade and Shadow: Vucub-Kamé’s entrapment of Hun-Kamé—using Martín as bait—creates the situation from which Casiopea rescues him. In addition to playing the role of a fairy-tale villain, Vucub-Kamé is Hun-Kamé’s narrative double. As twins, they already represent two sides of the same person. Symbolically, they represent two different ways of dealing with society’s changes. While Hun-Kamé understands the evolving nature of human religion, Vucub-Kamé wants to return to the old ways that involve brutality and human sacrifice. Humanity’s fate does not matter as long as it helps him regain his power.

Rather than casting Vucub-Kamé as a one-dimensional villain, the novel reveals that Hun-Kamé's inability to share power drove Vucub-Kamé to seek other means of survival. The novel does not excuse Vucub-Kamé’s actions, but it puts them in perspective. Hun-Kamé’s forgiveness allows Vucub-Kamé to grow, and the brothers’ union rather than their division strengthens Xibalba as a result.

Martín is Casiopea’s cousin and represents the patriarchal system under which Casiopea and her mother suffer. At the beginning of the story, Martín is the primary antagonist for Casiopea. He is physically imposing and the threat of violence to make Casiopea afraid. Martín shows the power men have traditionally held over women in Mexican family and society. The people of Martín’s small hometown respect him because of his grandfather’s status: Martín does not earn anyone’s respect on his own. Casiopea is smarter and more skilled than Martín, but Martín holds power over her because of his masculinity. Once Martín leaves his town and family, he realizes what little power he has. Without the structures that elevate him, he is insignificant. This revelation and the power which Vucub-Kamé holds over him are the catalysts for his transformation. By the end of the novel, Martín has reassessed his self-concept. The race on the Black Road has taught him humility, and he realizes that does not have Casiopea’s strength or courage. It is not specified what happens at the end of the novel, but it is likely that Martín will embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Loray is a demon with eyes that are “an impossible shade of green” (35). He resides in a mansion in Mérida, and he takes the appearance of a polished member of the upper class, which makes his eyes the only marker of his supernatural existence. Loray symbolizes the power of self-interest. He believes Hun-Kamé has the ability to emerge victorious over Vucub-Kamé and so chooses to help him, but he also prepares for the possibility of Vucub-Kamé’s victory. He advises Casiopea do the same and tells her that cutting off her hand to kill Hun-Kamé would endear her to Vucub-Kamé. As a demon, Loray has no problem with such sudden switches of allegiance, making him morally ambiguous. His moral ambiguity brings Casiopea’s strong moral compass into stark clarity. Even when she does not know Hun-Kamé, she is unwilling to entertain Loray’s suggestion because betraying Hun-Kamé feels wrong, and Casiopea strives to do the right thing.

Xtabay is a figure from Mayan mythology. In the myths, she is a demon who lives in the forest and takes the form of a beautiful woman in order to seduce men. She left her forest home on Vucub-Kamé’s behest to guard one of Hun-Kamé’s pieces. She dislikes being so far from her home, which shows how Moreno-Garcia updated the myth to fit the book. Xtabay remembers her woods and life of seduction fondly, but by contrast, she has forgotten her mortal beginnings like “the imprint of a shell in the sand long erased” (168). Her selective memory symbolizes how we keep the parts of us we most wish to cultivate and let the rest fall aside to be eroded by time.

Cirilo Leyva is Casiopea’s grandfather and a secondary antagonist of Gods of Jade and Shadow. According to Casiopea, he is a cruel man who has “more poison in his shriveled body than was in the stinger of a white scorpion” (3). Cirilo’s unkind treatment of others stems from his own feelings of inadequacy. Like Martín, he is of average talent and intelligence, and he builds himself up by pushing others he deems less than himself, like Casiopea, down. Cirilo’s willingness to help Vucub-Kamé destroy Hun-Kamé shows how desperation will drive people to do anything Cirilo wanted a better life, and when Vucub-Kamé offered that life in exchange for help, Cirilo did the god’s bidding without question.

Aníbal Zavala is a sorcerer who aids Vucub-Kamé with his plan to take over Xibalba. Zavala symbolizes the power of loyalty and of false information. Vucub-Kamé wants power for himself and has convinced Zavala that such power is what the world needs. Zavala is willing to assist Vucub-Kamé in his takeover, even if the result brings back brutal practices and halts centuries of progress. The consequences don’t matter to Zavala because he is completely enthralled by Vucub-Kamé’s desires, and Zavala believes the takeover can only benefit him, either not knowing or caring how it could harm him.