In the series of the first, second, and third magic war, the third and ultimate magic war is the clearest manifestation of the power of the word. Junajpu and Xbalanke/Ixbalanqué use their intelligence to communicate with the natural world, achieve a common end, bring about the punishment of transgressors, and maintain the equilibrium of life -- the ultimate goal of Mesoamer
In this instance, Junajpu and Xb’alanke use the trickery of the lords of Xibalba against them. They request help from a mosquito (Xa’n or Us in modern K’iche’) named Xan to fly forward and sting all of the lords. In this comedic scene, one lord in the series is stung and another lord asks the other what happened, until all the lords have named themselves to the Hero Twins. Notably, the first two dummy lords do not name themselves.
The House of Cold was one of the challenges for the Hero Twins put in place by the Lords of Xibalba. However, the name changes depending on whether Jun Junajpu and Wuqub’ Junajpu, or Junajpu and Xb’alamke are entering. The name itself changes from “House of Cold” or “Shivering/Rattling House” to “Kneeling House.” Ximénez first calls it, in K’iche’, “vcab / chi cut xuxulim ha vbi ꜩaꜩ chi teu vpam zac xuruxuh zac / caracoh,” and, in Spanish, “casa donde arrodillaban, do solo auía mucho / frío de muy intolerable, eínsoportable frío” (15r).
Cuando Jun Junajpu y Wuqub Junajpu llegan a Xibalba, tienen que pasar por varios ríos, conforme al texto k'iche'. Después de cruzar el río de espinas y el de sangre, llegaron a uno de pus. Pasan por él sin problema, tal como superan todos los demás obstáculos geográficos del inframundo. En la traducción española, observamos que el padre dominico Francisco de Ximénez elimina la referencia al río de pus (puj chi ja'). El lector español entiende que del río de sangre los hermanos pasan inmediatamente a la crucijada de los cuatro puntos cardinales de Xibalba.