Consistent with the excessive fear of death prevalent among the ancient Maya, the god of death ranks fourth in number of depictions in the codices, appearing 88 times in the three manuscripts. He is portrayed with all the attributes of death: his head is a skull, his ribs and vertebrae are exposed; or, if his body does have flesh on, it is bloated and covered in black circles suggesting the discoloration of the body due to decomposition.

Bell-shaped ornaments were an essential part of the death god's costume. These sometimes appear tied to his hair, or to bands tied round his forearms and legs, but most often the hang from a ruff-like collar. These bells, of all sizes, made of copper (and sometimes of gold) were found in large quantities when the Sacred Well at Chichen Itza was dredged, presumably thrown there together with sacrificial victims.

Ah Puch is the antithesis of Itzamna and, like him, has two hieroglyphs for his name, the only other deity distinguished in this way. The first depicts a corpse's head with the eyes closed in death, and the second is the head of the god himself, with foreshortened nose and fleshless jaws, prefixed by a sacrificial flint knife.

Ah Puch is obviously a malevolant deity. His portrait, or the hieroglyph of his name, is associated with the god of war and of human sacrifice, and his constant companions are the dog, the Moán bird and the owl, all three considered creatures of ill omen and death.

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Introduction|Itzamna|Chac|Yum Kax|Ah Puch
Ek Chuah|Ah Katun|Xaman Ek|Ixchel|Ixtab