The jaguar was for the Mayans one of the most powerful sacred figures, and of great importance for its pre-Hispanic culture. It represented at the same time, several idols of the natural and supernatural world; In addition to the respect that this civilization conferred on the feline for its strength and its extraordinary ability to hunt, they exalted it as the lord of animals.
Likewise, they maintained the belief that this animal controlled the cosmic forces of day and night, since its activity takes place at sunrise and sunset; likewise, it gained relevance as a symbol of darkness and light, embodying a sense of esotericism and mystery.
Likewise, the dark spots on the feline’s skin represented the stars; although it was for them a symbol of the underworld; The Mayans maintained that during the night the god of the Sun transformed into a jaguar to travel in the dark, through the world of the dead;
Thus, through the times the jaguar was involved in all the representations of the Mayans; inclusive, even in the artistic and cultural expressions of Mayan art they are reflected in most of the monumental sculptures made of stone, and in statuettes made of jade; also in the fabrics of the Mayan clothing, in ceramics and in many metal works, the jaguar was chosen as a decorative and essential motif of the design; It is for this reason that this civilization granted him a sacred place, linking him with the god of maximum power.
Members of the military nobility dressed in jaguar skins; it is said that in battles the warriors imitated the roars of the feline to impress and fear their enemies. Likewise, those who used to have a mythical and religious relationship with the jaguar used claws instead of feet, and covered their bodies with the animal’s skin as a symbol of leadership; also, the emperors used jaguar outfits in war; at court they sat on thrones covered in coveted feline fur.
The devotion to the sacred figure of the jaguar was so great that the Mayans granted a series of particularities to many of their gods, with the same characteristics of the feline, such as Kinich Ahau, who in his nocturnal transit was known as the jaguar god, making representation of the underworld. The Mayans represented this deity with the ears and sharp teeth of a jaguar, and the beard as a symbol of the sun’s rays.
Also, for the astrology of the pre-Hispanic civilization, it was believed that those born under the ocelotl sign, (fourteenth sign of the Aztec calendar) they were influenced by the force of the jaguar; for what they claimed, they would be great warriors.
For the Mayans, the ethnic symbolism of the jaguar was an important icon where they managed to represent their power, strength and leadership. The emblematic feline meant an ambivalent animal for this mysterious civilization: the pennant of dawn, but also of darkness.