National geographic

NATURAL HISTORY
The Jaguar:
Divine Feline
of the Americas
MAYA FIGURE OF A
JAGUAR DEVOURING
A MAN. A.D. 700-900.
CAMPECHE, MEXICO
GRANGER/ALBUM
The Aztec called it the ocelotl, while in the Tupi-Guarani languages
of South America it is called the yaguara, meaning
“he who kills with one leap.” Whatever the name, the jaguar
has inspired fascination, fear, and reverence for centuries.
Throughout time, inhabitants
of Mesoamerica, the geographic
region comprising
Mexico and Central America,
all worshipped Panthera onca,
the jaguar. Apex carnivores with the
strongest bite of all the big cats, they once
roamed from the southern United States,
through Mexico and Central America, and
as far south as Argentina. Stealthy hunters
with camouflaging coats and eyes that
can see in the dark, they easily take down
prey anywhere—up in the trees, down on
the ground, or even swimming in rivers.
To the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica,
the jaguar was more than just an animal;
it was divine. Almost every ancient
Mesoamerican civilization revered the
jaguar in some way. The Olmec (circa
1200-400 B.C.) heavily featured jaguars in
their art and religion. Sculptures of cats
were popular, as were depictions of deities
who appear to be half human, half jaguar,
which scholars describe as were-jaguars.
The Maya also connected the magnificent
feline’s abilities with various natural
phenomena. The Maya believed that
the jaguar’s ability to see at night made it
possible for it to move between worlds,
associating it with the underworld and
mortality. Maya art and architecture are
also filled with jaguars, the most famous
perhaps is the red jaguar throne found in
El Castillo, the great pyramid of Chichén
Itzá, built more than 1,500 years ago.
Symbol of Strength
The jaguar became a universal symbol of
political and military power. In all Mesoamerican
cultures it is depicted on reliefs
and sculptures in temples and palaces.
The jaguar’s association with both light
and darkness gave it a complex, sacred
energy and transmitted its qualities to the
ruler, making the jaguar the ruler’s
nahual—an alter ego, or a kind of protective
animal counterpart.
The jaguar was also an icon for the
brave hunter and warrior, who created
military orders of jaguar soldiers. Their
members were the most valiant and highly
acclaimed. Gods, kings, warriors, and
priests added the jaguar epithet to their
names, burnishing their reputations with
a symbol of prestige and power. In Maya
civilization only kings could don their
spotted pelts.
The jaguar was believed to be an animal
of the stars as well as of the earth, playing
a highly prominent role in the mythology
of the Aztec and Mexica peoples roughly
MOST JAGUARS HAVE SPOTTED YELLOW COATS; SOME HAVE
MELANISTIC, OR ALL BLACK, FUR DUE TO GENETICS.
PHOTOCECH/GETTY IMAGES
10 JULY/AUGUST 2018