Maya jaguar gods
Encyclopedia
The pre-Columbian
Maya civilization
had various jaguar
gods, in addition to jaguar demi-gods, (ancestral) protectors, and transformers. The main jaguar deities are given below. Their associated narratives (part of Maya mythology
) are still largely to be reconstructed. Lacandon and Tzotzil-Tzeltal
oral tradition are particularly rich in jaguar lore.
' around the eyes (making a loop over the nose), jaguar ears, and jaguar fangs. He personifies the number Seven, which is associated with the day Ak'b'al 'Night'. Usually called 'Jaguar God of the Underworld', he has traditionally been assumed to be the 'Night Sun', i.e., the shape taken by the sun (Kinich Ahau
) during his nightly journey through the underworld. There is little to validate this view; what we do know is, that the so-called Jaguar God of the Underworld was identified with a star or constellation (rather than with the sun), and with terrestrial fire. He is often represented on incense burners, and is connected to fire rituals. The 'cruller' may represent a cord used in making fire with a stick. Vases in codical style show him, captured, about to be burnt with torches, perhaps initiating his stellar transformation. The god's other sphere of influence is that of war, witness for example the stereotypical presence of his face on several war shields.
(according to the designation of codical gods), one of the oldest Mayan deities, and associated with black sorcery and riches, belongs to the jaguar deities: He has jaguar ears and a jaguar mantle and lives in a jaguar palace. Some take him to be the main ruler over the Underworld, and in that sense, god L would have to be considered the true "Jaguar God of the Underworld".
). Personified as a tree, he witnesses the shooting of the Principal Bird Deity and of the Vulture King by Hun-Ahpu.
, Xbalanque, has patches of jaguar pelt stuck to his skin.
. The Water Lily Jaguar (so called because of the water lily
on its head) is both a giant jaguar protector, looming large above the king (e.g., Tikal
wooden lintel 3, temple I), and a transformer often shown amidst flames. A specific and as yet unexplained transformation into a jaguar involves a male child with jaguar ears and a jaguar tail (the so-called Jaguar Baby). This Jaguar Baby can assume the features of the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire.
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
had various jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
gods, in addition to jaguar demi-gods, (ancestral) protectors, and transformers. The main jaguar deities are given below. Their associated narratives (part of Maya mythology
Maya mythology
Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Mayan tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles...
) are still largely to be reconstructed. Lacandon and Tzotzil-Tzeltal
Tzeltal people
The Tzeltal people are the largest indigenous group mostly located in the highlands or Los Altos region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. They are one of many Mayan ethnic groups and they speak a a language which belongs to the Tzeltalan subgroup of Mayan languages...
oral tradition are particularly rich in jaguar lore.
The Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire
The Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire is recognizable by a 'crullerCruller
A cruller, or twister, is a twisted and usually ring-shaped fried pastry. It is traditionally made of dough somewhat like that of a cake doughnut, often topped with plain powdered sugar; powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon; or icing...
' around the eyes (making a loop over the nose), jaguar ears, and jaguar fangs. He personifies the number Seven, which is associated with the day Ak'b'al 'Night'. Usually called 'Jaguar God of the Underworld', he has traditionally been assumed to be the 'Night Sun', i.e., the shape taken by the sun (Kinich Ahau
Kinich Ahau
Kinich Ahau is the 16th-century Yucatec name of the Maya sun god, designated as god G in the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube classification. In the Classic period, god G is depicted as a middle-aged man with an aquiline nose, large square eyes, cross-eyed, and a filed incisor in the upper row of teeth....
) during his nightly journey through the underworld. There is little to validate this view; what we do know is, that the so-called Jaguar God of the Underworld was identified with a star or constellation (rather than with the sun), and with terrestrial fire. He is often represented on incense burners, and is connected to fire rituals. The 'cruller' may represent a cord used in making fire with a stick. Vases in codical style show him, captured, about to be burnt with torches, perhaps initiating his stellar transformation. The god's other sphere of influence is that of war, witness for example the stereotypical presence of his face on several war shields.
God L
God LGod L
God L of the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube classification of codical gods is one of the major pre-Spanish Maya deities, specifically associated with trade. He is characterized by high age, jaguar traits , a broad feathery hat topped by an owl, and by a jaguar mantle or a cape with a pattern somewhat...
(according to the designation of codical gods), one of the oldest Mayan deities, and associated with black sorcery and riches, belongs to the jaguar deities: He has jaguar ears and a jaguar mantle and lives in a jaguar palace. Some take him to be the main ruler over the Underworld, and in that sense, god L would have to be considered the true "Jaguar God of the Underworld".
The Jaguar Goddess of Midwifery and War
The aged goddess of midwifery, curing, and war Ix Chel, belongs to the jaguar deities. She has jaguar ears and claws and can show the looped cruller element of the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire (Birth Vase), suggesting that she might be a spouse to this deity.The Jaguar Patron of the month of Pax
The patron deity of the month of Pax has jaguar paws above his ears, a removed lower jaw, and vomits blood. In 16th-century Yucatan, rituals held in the month of Pax centered on the war leader and the puma deity, Cit Chac Coh. Particularly scenes on pottery show the Pax deity to be intimately associated with war and human sacrifice. He presides over the transformation of a child into a jaguar (see below) and performs a sacrificial dance around the captured Rain Deity (ChaacChaac
Chaac is the name of the Maya rain deity. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds and produces thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among the Aztecs.-Rain deities and rain makers:...
). Personified as a tree, he witnesses the shooting of the Principal Bird Deity and of the Vulture King by Hun-Ahpu.
The Aged Jaguar Paddler
One of two aged deities steering the canoe with the Tonsured Maize God has a jaguar headdress and is associated with Night, like the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire. Little else is known about him.The Jaguar Twin Hero
The protective War Hero Twin of the Popol VuhPopol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
, Xbalanque, has patches of jaguar pelt stuck to his skin.
Jaguar Protectors and Jaguar Transformers
Less clearly classifiable as deities are jaguar protectors (perhaps ancestors) and jaguar transformersTransformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
. The Water Lily Jaguar (so called because of the water lily
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
on its head) is both a giant jaguar protector, looming large above the king (e.g., Tikal
Tikal
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala...
wooden lintel 3, temple I), and a transformer often shown amidst flames. A specific and as yet unexplained transformation into a jaguar involves a male child with jaguar ears and a jaguar tail (the so-called Jaguar Baby). This Jaguar Baby can assume the features of the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire.