Jaguar-human pattern on the sacred land

Jaguar-human pattern on the sacred land

Jaguar mask the ancestor of the Mesoamerican rain god The Jaguar-Man supernatural being incorporates jaguar motifs and other features Although different scholars define the Jaguar-Man supernatural the Jaguar-Man was once considered the primary deity of Olmec culture Today it is believed to be just one of the deities This monument located in the heart of the ritual complex reminds us that governance in ancient Mesoamerica was deeply intertwined with cosmological ritual and the management of sacred space A bas-relief of a man holding a lively jaguar infant lies to the side of the altar An Olmec bronze sculpture depicting a Jaguar infant.

Interpreted as possibly symbolizing the ritual sacrifice of children to the Olmec powers this carved basalt known as Altar 5 was built by the Olmecs between 900 and 600 BC at the site of La Venta in modern-day Tabasco Mexico The jaguar-anthropomorphic motif is characterized by almond-shaped eyes a downturned mouth and a disembodied head This motif appears extensively in the Olmec archaeological record and in many cases under the principle of pars proto the jaguar-anthropomorphic motif represents the supernatural depicting a seated figure likely a ruler or ritual master emerging from a burrow or cave-like opening.

Olmec Jade Celt Depicting a Were-Jaguar Origin: Mexico Circa: 900 BC to 300 BC

The meaning of this image depicted in the arms has been debated for decades The niche may symbolize the cave an important cosmological element in Mesoamerican thought often associated with origin myths the underworld and divine power mythical rebirth or reincarnation a ruler communicating with the ancestors ritual or offerings or perhaps human sacrifice spirituality or symbolism The altar reflects the complexity of the Olmec belief system and its influence on later Mesoamerican cultures

The headdress was often indented and the headband was often divided horizontally and decorated with evenly spaced ornaments In addition to or often as an extension of the headdress the Olmec rain god also had earbands on the sides of the face and a crossed-stripe icon on the chest The Olmec rain god not only had the distinctive almond-shaped eyes indented head and downturned mouth—the jaguar-man motif—but also had several other distinctive features such as the headband and headdress

The Olmecs, the Parent Culture of Mesoamerica

Olmec symbolism Almost anything depicting an inverted mouth or indented head was called a jaguar-man A major 1965 exhibition focused on the Olmecs was titled Jaguar Children and called the jaguar-man the divine power of Olmec civilization However this concept of the jaguar motif was undermined by the discovery of Monument Las Limas I that same year a green stone sculpture depicting not only a jaguar cub but also four supernatural beings each with a indented head Analysis of this sculpture revealed the complexity of the Olmec supernatural Only Rainbaby appears to be a human-jaguar hybrid