The Jaguar and the Mayan Cultures

Dale R. Croes

doi:10.7273/000006412

The jaguar is the largest cat found on the .American continent, where it ranges from Texas through Central and South America to Patagonia. The jaguar easily adapted to the area known as the Mayan region. Before man's arrival this giant cat had few enemies. After man appeared he and the jaguar subsisted side by side in natural fear of one another. The jaguar could not relate his association with humans, but man, being of a symbolic nature, had attempted to define his relationship with this spotted cat. This paper is an attempt to show how the Mayan felt towards the jaguar and used his symbol in their culture. As an animal the jaguar was continually present to the peoples of Middle America. People in this area undoubtedly often came into contact with this mysterious cat of the forest. They saw the jaguar in their surrounding territory and could hear the cry of this great cat at night. This cry is deep and hoarse in tone, and consists of the sound pu pu, often repeated. The jaguar is basically yellow-gold with rosette-like spots. It is powerfully built, with a large head. A big male has a mouth wide enough to encase a humans' head. The jaguar sometimes attains a length of nine feet, of which the tail comprises some two and a half feet and a large male can weigh up to 400 lbs. This cat usually avoids man and rarely purposely attacks him unless wounded, trapped, or pressed by hunger. It is a skillful climber and preys basically upon deer and small mammals and sometimes upon fish. It has has developed a fond love of water.

The Jaguar and the Mayan Cultures

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