Maya Jaguar Shaman

El Yaguaro—one who kills in one leap—is a key figure in Maya culture. Unlike other big cats, the jaguar is a strong swimmer. They wait in ambush, draped over branches above the water, and watch for fish. They are clever; using the tips of their tails to agitate the water, attract their prey, and grab them with their powerful claws. They are loners and stake out territory covering several hundred square miles. Like many ancient cultures, the Maya were in awe of these powerful attributes and transformed them into god-like abilities. Ultimately, the jaguar morphed into the were-jaguar, the oldest deity of the Maya, dating back over three-thousand years.

The Maya believe day and night are two different worlds. Shaman must travel between these worlds. Daytime—world of the living and the earth. Nighttime—world of the dead and spirits. They chose the jaguar as their nagual—the ultimate protector—as a bridge between worlds. Today, in Guatemala and Central America, shaman don the jaguar pelt to perform the same ceremonies their ancestors performed thousands of years ago. His name, Balam, and image are found throughout their culture: literature, art, textiles. The Jaguar Priest’s job description is a big one. He must impersonate and invoke the deity and regulate the calendar. His work involves interpreting omens and identifying lucky and unlucky days. They are duty-bound to work miracles including calling the rain, ending droughts or plagues. The Maya were advanced astronomers, using their study of the night sky to predict the future. The Jaguar Priest read the sacred scriptures from the katun (calendar) and designed the stelae that recorded the triumphs of their Kings. And, they fed the hungry.

In Maya and Olmec art, the jaguar takes on distinctive, and surprising, attributes. One identifies the were-jaguar by a deep cleft on its head, almond shaped eyes, snarling downturned mouth, and fleshy lips. They are often depicted seated or crouching, with a human countenance on a cat’s body. Paintings on tombs depict warriors or shaman, dressed in the jaguar pelt. Archaeologists uncovered a string instrument—the only one known to pre-date the European conquest—that sounds like a jaguar’s growl.

Too often, we lose the treasures of ancient cultures. The Maya were and are a literate culture, rich with mystery, power, and knowledge. We need to remember that our knowledge of this culture is miniscule. Experts all agree that the unknown far outweighs the known. The Maya kept time in cycles. They believe that history repeats. We can learn so much, if we listen.