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As the major predator of Mesoamerica, the jaguar was revered by pre-Columbian societies, and adoption of jaguar motifs by the ruling elite was used to reinforce or validate leadership. [18] However, this does not explain the werejaguar motif in and of itself, and the possible origins of the motif have engaged scholars for over a half century.
No doubt, the jaguar's brilliant coat made it quite desirable, however, not all were allowed to don the jaguar pelt as it became the identification of the ruling class for the Maya. Not only did Maya kings wear jaguar pelts, but they also adopted the jaguar as part of their ruling name, as a symbol of their might and authority.
Sculptures with "Olmec were-jaguar" motifs were found on the Yucatán Peninsula in Veracruz and Tabasco; they show stylized jaguars with half-human faces. [147] In the later Maya civilization , the jaguar was known as balam or bolom' in many of the Mayan languages , and was used to symbolize warriors and the elite class for being brave, fierce ...
Its nose is human. Its downturned mouth is open, as if in mid-squall. The upper lip is everted and toothless gums are often visible. Olmec motifs associated with the were-jaguar include a cleft on the head or headdress, a headband, and cross-bars. [22] Most were-jaguar figurines show an inert were-jaguar baby being held by an adult.
It was associated with the veneration of the jaguar, with priests and shamans among the various peoples who followed this tradition, wearing the skins of jaguars to "become" a were-jaguar. Among the Aztecs, an entire class of specialized warriors who dressed in the jaguar skins were called "jaguar warriors" or "jaguar knights". Depictions of ...
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Changeling – Humanoid child (fairy, elf, troll, etc.) substituted for a kidnapped human child; Charybdis – Sea monster in the form of a giant mouth; Chenoo (Mi'kmaq/Algonquian) – Giant, human-eating ice monsters; former humans who either committed terrible crime(s) or were possessed by evil spirits, turning their hearts to ice
These creatures have a human-like upright gait, come hairier than humans but not as hairy as an ape, and have a distinct ape-like face, according to the Lio people’s accounts to Forth.