Neptune's Dolphins

Once ranging from Arizona to Argentina, the jaguar is now only found in the rainforests of Central and South America. The largest Cat of the Americas, he is the only representative of the Panther Sub-Family (Pantherinae) (Note 1) in the New World. This powerfully built, relatively stocky Big Cat (Note 2) likes to roam close to rivers and lakes. A strong swimmer, he likes the water, unlike most other cats. The jaguar catches fish, otters, and caimans that live in the tropical rivers. In addition, he is the only Big Cat that regularly kills his prey by piercing the skull with his canines.

 

Worshiped and feared for his ability as a hunter, the jaguar’s lifestyle is still unknown to people. Nocturnally prowling through the moist lowland forests, the jaguar became mystically associated with the underworld, night, and fertility. Since the jaguar is the only Big Cat that cannot roar, He silently “escorts” people out of his rainforest. The Mayas and Aztecs thought that the jaguar could shape shift as well, because of his elusive qualities.

 

Important to Central American religions, Jaguar is a fierce God of Fertility and Sacrifices, the Ruler of the Underworld. The Mayas and Aztecs formed religious, military, and political structures around their worship of Jaguar. The Jaguar granted warriors fierceness in combat. Tezcatlipoca, Jaguar God of the Aztecs, is the God of the Night. (Note 3) For the Mayas, Jaguar is the Night Sun who journeys through the night. Modern Mayas believe that the jaguar protects their villages at each entrance.

 

In South America, the Bororo have a cosmological relation with the “Jaguar Spirit.” The Caingua believe that a jaguar roaming near a burial ground was the transformed spirit of the Dead. The Kogi believe that the jaguar defends the archaeological sites.

 

Because of his mythic power, the Catholic Church, in the 17 Century, outlawed Jaguar images and costumes. However today, masked Jaguar festivals are held on Corpus Christi throughout Central America. Even in the modern age, Jaguar is still feared and revered. “It is a dweller of the forests …It is the lord, the ruler of the animals,” observed Fr. Bernardino de Sahagun. In Mexico, the “danza de los tecuanes” (jaguar dances) are still performed.

 

Meanwhile, the “black panther” (Note 4) is actually a jaguar with melanistic (black) coloration. Quite frequent in jaguars, the black color helps them hide more effectively in the dark jungles. Forest (dark) Jaguars are usually smaller in size than Golden Jaguars.

 

To the Aztecs, Black Panther saw the shadow inside every being. He represented the Great Smoking Mirror. In this role, He foretold the future, kept Time, and was the Gatekeeper to the Unknownable. He is the God Tezcatlipoca, the Obsidian Mirror.

 

In his jungle, the jaguar walks without fear as the Master of the Night. He teaches those who have the courage to face him, also to live without fear. People, who calmly go with the jaguar as their escort, walk in the darkness with a protector.

 

Notes

Note 1: True panthers (Panthera pardus) live in the Old World. The jaguar (Panthera onca) is found only in the New World. The jaguar is stockier, and more powerful than the panther (also known as the leopard.) However, they belong to the same Sub-Family. Meanwhile, the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is a separate species in the Big Cat family. However, the Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is considered neither a Small Cat nor a Big Cat.

 

Note 2. Cats are traditionally divided into two groups – Big and Small Cats. Big Cats (Pantherinae) differ from Small Cats (Felinae) in several ways. They roar instead of purr, with their roars being very loud and resonant. Unlike Small Cats, Big Cats attack animals larger than themselves. They suffocate the prey with a strangle hold on the neck or by covering the prey’s snout with their jaws. Messy eaters, Big Cats do not groom themselves as meticulously as Small Cats.

 

The Cat Subfamilies: Felinae includes the puma, ocelot, jaguarundi, and margay cat. Pantherinae includes the bobcat, jaguar, lion, leopard (panther), lynx, and tiger.

 

Note 3. A post will discuss this God in depth.

 

Note 4: “Panther” is a commonly used word for several cats. The puma (cougar), a member of the Small Cat Sub-family, is called “panther.” The leopard is also called “panther.”