Jaguar God of The Underworld

There are several jaguar deities of the ancient Maya civilization. The Jaguar God of the Underworld, also known as the Jaguar Sun of the Underworld, is the supernatural patron god of war, fire, and the number seven (Busatta p5). This deity is portrayed on the central panel in the Temple of the Sun at Palenque as GIII of the Palenque Triad, the younger brother of the Hero Twins (Busatta p5). The Jaguar God of the Underworld, like other jaguars, is linked with caves (Busatta p6). Maya caves are often associated with the number seven, whose glyph in Maya script is an anthropomorphic jaguar.

History

The Jaguar God of the Underworld has roots in Olmec culture.

Associated Rituals

Stela 10 of Yaxchilan shows an image of the Jaguar God of the Underworld with a k'ak hieroglyph on his forehead that lends credence to the interpretation that this was the patron god of fire and fire making. (Houston 408-409) The "Fire-Entering" or "Fire-Drilling" ritual associated with this deity is depicted on many monuments, especially in the Eastern Peten. This ritual was performed when a new house was built. The Maya would use incense burners in the shape of the Jaguar God of the Underworld. Fragments of these burners have been found in Seibal.

Iconography and Representations in Artwork

As noted above, the Jaguar God of the Underworld dominates the picture plane of the central tablet in the Temple of the Sun at Palenque. (Miller p 114) The Jaguar God of the Underworld is depicted in similar attire in at least two sites, one in Sacul, El Peten and another in Naranjo. Stela 9 at Sacul depicts a standing ruler dressed as the Jaguar God of the Underworld, holding a knotted staff in one hand and a miniature shield. Stela 30 at Naranjo depicts similar markings. The ruler is holding the same type staff as the one at Sacul, with inscriptions that contain the end date and one earlier tun date of the Maya Long Count Calendar. In his other hand he is holding a trident-like flint object. These same attributes have also been found on other monuments, such as Altar 5 at Tikal. (Houston 404-407)

Other Jaguar Deities

The Water Lily Jaguar is a deity associated with the Sun and Venus. The number nine is represented by a jaguar head. The name of the fourteenth day of the 260-day Tzolk'in calendar is Ix, whick means female jaguar. The Ix is the prefix for "woman" and accounts for the "female", "lunar" aspects of the jaguar 4.(Busatta p 6)

Notes

1. ^ Busatta, p. 5

2. ^ Busatta, P. 6

3. ^ Houston, P. 404

4. ^ Houston, p. 405

5. ^ Houston, p. 406

6. ^ Houston, p. 407

7. ^ Houston, p. 408

8. ^ Houston, p. 409

9. ^ Miller, p. 114

References

Busatta, Sandra (2007). Good To Think: Animals and Power (KU Libraries/GoogleScholar Article online reproduction). Italy: University of Padova (Italy). OCLC Antrocom 2007 4-1-3-102. Retrieved 2012-02-24. {{cite book}}: Check |oclc= value (help); templatestyles stripmarker in |author= at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Miller, Mary Ellen (1999). Maya Art and Architecture. New York: Thames & Hudson Ltd, London. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); templatestyles stripmarker in |author= at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Houston, Stephen D., Editer (1998). Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Trustees for Harvard University. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); templatestyles stripmarker in |author= at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)