The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest feline in the Americas and occupies a central place in the religious systems of Mesoamerican peoples. Its presence in Indigenous thought is explained both by its status as a predator and by its physical strength and nocturnal behavior, elements that associate it with the night and the underworld. Throughout Mesoamerica, from the Preclassic through the Postclassic periods, the feline maintained an association with atmospheric and cosmic phenomena, as demonstrated by its diverse representations.
The jaguar embodied deities such as Tezcatlipoca and Tepeyóllotl, “Heart of the Mountain,” who were linked to the underworld, fertility, and warfare. It appears frequently in codices, reliefs, and ceramics, where it functions as a visual metaphor for warrior ferocity, political authority, and the “fierce” character of rulers. In some contemporary communities of Oaxaca, eating jaguar meat is considered a source of bravery, as it is believed to confer the power to hypnotize one's enemies. The Me'phaa (Tlapanecs) of the state of Guerrero perform sacrifices of felines, as representations of the jaguar, to ensure the effective performance of local authorities, who are expected to work with “fierceness” on behalf of the community. In the past, Mexica rulers consumed jaguar meat broth for similar purposes.
In various cosmogonic narratives, the jaguar is conceived as a liminal being, capable of moving between different planes of the cosmos, between day and night. These transitions are equated with changes of cycle, especially agricultural and cosmic ones (transformations and beginnings of eras). A myth collected by Samuel Villela explains the origin of maize, as well as the alternation between the dry and rainy seasons, through the metaphor of a fight between jaguars. Among contemporary Nahua communities of the Montaña region of Guerrero, the ritual known as the “Jaguar Fight” constitutes a petition for rain, in which the blood shed by the participants serves a propitiatory function.
In a time of hunger and hardship, Acatl and Cihuatzin beget a green jaguar and a yellow jaguar, respectively. These jaguars would become their nahuales (that is, their animal alter egos), determined to help humankind.
The jaguars attempt to enter Tonacatépetl (the mythical mountain that contains food, especially maize), but it is guarded by the Tzicatanas (large ants). Through trickery, the green jaguar distracts them while the yellow jaguar steals the food seeds. But Tláloc discovers them and sends lightning, wind, and rain against them.
The jaguars roll down the mountainside to escape, but along the way they lose the seeds. The yellow jaguar reproaches the green one, and they begin to fight. The fight lasts several days. Meanwhile, the people of the village realize that the seeds are germinating, and as a result, the gods forgive humankind.