Maya civilization worshipped jaguars, viewing them as sacred. Jaguar symbolism represented power, strength, and fertility in Mayan culture.
The ancient Maya civilization, among others, believed they were descendants of jaguars. J
aguars held significant cultural and religious symbolism in Mayan society. The jaguar was associated with power, strength, and fertility, and it was often depicted in Mayan art and mythology.
The rulers and elite classes of the Maya claimed connections to jaguars, considering them sacred.
The belief in jaguar ancestry contributed to the divine legitimacy of rulership and reinforced the connection between the human and animal realms in the cosmology of these pre-Columbian civilizations in Mesoamerica.