Olmec Jaguar history

Most important deity of the Olmecs

Jaguar was represented the most in Olmec art, which led many early archeologists to recognize it as the most important deity of the Olmecs. Olmec Jaguar are native to the Americas and are primarily found in rainforests, swamps, and grasslands of South and Central America. They are most commonly associated with countries such as Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela.

There are hundreds of books about the Olmecs, but to this day no one knows who they were and where they came from in Central America. If you want to know the history of a nation, you have to start with their superstitions, legends and myths, in times when the religions of the Vatican did not exist. The Vatican got everything wrong on purpose.

So with the Olmecs, we have to start with the jaguar and find out where it comes from. Well, it comes from South America, but we are mainly interested in Brazil. As we know a little more, the busts of the Olmecs are very similar to blacks.

But almost none of you know that blacks first appeared in Brazil and Madagascar, not in Africa. We will stay with Brazilians and jaguars, and it follows that the Olmecs could have come to Mexico from Brazil.

Archeologic secret key is in Smithsonian Institution

Religion held a pivotal role in Olmec society, serving as a foundation that sanctioned the authority of the elite class.
Town centers, in addition to their practical functions, also doubled as sites for ceremonial and religious activities. This elevated status bestowed immense prestige upon these centers, attracting crowds from neighboring settlements who came to offer their respects through both offerings and prayers. While the specific details of Olmec rituals remain elusive, a general understanding of their beliefs has been gleaned.

Do the big heads of the Olmecs depict the real Olmecs?

Spirituality there exists a distinct figure, the shaman

There is a widely accepted notion that the rulers of the Olmec civilization played a significant, if not central, role in religious practices, potentially being perceived as earthly embodiments of deities. In addition to rulers, a cadre of full-time priests existed, wholly dedicated to conducting rituals, performing ceremonies, and appeasing the gods. These priests were likely closely associated with the temples, mirroring a pattern seen in other ancient civilizations.

Among their responsibilities was the pursuit of spiritual connection through various disciplines, including meditation, fasting, and even ritualistic self-harm. While some scholars suggest the possibility of human sacrifices among the Olmecs, concrete evidence is lacking. It is speculated that the ritual self-harm practiced by the Olmecs could have paved the way for the human sacrifices observed in later Mesoamerican cultures. Despite these variations, it is evident that the religious practices of the Olmecs were predominantly centralized around the temples situated in major city centers.

In the realm of Olmec spirituality, there exists a distinct figure, the shaman.
This is very important. The shaman did not fall from the sky like the Fallen Angel, but he was one of them.

These individuals, remnants from the less organized religious practices of their ancestors, were more closely linked with the commoners. Unlike priests, it is likely that each village and community had its own shaman.

wearing masks representing the were jaguar

Prevalent motif in those art

Although the precise nature of their practices remains unknown, scholars draw insights from the customs of other indigenous peoples in the Americas, suggesting a focus on altering human consciousness through hallucinogens, attempting to transcend ordinary states of mind and connect with animals like the jaguar.

Some archaeologists posit that the shamanic practice involved wearing masks representing the were jaguar, a blend of human and jaguar, a prevalent motif in Olmec art. Regardless, their primary focus was on aiding their communities in everyday life.

In contrast to town priests, who delved into larger religious inquiries, pleasing gods, conducting ceremonies, and managing offerings within the grander cosmic scheme, shamans concentrated on understanding and interpreting divine actions.

They addressed smaller, seemingly less crucial issues on a broader scale but played a vital role in local communities. As the Olmec civilization advanced, the balance between shamans and priests likely shifted. Initially equally significant, especially to common people, the growing authority, large temples, and religious monopoly of priests diminished the significance and prestige of shamans over time a pattern observed in the development of organized religions in early civilizations worldwide.

Energy and spiritualism

Shifting from ritualistic practices, let's explore the belief system of the Olmecs. Polytheistic in nature, the Olmecs worshiped multiple gods, though the exact names remain elusive. Their worldview centered on energy and spiritualism closely tied to animals, reflected in gods taking on various animal forms, sometimes combined with human or other animal features. The jaguar, prominently featured in Olmec art, was initially considered the most important deity, possibly associated with roles such as the rain deity, military prowess, or sexual conquest. Scholars now debate whether the were-jaguar holds equal standing in the Olmec pantheon.

Another significant deity was the feathered or plumed serpent, a symbol recognized in later Aztec and Mayan cultures as Quetzalcoatl and Kukulkan, respectively. There's speculation that these cultures adopted this deity from the Olmec tradition.

In later societies, the plumed serpent was revered as the creator of humanity, a hero with messianic qualities promising a better future. Its dualistic representation a blend of snake and bird reflected transformation and inconsistency in life. The bird aspect symbolized divine attributes, being close to the sky, while the snake represented more earthly qualities, crawling on the ground.

Another new weapon, a slingshot

Before their disappearance, the Olmecs made a significant military contribution with the introduction of a new weapon: the slingshot, which emerged during the dominance of La Venta. Archaeologists are uncertain whether the Olmecs originated this innovation or adopted it from another tribe. However, evidence scattered across Mesoamerica suggests that the Olmecs played a role in disseminating the slingshot throughout the region.

This weapon became the most advanced long-range option in the area during that era. Unlike throwing spears, slingshot ammunition was more plentiful, with small stone projectiles easily carried in larger quantities, even on extended expeditions away from home. Slingshots also boasted a higher rate of fire than throwing spears.

Considering Mesoamerican soldiers lacked armor, a well-aimed slingshot projectile could inflict substantial damage, if not prove deadly. The introduction of the slingshot significantly altered Olmec military strategy, providing an edge in both offensive and defensive actions. Historians believe it was particularly effective against hit-and-run raids on merchant caravans.

The exact tactics employed by Olmec warriors remain speculative due to a lack of evidence, even in statues and carvings.

Favorite things from the creator of this website about false Gods

If someone writes that Sumer was the cradle of civilization, it is not entirely true.
More than 36 different races of people used to live on Earth.
In Sumer, Home Sapiens arose only 65,000 years ago, and that's a big difference :)

Emergence of religious leaders

The domain of religion introduces a level of ambiguity in understanding the dynamics of power among the Olmecs. The origins and ascent of elite control in this realm remain unclear.

As it usually happens in history, when one city or state falls, another rises to take its place. In the case of the Olmecs, La Venta took the place of San Lorenzo as the most important Olmec city during the 10th century BCE. And under La Venta supremacy, Olmec civilization reached its peak. But unlike San Lorenzo, the natural swampy surroundings of La Venta wasn't quite suitable for farming, which raises the question of what gave that settlement the edge it needed to become the new center of Olmec power.

By 400 BCE, the La Venta settlement began to fade into obscurity. In the next century, the city was pretty much abandoned. Unlike San Lorenzo, archeologists are sure that the downfall of La Venta was a violent one, as they have found traces of a deliberate destruction of monuments and buildings.

Although they arent quite sure if the attack came from outside forces or if it was some kind of uprising, most believe it was a foreign power that invaded La Venta, since it is highly unlikely that the domestic population destroyed their own monuments. And although the Olmecs abandoned La Venta, the city didn't seem to lose its significance as a cultural center. Archeologists found buried offerings that are dated to the early Colonial Era that contain products like Spanish olives.