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Feline symbolism, displayed in a wealth of archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic contexts, is widespread in Central and South America. From prehistoric times to the present day, felines in general and the jaguar in particular occupied an important place in visual and verbal representations of belief and ritual. The prevalence and continuity of jaguar imagery must have been due in part at least to its potency as a metaphor signifying aggressive qualities, elite status, and perceptual abilities. From the mythology of Amazonian societies to the art of the classic Maya and Aztec civilizations of Mexico, the jaguar appears associated with shamans, rulers, warfare, and sacrifice. In this chapter the jaguar symbol is examined in terms of its origins and the appropriateness of its use as metaphor to signify and express human actions and human attitudes.
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