The Olmec "were-jaguar" motif refers to a hybrid human-jaguar figure that represents the powerful connection between humans and the jaguar in their mythology. It is often interpreted as a symbol of spiritual power, shamanic transformation, and authority, representing deities, rulers, or a shaman in the process of shifting between human and animal forms. The meaning is associated with rain, fertility, and the spiritual world, influencing later Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya and Aztecs.

Were-Jaguar mask
carved green stone
Olmec culture
Mexico
c. 1000 BCE

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