Beginning with the Olmec, the mother culture of Mesoamerica, and throughout Mesoamerican history, certain animals have been illustrated and commemorated in art. People valued animals and sanctified many as symbols of their deities and ideas of afterlife; the Eagle was associated with the spirit world above, the Crocodile with the world below, and the mighty Jaguar with the earth world. The Serpent was a transitory figure that could go between all three worlds. The Serpent is often depicted in carvings and sculptures with an open mouth, which symbolized a gateway through which priests and shamans could enter the spirit world. There is a close symbolic relationship between the Jaguar, warfare and the wielding of spiritual and political power by shamans and chiefs. A shaman would transform into the Jaguar and thus embody its strength, leadership, knowledge and protection. With the power of the Jaguar, the shaman could thwart off unfriendly powers that threatened his people. Jaguar pelts are often illustrated as armour in battle scenes and on ruling kings.

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