Olmecs, not African, but Oriental? or were-jaguars?

Continuing with the Olmecs, I noticed, while researching for my post about the supposed African admixture into the Olmeca people in Pre-Hispanic America, that not all sculptures and statues depicted people with African features.

I was quite surprised to see that many Olmec artifacts depicted people with a very clear East Asian appearance. In this post we will explore their artwork with non-African features, and what some scholars have written about these oriental-looking depictions.

See my two previous posts on the Olmecs: Blacks in Pre-Columbian America and Africans reached America ca. 1310 C.E.?

Jaguar Men: the were-jaguar

Those who have studied the Olmec culture find that their artwork depicts people with feline features, and this has led to the concept of a jaguar-based symbolism used by the ruling class and the religious leaders and shamans. Of course, we cannot decipher their writing, and there are no Olmecs to tell us about their beliefs. These theories are just that, conjectures.

As an example of this notion, I will quote from the following essay: Slater, F., (2010). Were-jaguars and jaguar babies in Olmec religion, Essex Student Journal 3(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.5526/esj114.

"Digs at sites such as La Venta have yielded an abundance of finds, testament to the sophistication and artistic sensitivity of this ancient culture. Of these finds, one particular type has spurred the most debate and speculation. The delicately carved and gracefully composed anthropomorphic hybrid figures, known as Were-Jaguars and Jaguar-Babies respectively, have puzzled scholars for decades....
The Jaguar Motif appears in a variety of different guises. The essential elements of the Were-Jaguar or Jaguar-Baby are, the ‘V’ shaped cleft, clawed or paw like feet or hands and a feline head with, in some cases, a tail. With Jaguar-Babies the iconography is of a greater symbolic content and is based on facial features. These include; The ‘V’ shaped cleft, large almond shaped eyes, a snarling mouth with bifurcated fangs and full down-turned lips and a broad flat nose. Different levels of ‘jaguarness’ are visible in these images, with some being unmistakeably jaguar like. Others have a much more subtle pars pro toto style, which is typical of Olmec iconography...
Whilst we can never know for certain the significance of the jaguar to Olmec religious view we can be certain of their importance. Whilst it is always difficult to assert with any confidence about the mystical practices of cultures long dead, the frequency of this motif is an excellent starting point for investigation, leading no doubt to the wealth of literature dealing with the subject. In my opinion, the Jaguar was an important symbol of the power of the natural world, as the apex predator of the surrounding area it would be natural for the jaguar to be subsumed into the iconography of any burgeoning chiefdom, which might later become the “royal house” (if such a term can be used accurately). However, the jaguar would always first and foremost be the creature that most played on the popular imagination and, before any conflation with the trappings of state, would indubitably have become a major part of the religious complex. As for the possibility of human/jaguar copulation, it is extremely difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions as to the significance of the jaguar motif, especially when it comes to the possibility of sexual intercourse. Those Monuments where copulation can be inferred - transmit just that - an inference."

Were-Jaguar Olmec figurine, 900-300 BC. Source

Down Syndrome

An article by John M. Starbuck, (2011) (On the Antiquity of Trisomy 21: Moving Towards a Quantitative Diagnosis of Down Syndrome in Historic Material Culture. the Journal of Contemporary Anthropology Research, Vol. II-1) put forward the idea that these statues depict people with Down Syndrome who were worshiped because they resembled their idea of a person which blende human and jaguar features:

"Milton and Gonzalo (1974) argue that several Olmec figurines from Meso-America dated from 1500 B.C. – 300 A.D. may depict Down syndrome. Milton and Gonzalo report that these figurines have upslanted palpebral fissures, well-marked epicanthic folds, short noses, broad nasal bridges, brachycephalic head shapes, open mouth postures, and a lower lip that is drawn downward. Kunze and Nippert (1986) have also diagnosed an Olmec figurine with Down syndrome because of the presence of slanted palpebral fissures, ocular hypotelorism, short extremities, and obesity. In addition to asserting that these figurines depict Down syndrome, Milton and Gonzalo (1974) argue that the religious beliefs of the Olmec culture may have ascribed a high status to individuals with trisomy 21 because they were thought to be the offspring of a mating between humans and the jaguar, which was the most powerful Olmec totem."

Below is an image depicting a were-jaguar, it has clear feline features, with jaguar ears, and sharp teeth in a snarling mouth. It does not look oriental, it is a man-jaguar:

Down Syndrome? Olmec figurines. Starbuck J.

Olmec figurines depicting adults

The following artworks have a very strong oriental look to them. They are not babies, but men:

Olmec Jadeite face, 900-400 BC. The Met

Olmec contortionist, Middle pre-Classical period, 900-400 BCE. Acrobat made of steatite. Source

Some believe the "Wrestler" shown below, with his mustache and goatee is a fake, a forgery that was created to resemble Olmec art. Others say it is authentic. It is remarkable as it hints at motion, and has unique features that don't look like an Amerindian at all!

The Wrestler, basalt, Olmec statue. 1,400-400 BC. Source

Lord of Las Limas, Olmec, Veracruz, 1,200-400 BC. Serpentine with pyrite eyes.

Comments

The Olmecs are better known for their gigantic Afro-looking heads, like the one shown below. The delicate and finely crafted figures with oriental features when compared with these massive and coarsely hewen heads look as if they were the creation of different societies and civilizations. This is quite intriguing. One one hand, small detailed objects, on the other 40 ton, 3 meter tall (10 ft.) colossal heads. Were they produced at different times, during different cultural periods?

Notice how the gigantic head, despite its lips, and flat nose bridge has oriental eyes!

This goes to show that a culture can display many different styles of art, even if they use the same media (stone) and that the creative inspiration in humans is vast. We'd never infer that the Olmecs were were-jaguars just because they made these statues, so why do we wonder if they were Africans that sailed to America, if we see statues with African features?

I do believe that people depict their beliefs and also portray themselves. The oriental-looking figures are not gods, or were-jaguars, they are people, people with pronounced Asian-like epicanthic folds, the skin that covers the inner corner of the eye (canthus). Interestingly, they have high nose bridges, which is not so common among East Asians. So it isn't likely that they depicted visitors from China, Japan, or Korea that sailed across the Pacific Ocean 3500 years ago. They could easily represent a Native American, who share both features. And so do the Polynesians!).

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2025 by Austin Whittall © 

Byron's "beasts" on the Strait of Magellan

John Byron, who had been a castaway on Wager Island in Chilean Patagonia, later in 1741, later, as a commodore, led a British naval squadron in 1764 and sailed around the globe. During his voyage, they stopped in the Strait of Magellan, at the site of Port Famine, a failed Spanish settlement, close to what is now Punta Arenas in Chile. There his crew encountered some strange beasts during their stay (Dec. 27, 1764 to Jan. 4, 1765). Below is what Byron wrote.

Source: John Hawkesworth's Account of the Voyages'in the Southern Hemisphere' (Online) and also Online here

" I had set up a small tent at the bottom of this bay, close to a little rivulet, and just at the skirts of a wood, soon after the ship came to an anchor, where three men were employed in washing: they slept on shore; but soon after sunset were awakened out of their first sleep by the roaring of some wild beasts, which the darkness of the night, and the solitariness of their situation in this pathless desart, rendered horrid beyond imagination: the tone was hollow and deep, so that the beasts, of whatever kind, were certainly large, and the poor fellows perceived that they drew nearer and nearer, as the sound every minute became more loud. From this time sleep was renounced for the night, a large fire was immediately kindled, and a constant blaze kept up: this prevented the beasts from invading the tent; but they continued to prowl round it at a little distance, with incessant howlings, till the day broke, and then, to the great comfort of the affrighted sailors, they disappeared. At this place, not far from where the ship lay, there is a hill that has been cleared of wood, and we supposed this to be the spot where the Spaniards formerly had a settlement*. One of the men, as he was passing over this hill, perceived that, in a particular part, the ground returned the sound of his foot, as if it was hollow: he therefore repassed it several times, and finding the effect still the same, he conceived a strong notion that something was buried there; when he came on board, he related what he had remarked to me, and I went myself to the spot, with a small party, furnished with spades and pickaxes, and saw the spot opened to a considerable depth, but we found nothing, nor did there appear to be any hollow or vault as was expected. As we were returning through the woods, we found two very large skulls, which, by the teeth, appeared to have belonged to some beasts of prey, but of what kind we could not guess."

So these were (in Byron's words) howling, roaring, large wild beasts. The skulls were large, some unknwon beast of prey.

Puma sounds like the most likely option, though jaguars could also have been present in that area in the mid eighteenth century. I doubt any megafaunal predators were alive at that time. Smaller beasts could have been the D. avus wolf-fox but it wouldn't have roared, it was a canid, so it would have howled or growled.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2025 by Austin Whittall © 

Cryptid? Strange animal - Tehuelchense Art

 

Tehuelchense stone carving. Feline (?) Copyright © 2009 by Austin Whittall

2010 is, in the Chinese calendar, the year of the Tiger. So, in this, my first post for 2010, I will introduce a creature which may be a Patagonian Jaguar or something else, I am not quite sure yet.

I took the photographs shown above at the Museo de la Patagonia, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina just over a week ago.

They were in a glass display case with a printed card with the caption "Patagoniense Tehuelchense", no additional information is given.

I was intrigued by the sculpture, as I had not come across Tehuelche stone statuettes before. So I decided to look into the matter. Tehuelche art can be grouped into three categories:

1. Rock Art. Paintings on rock surfaces. These are geometric designs. The "hands" motif found at Cueva de las Manos is much older than the Tehuelchense period.
2. Painted guanaco and horse hides. The inner surface is painted with geometric designs. These hides were used as "capes" or garments, for warmth and protection. Playing cards made of leather are included in this category. (click to see photographs and paper on Tehuelche painted hides).
3. Pipes made from bone or ceramic. For smoking tobacco. (Image of pipe).

The Tehuelchense culture was pre-ceramic (they did not produce pottery). Furthermore there is no reference regarding sculptures or statuettes in the literature that I have checked.

This beautifully crafted piece is a mystery.

The Patagoniense, also known as Tehuelchense is a cultural period that spanned from 1950 to 1250 years Before Present (BP) that is from about 0 AD to 700 AD. This chronological period was followed by the Tehuelche who, at least in Northern Patagonia, produced pottery. Click for a guide to Patagonian chronology.

What is the creature?

It seems very feline. Maybe a puma or a jaguar (see my post on Nahuel, the Patagonian "Tiger". Perhaps something else; it lacks a tail and is quite "bulky"; its body is crisscrossed with deep incisions (or is it a glyptodon-like armor?). Is it a cryptid? a Water Tiger or a Iemisch?


Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters

"Nahuel" the Patagonian tiger

 

The jaguar or yaguarete (Felis onca jaguar) is the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere, and after the tiger and the lion, the third largest feline in the world.

It can weigh up to 96 kg (212 lb.) and its body measure up to 1,83 m (6 ft.), the tail will add about 75 cm (30 in.) to its length; and stand about 75 cm tall. It has a spotted coat on a tawny yellow base.

Its current habitat does not extend further south than the tropical rainforests of northern Argentina.

Mapuche “jaguars”

A surprising and baffling fact is that the Mapuche language has the word “nahuel”, which means jaguar, yet the animal itself unknown in their current homeland in Chile where it died out some 8,000 years ago, long before the arrival of the Mapuche people. How could they have known of its existence to include it in their language?

This makes us wonder if there were jaguars in Patagonia, on the Argentine side of the Andes mountain range which the Mapuche could have encountered during their incursions into Eastern Patagonia.

Patagonian jaguars

Located in a spectacular mountain setting Lake Nahuel Huapi (home tho Nahuelito (see more on this cryptid Here) has several forested islands, the largest, now named Victoria, originally gave the lake its name, which in Mapudungun, means “Tiger Island”.

The first written reference we have about the lake was penned by Spanish Captain Diego Flores de Leon, in his chronicle Memorial which tells of a Spanish officer named Juan Fernández who in 1620-1621 explored the eastern side of the Andes and discovered “a very big lake called Navalhuapi [sic]”[1].

He does not give any reference to the meaning of the name, however a few decades later, Jesuit Father Diego de Rosales after exploring the area in 1653 wrote that the “famous lagoon of Nahuelhuapi […] means: Lake of tigers”, one may believe that he is referring to the animals, but he goes on to say that it was inhabited by “rebel Indians” and that were “called tigers”.[1] Thus these tigers perhaps were not animals but courageous Indians.

But, did actual tigers (jaguars) give the lake its name? Maybe; there were jaguars and other big cats in Patagonia, even before the arrival of the first human beings in the area.

Fossil Jaguars

The fossil record reveals that many large carnivore cats stalked the arid Patagonian grasslands at the end of the last Ice Age; these included not only the puma that still survives, but also the colossal Patagonian short tailed jaguar (Panthera onca mesembrina). It was alive in Patagonia around the time that the Paleo-Indians arrived to the region.

Rock art proves that Paleo-Indians co-existed with this beast, such as the impressive paintings at the Cueva de los Yaguaretés (Jaguars’ Cave) whose extremely realistic black and yellow paintings clearly mimic jaguar spots; their age is unknown, see a photograph below:[2]

Cueva de los Yaguaretes, Patagonia. Rock Art. From: [2]

Mesembrina became extinct shortly after deglaciation and its carnivore niche in Patagonia was occupied by the puma.

Modern reports on the existence of Patagonian jaguars

Jaguars were seen in Patagonia until the XVIIIth century and were recorded in the chronicles of European explorers who sailed along the Patagonian shores. They applied the name tiger (or tyger) to the jaguar and lion to the puma.

They were first seen at the Strait of Magellan, on February 12, 1580, by Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (he who had captured the Cyclops Giant). He wrote that close to what is now the town of Punta Arenas Chile, ”we saw tracks of tigers and lions” leaving no doubt that their range reached the southern tip of Patagonia.[3]

In the 1760s, Puerto Deseado on the estuary of Deseado River (47°45’ S, 65°54’ W) was also home to jaguars. It was there that John Byron, the captain of HMS “Dolphin” who had been shipwrecked at Wager island, found a:

large tyger [sic] lying upon the ground; having gazed at each other some time, the men, who had no fire-arms, seeing the beast treat them with as much contemptuous neglect as the lion did the knight of La Mancha, began to throw stones at him: of this insult however he did not deign to take the least notice, but continued stretched upon the ground in great tranquility till the rest of the party came up, and then he very leisurely rose and walked away […] I sent another party to fetch the guanicoes [sic] which our people had shot the night before; but they found nothing left except the bones, the tygers having eaten the flesh, and even cracked the bones of the limbs to come at the marrow.[4]

“Tigers” were also reported by Spanish explorer Juan de la Piedra (1779) at San José Gulf, Chubut (42°43’ S, 65°01’ W).

More recently, in 1826, at the mouth of Rio Gallegos River, at Cape Fairweather (51°32' S, 68°57' W), Commander Phillip Parker King wrote that “The guaguar [sic], or South American tiger, was seen prowling and skulking among the rocks near the beach”.[5]

But the late XIX^th century explorers did not report jaguars; by then they had disappeared except for a few that remained along its northern border where in 1880, Admiral Eduardo O’Connor noted abundant “American tigers” in the upper Limay River valley.

Implications

In southern Patagonia, the Tehuelche must have had a deeply ingrained memory of ancient (mesembrina) and modern jaguars, which they may have reflected in their folklore as “water tigers”.

To the north, the Mapuche’s inclusion of this exotic beast into their culture means that they may have brought its memory from a former homeland outside of Chile or encountered them while expanding their range into what is now Argentina’s northern Patagonia. See my post on a possible Guaraní origin of the Mapuche people Here.

Alternatively they could have met them in Patagonia, during their forays into that territory from their Chilean homeland.

Bibliography.

[1] Fonck, F., (1896). Menéndez, Francisco Viajes de Fray Francisco Menéndez a NahuelHuapi. Valparaiso: Imp.Gillet, 1896-1900. v.1 pp. 23+
[2] Ramírez Rozzi, F., (2002). La Cueva de los Yaguaretes. Ciencia Hoy. v.12. Nº 72: 12-19. 12-2002 01-2003. Also see Here for the full article.
[3] Sarmiento de Gamboa, P. Op. Cit. pp. 241.
[4] Hawkesworth, J. Op. Cit. v.i. pp. 58.
[5] MacDouall, J., (1833). Narrative of a Voyage to Patagonia and Terra Del Fuégo, Through the Straits of Magellan… in 1826 and 1827. London: Renshaw and Rush. pp. 63.


Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters

Lake Nahuel Huapi (Tiger Island) - "Nahuelito's home"

 

Nahuel Huapi is said to be the habitat of the mysterious Nahuelito and the Anchimallén dwarves. I am posting some photographs that I have taken of the lake at different places just to give a clear idea of its beauty and the awesome scenery that surrounds it.

Lake Nahuel Huapi is located on the border between the Argentine provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro (40°59’ S, 71°29’ W); it has a total surface area of 550 km² (213 sq. mi.); its deep (440 m – 1,440 ft.) crystal clear waters form several fjord-like arms that pierce deeply into the forested snow capped Andes.

It stretches from Last Hope Arm and Brazo del Rincón (Corner Arm) in the north (see map below - marked [A]) to its outlet into the Limay River (see point [B] on the map below).

It has several forested islands, the largest, now named Victoria, originally gave the lake its name, which in Mapudungun, means “Tiger Island” (it is the long and thin island that can be seen in running across the middle of the lake in the first photograph below).

The first written reference we have about the lake was penned by Spanish Captain Diego Flores de Leon, in his chronicle Memorial which tells of a Spanish officer named Juan Fernández who in 1620-1621 explored the eastern side of the Andes and discovered “a very big lake called Navalhuapi [sic]”.[1]

Patagonian Jaguars?

He does not give any reference to the meaning of the name, however a few decades later, Jesuit Father Diego de Rosales after exploring the area in 1653 wrote that the “famous lagoon of Nahuelhuapi […] means: Lake of tigers”.

This has led many to believe that he is referring to the animals, but he goes on to say that it was inhabited by “rebel Indians” and that were “called tigers due to their bravery”.[1] So perhaps, in this particular case the tigers were not animals but courageous Indians.

Nevertheless, there were tigers in Patagonia until quite recently. See my post on this itriguing subject Here.

Austin's Photographs.

Lake Nahuel Huapi seen from Cerro López. Copyright © 2007 by Austin Whittall

Lake Nahuel Huapi seen from Blest Arm. Copyright © 2008 by Austin Whittall

 

Lake Nahuel Huapi seen from Villa la Angostura. This photograph was taken some 60km north from the site of the first photograph. Copyright © 2006 by Austin Whittall

Lake Nahuel Huapi Blest Arm. Copyright © 2008 by Austin Whittall

Puerto Blest at the Western tip of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Copyright © 2008 by Austin Whittall

Map of Lake Nahuel Huapi. It shows the main features mentioned in the post as well as the locations where the above photographs were taken. Copyright © 2008 by Austin Whittall

Bibliography.

[1] Fonck, F., (1896). Menéndez, Francisco Viajes de Fray Francisco Menéndez a NahuelHuapi. Valparaiso: Imp.Gillet, 1896-1900. v.1 pp. 23+


Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters