In the highland cosmologies of the Guianas — notably among the Makushi, Patamona, and Wapishana — the jaguar (yawahu, jagwa, tiger) embodies several intertwined functions:
Guardian of thresholds between forest and settlement, life and spirit. Regulator of ecological harmony, maintaining balance among beings.
Agent of transformation — humans and shamans may shift into jaguar form to mediate between worlds.
Bearer of sound — its roar symbolizes thunder, announcing the arrival of spiritual force.
Jaguaric Foundations in the Guyanese Highlands
In the highland cosmologies of the Guianas — notably among the Makushi, Patamona, and Wapishana — the jaguar (yawahu, jagwa, tiger) embodies several intertwined functions:
Guardian of thresholds between forest and settlement, life and spirit.
Regulator of ecological harmony, maintaining balance among beings.
Agent of transformation — humans and shamans may shift into jaguar form to mediate between worlds.
Bearer of sound — its roar symbolizes thunder, announcing the arrival of spiritual force.