Olmec Religion: Culture

Culture: The Olmec Religion The Olmec Culture: Religion The Olmec people are part of the ancient Mesoamerica cultural group. Their history, cultural beliefs, and customs are quite similar to those of the ancient Maya group; in fact, the group remained understudied for many years because archeologists perceived them as a component group of the Maya people. They run an interesting culture, with interesting views on, among other things, the economy, science, their own history, language, and so on.

I, however, find one bit of their culture -- religion - particularly intriguing. The Olmecs' religion links nature to the supernatural world; caves, mountain tops and springs are in this regard perceived as doors leading to the world of supernatural beings. On this front, the Olmec people often structured their buildings to resemble volcanoes or mountains, and constructed their cities close to natural features as a way of showing honor to, and consequently winning blessings from the supernatural world.

Priests (historically referred to as shamans) were thought to link the physical world to the supernatural one, and were believed to have sufficient power to intercede on behalf of the people (Benson, Hermsen & Baker, 2005). They were honored, respected, and treated with dignity throughout the community.

The shamans would connect with the supernatural world by entering trances through blood-letting rituals, which involved piercing the genitals, ears, tongue, or skin, or by use of hallucinogenic substances that made one see or experience things that were actually not there (Benson, Hermsen, & Baker, 2005). It was believed that during such trances, the shamans found power to transform themselves into animal spirits (naguals),and then make their way into the supernatural world through one of the perceived doors/portals (Benson, Hermsen & Baker, 2005).

Once there, the Olmecs were believed to have to the power to manipulate the forces of rain and sunshine in a manner that favored the growth of crops (Benson, Hermsen, & Baker, 2005). It is believed that in some instances, the people sacrificed infants, who were taken to symbolize the renewal of life, as a way of appeasing the gods in the supernatural world and coercing them to bring rain (Benson, Hermsen & Baker, 2005). The jaguar was the most important religious symbol in the Olmec culture.

It was believed to be a powerful predator with the power to navigate the three divisions of the world -- the water, the air, and the earth (Benson, Hermsen & Baker, 2005; Taube, 2004). It was believed that at the very beginning, the jaguar bred with a human woman, giving rise to the were-jaguar, a creature half human and half-supernatural, into which the shamans at times transformed during their trances to the supernatural world (Benson, Hermsen, & Baker, 2005). Architectural features were at times designed to depict.