Jaguars in Mesoamerican Cultures - Tehuantepec

Tehuantepec

Tehuantl (variously rendered) means "jaguar" in Nahuatl while tepec means "hill". The name refers to a particular hill in southern Mexico which is believed to have been an important shrine in the jaguar cult throughout several eras of Mesoamerican history. Subsequently, the name also was applied to the isthmus in southern Mexico upon which the hill lies, as well as to the gulf on the Pacific shore of the isthmus.