Olmec religion: characteristics and gods

Religion has always been a very important part of all human-formed societies. Since our origins there have been beliefs about powerful beings that manage our lives and that are the cause of the creation of everything that surrounds us. In the case of classical cultures, it is very interesting to see how their religions have many factors similar to those of later religions in the same area. To know the religion of one of these classical cultures in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about the olmec religion.

The olmecare the mother culture from the area of Mesoamerica, being considered as those that generated many of the main characteristics of the later Mesoamerican peoples. This influence is very important, being the cause that many of the religious elements that we find in the Olmecs can also be seen in later Mesoamerican cultures such as the mayans or aztecs.

Regarding their chronological situation, we must place them in the so-called formative stage of America, which goes from 1500 BC. C. until 290, but closer to that we must speak of the Olmecs inhabiting Mesoamerica

between 1200 a. C. and 400 a. C. For this reason it is considered to be the first great civilization of both pre-Columbian and Mesoamerican cultures, this being the main reason for its great influence.

To understand the great importance of religion in this culture, and to know something more about it, we must talk about some of its main characteristics. The essential characteristics of the olmecs are as follows:

• They created the Mesoamerican ball, a game that is thought to be used to entertain and as a tribute to the gods.
• Its economy was based on the farming, this being the reason why there were such important gods related to this.
• It is believed that the rulers of the region were also religious leaders. Uniting the concept of boss and shaman on numerous occasions.
• Animals were a very important part of their world, being the reason why they sometimes unite the concepts of animals and gods.
• One of its main remains are the colossal heads, which are thought to represent political and religious leaders.

The first thing we must understand about the Olmec religion is that we do not know enough data to have too wide a view of it. Until recently, the Olmecs were a society of which we did not have much knowledge, and it was not until the last decades that a greater number of remains of them began to be found. For all this we only have general ideas of religion, many of them being hypotheses made by historians of the area.

It should be noted that most of the Olmec features have been analyzed by comparing architectures and sculptures similar to other Mesoamerican cultures. Some of these characteristics of the Olmec religion are the following:

• Religion was polytheistic, believing in the existence of a large number of gods. The sources in this regard are limited, and although we know of several Olmec gods, it is assumed that there must have been much more, being the most important of which we are aware.
• The gods represented common elements in the Olmec culture, being incarnations of the most important things for the Olmecs. Some examples are agriculture, animals, or the elements.
• The most important figure in their culture was the Jaguar, being a mythical animal at that time.
• There are many representations of beings half people and half animals, thinking that the gods and kings were capable of these great feats.
• Kings were very attached to religion, it was thought that they could perform supernatural actions and that they had been chosen by the gods themselves.
• There were shamans, which were important figures in society. It is thought that in certain towns the shamans were even those who were in charge of the government.
• There are beliefs that human sacrifices to the gods, but it is believed that they were much lower than in later Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztecs.
• The mountains were very spiritual areas, since it was thought that they were the union zone of heaven, earth and hell.
• The Olmecs thought that everything in this world was a living being, not only people and animals but also rivers and trees.

To conclude this lesson on the religion of the Olmecs we must talk about the olmec gods. We have to think that discoveries about the Olmec culture happen more and more frequently, so the list of gods may vary over time, depending on the remains that are find. For all this, the Olmec gods of which we have evidence in 2019 are the following:

• Jaguar: Also called Nahual, is the most important god of the Olmecs. God of rain and fertility, it is said that it was necessary to offer him human blood to keep him happy.
• Feathered Serpent: One of the gods that appear in later Mesoamerican cultures. He was the god who gave the Olmec corn crops.
• Olmec dragon: One of the most represented gods, being a monster they feared.
• Spirit of the rain: Sometimes attached to the Nahual, he was a small god who helped to attract the rain.
• Harvest Man: It is said that he was a man who gave his life so that humans would get harvest.
• Other animals: The importance of animals in the Olmec religion was such that many animals were given the status of gods, such as snakes or some amphibians.