Sculptures of the Mother Serpent and the Father Jaguar
In San Agustín, in the Huila region of Colombia, there once lived a culture known as the Sculptor People due to the vast number of stone sculptures that were found buried there.
This civilization built the largest necropolis in Latin America near the source of the Magdalena River, atop the Colombian Massif, around 1000 BC. Today, the Indigenous communities that inhabit Huila are the Pijaos, the Páez, and the Nasa.
It is not entirely certain what some of these pieces were used for, but what is clear is that they built sophisticated tombs, protected by stone guardians standing on each side of the entrance.
In fact, each person was buried twice: first, the body was buried until it fully decomposed, and later, the bones were collected and placed in ceramic urns. These urns were then placed in the stone tombs alongside semi-precious stone and gold jewelry.
Among the sculptures, a series of figures stand out depicting Pachamama, or the Mother Goddess, combining female figures with serpents and X-shaped symbols.
The Sacred Mother is one of the most important symbols in the art produced by the original cultures of the Americas. The Divine Mother is the generative matrix of life, seeds, and abundance.
In Mesoamerica, during the Olmec period, the Earth was believed to be a great subterranean being—a cave that birthed all living things, taking the form of a serpent, a primordial archetype of the divine feminine.
The serpent is remarkable for its ability to live on the surface, underground, and in the deep waters of rivers. Its nature is one of endless transformation, as it sheds its old skin and grows a new layer, preparing and protecting itself for what lies ahead. This animal carries a powerful current of vital energy, and its movements resemble telluric currents and the flowing water beneath the earth.
The serpent dwells in darkness, and for shamans, it also inhabits "the other world," making it a mystical, magical, and lunar creature.
Serpent-shaped carving.
Its counterpart in this specific culture is the jaguar, which lives in the sunlit world above. The union between the two—the Feline-Serpent—represents the cosmic balance of opposing forces.
For the Sculptor People, the jaguar was the progenitor who fertilized the Earth in their creation story.
Several sculptures depict a jaguar mounted atop a woman during procreation. Many human figures are also carved with fangs, symbolizing the jaguar-serpent connection.
In other sculptures, however, the jaguar is seen resting atop a person as a "Double Spirit." This ability to merge with humans may be linked to many shamanic practices found throughout Colombia.
Shamans, using sacred plants, enter a trance and merge with the spirit of powerful animals, acquiring not only their physical abilities but also important visions for their community.
In Santa Marta, for example, there is the case of the Bat-Man (origin of Batman), and in other regions of the country, the Jaguar-Man.
Yellow circles are a schematic representation of the jaguar. In fact, all of these sculptural creations were originally painted in multiple colors, some of which are still visible today, as seen in the Purutal site.
Inner visualization of a polychrome tomb (San Agustín Archaeological Park Museum)
The colors used were primarily inorganic, meaning they came from mineral pigments mixed with animal fat and rubbed onto the stone surface. The yellow, brown, and reddish hues were obtained from local ochres, such as those found in the Tatacoa Desert.
Tatacoa Desert
Black was produced by burning wood to create charcoal, which was then used to emphasize contour lines.
For deep red, they extracted resin from the bark of Lacre Rojo (Vismia macrophylla, from the Hypericaceae family), which was used as a pigment for both ceramics and stone. However, due to its organic (plant-based) origin, this red pigment has not withstood the test of time well when exposed to the elements, as sunlight and rain have faded it.
As we can see, these artistic expressions had a ritual function, capturing an entire worldview—both material and spiritual. Thanks to these sculptures, we can connect with these ancient people, glimpse into their inner world, and better understand how they inhabited the Earth.
Art is always a window that connects us with one another, a form of communication beyond logic and time.
SOURCES
The Statues of the Sculptor People, San Agustín and the Colombian Massif, David Dellenback.
San Agustín Archaeological Park Museum, Huila, Colombia.
*Photo: Luis Ángel Fernández Canedo
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