BBC - Spirits of the Jaguar (1996)

Central America is the subject of the four-part Spirits of the Jaguar, which begins with Mayan creation myths about a battle between gods leading to the formation of the Earth. In fact, the islands of the Caribbean were forged by volcanoes 150 million years ago, with plant and animal life following some 70 million years later. Typical of the BBC Atlas of the Natural World series is Jaguar’s extraordinary photography: frogs and insects suddenly caught in flowing tree sap, crocodiles leaping to pull prey from trees. The story of the Mayans—farmers, astronomers, inventors—moving from the deserts of Mexico down to the jungles of Central America, their lives sustained by slash-and-burn agriculture and good nutrition, is thoroughly covered. So is the tale of the lost civilization of the Aztecs, wanderers for ten generations, who viewed themselves as a chosen people, acted as extinguishers of other peoples in Mexico, and were themselves ultimately destroyed by Spanish conquistadors.

Part 1: The Forging of a New World
Part 1 focuses on the region's animal and plant life, and its volcanic origins some 150 million years ago. Included: iguanas; crocodiles; fossilized tree sap that offers a record of ancient island life.


Part 2: Forests of the Maya
Part 2 of explores the "Forests of the Maya," where 1200 years ago an extraordinary civilization emerged in the Central American jungles. Included: Mayan ruins; exotic animals like the jaguar that permeated Mayan folklore; underground rivers and caves.


Part 3: Hunters of the Caribbean Sea
Part 3 of “Spirits of the Jaguar” recounts the evolution of the Taino civilization. The Taino were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean some 2000 years ago, and their way of life was destroyed with the arrival of European explorers. The hour examines marine life that provided food for the Amerindians.


Part 4: The Fifth World of the Aztecs
"Spirits of the Jaguar" concludes with the story of the Aztec empire, which in the 1500s stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific in what is now Mexico. Footage includes scenes of hawks that once inspired Aztec myths, and ruins of pyramids and temples.