Deer Nature-Spirit of Maya
The deer is a central figure in Maya religion and art, linked to the maize cycle, the forest, and the hunt, and appearing throughout the Popol Vuh and on painted ceramics. Deer spirits guard the forest and its water sources such as cenotes and aguadas. The entry's 'Deer Nature-Spirit' is a fair synthesis of these attested associations, though no single named deer deity underlies it.