Eagle Spirit of Zapotec
The Eagle Spirit from Zapotec tradition is a sacred guardian of mountain springs and water sources across the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico. In Zapotec cosmology, this spirit presides over the life-giving waters that flow from the highlands down to the valleys where maize grows. The Zapotec people, descendants of the ancient civilization that built Monte Albán, revere this spirit as one of the nahuales (animal spirit companions) that protect the natural balance of the region. It is particularly associated with the mountain springs used in purification ceremonies