El alacrán en Mesoamérica: transgresor sexual y símbolo de lo negativo

For the ancient Mesoamericans the animal kingdom represented a way in which sacred forces could act on earth. For this reason they were considered representatives of the divine forces and, in turn, symbols of various concepts. Th is paper presents and analyzes some ideas about the symbolism of a particular animal, of which there is little written information: the scorpion. However, this time only two aspects of the way it was conceived will be analyzed. On one hand its identification as a sex offender, which linked it to peculiar concepts such as lust, sin and adultery. Furthermore, its negative charge, which linked it with punishment, bodily pain, the announcement of the death and conflict situations of life. Finally, to clarify these observations some areas are briefly highlighted where its image is associated with certain events that can be considered positive for human groups. To this inquiry it was necessary to use several pre-Hispanic and colonial sources. Therefore, the study of different elements with complex itself, such as sculpture, codices and chronicles was of invaluable aid. It was also essential to consider the testimony of ethnographic studies that allow us to track some old ideas still performing in contemporary indigenous peoples.