Nagual
![]() | This article includes a list of generalreferences,butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations.(September 2019) |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Codex_Borgia_page_22.jpg/220px-Codex_Borgia_page_22.jpg)
InMesoamerican folk religion,anagual(pronounced [na'wal]) ornahual(both from theNahuatlwordnāhualli[naˈwaːlːi]) is a human being who has the power toshapeshiftinto theirtonalanimal counterpart.Nagualismis tied to the belief one can access power and spiritual insight by connecting with thetonalanimal within.[1]
Etymology
[edit]The wordnagualderives from the Nahuatl wordnāhualli[naˈwaːlːi],an indigenous religious practitioner, identified by the Spanish as a 'magician'.
In English, the word is often translated as "transforming witch," but translations without negative connotations include "transformingtrickster"or"shape shifter."[1]
Beliefs
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/Jaguarnagual.jpg/170px-Jaguarnagual.jpg)
Naguals use their powers for good or evil according to their personality.[2]The general concept of nagualism is Mesoamerican in origin. Nagualism is linked with pre-Columbian shamanistic practices through Pre-classicOlmecandToltecdepictions that are interpreted as human beings transforming themselves into animals. The system is linked with theMesoamerican calendrical system,used for divination rituals. Birth dates often determine if a person can become a nagual. Mesoamerican belief intonalism,wherein every person has an animal counterpart to which their life force is linked, is drawn upon by nagualism.[2][3]
However, modern scholars have struggled to grasp the ever-evolving and contentious meanings associated with Mesoamerican Nahua terms like nahualli and tonalli. This includes their derivatives, such as nahualismo and tonalismo. Hence, it's recommended to use clearer, descriptive language. For instance, instead of discussing nahualism, we can talk about the belief that certain individuals, often in influential social roles, possess specific spiritual abilities. These abilities allow them to transform into animals or even natural phenomena like lightning, wind, clouds, or fireballs, enabling them to perform remarkable feats while in these "disguises."[4]
The nagual trait is acquired at birth, along with other characteristics associated with a person's birth day. Each day is associated with an animal that has strong and weak aspects. A person born on "Dog Day" would have both strong and weak 'dog' aspects. In Nahuatl the wordtonalliis used to refer both to a day and to the animal associated with that day.
The nagual is considered different; where the tonal is the day spirit itself, the nagual is thefamiliar spiritof the day. It is probable[citation needed]that the tonal represents the daytime aspect and the nagual the nighttime aspect of the tonalli, 'the things of the day'. Practitioners of powerful magic were normally born on days related to animals with a strong or harmful aspect. They would have specific tonals such as thejaguarorpuma.InAztec mythologythe godTezcatlipocawas the protector of nagualism, because his tonal was the jaguar and he governed the distribution of wealth.
In modern rural Mexico,nagualis sometimes synonymous withbrujo( "wizard" ); one who is able to shapeshift into an animal at night (normally into adog,owl,bat,wolforturkey), drink blood from human victims, steal property, cause disease, and the like.
In some indigenous communities the nagual is integrated into the religious hierarchy. The community knows who is a nagual, tolerating, fearing and respecting them. Nagualli are hired to remove curses cast by other nagualli. In other communities the accusation of nagualism may result in violent attacks on the accused by the community.[5]
The Western study of nagualism was initiated by archaeologist, linguist, and ethnologistDaniel Garrison Brintonwho publishedNagualism: A Study in Native-American Folklore and History,[6]which chronicled historical interpretations of the word and those who practiced nagualism in Mexico in 1894. He identified various beliefs associated with nagualism in modern Mexican communities such as theMixe,theNahua,theZapotecand theMixtec.
Subsequently, many studies have described nagualism in different Mesoamerican cultures such as theZoquesand theJakaltek,K'iche',Q'eqchi',andTzeltal Maya.Among the Jacaltek, naguals reinforce indigenism by punishing those who collaborate with non-indigenousLadinos.[2]
In 1955, Gustavo Correa suggested nagualism is notpre-Columbian,arguing that it was wholly imported from Europe, where he compared it to the medieval belief inwerewolves.[7]However,shapeshiftingfolklore is not limited to Europe, nor to the Middle Ages; for example, some of Earth's oldest literature, theBronze AgeEastern SemiticEpic of Gilgamesh,and East Asia'sHuli Jing(origin of this folklore is of unknown date, but eighteenth century at the latest), contain shapeshifters. The werewolf (lycanthropy) is neither the only nor the earliest form of folkloricaltherianthropy(shapeshifting from human to animal, or vice versa).[citation needed]
Kaplan concludes that, in Oaxaca, the belief in naguals as evil, shape shifting witches is common in both indigenous and Mestizo populations. According to Kaplan, the belief in animal spirit companions is exclusively indigenous. This is certain for some groups and communities, but for others, such as the Mixes, Chinantecos, Triquis, or Tacuates, those who can control their nahual or alterego are protectors of the people, natural resources and culture of the community, highly revered, but also feared.[3]
The nagual was popularized inshamanismbooks by authorCarlos Castaneda.
Practice
[edit]The practice of Nagualism was often accompanied by use ofhallucinogens,includingpeyote,ololiuqui,andpsylocibin mushroomsknown asteonanácatl.Use of these medicinal herbs were said to unlock powers of perception and insight in those performing the nagual rituals.[8][better source needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^abNutini & Roberts 1993,p. 43.
- ^abcStratmeyer & Stratmeyer 1977.
- ^abKaplan 1956.
- ^"Nahualismo y tonalismo".Arqueología Mexicana(in Spanish). 2018-11-20.Retrieved2024-04-20.
- ^"Celebrando la Vida del Abuelo Domingo Choc Che y Exigiendo Justicia por su Asesinato | Cultural Survival".www.culturalsurvival.org.2020-06-15.Retrieved2024-04-20.
- ^Brinton 1894.
- ^Correa 1955;Correa 1960.
- ^Frost 2017.
Works cited
[edit]- Brinton, Daniel G. (1894).Nagualism: A Study in Native American Folk-lore and History.Philadelphia: MacCalla & Company, Printers.OCLC465085853.
- Correa, Gustavo (1955). "El espiritu del mal en Guatemala".Nativism and Syncretism.19.New Orleans: Middle American Research Institute Publications, Tulane University: 37–104.
- Correa, Gustavo (1960) [1955].El Espíritu del Mal en Guatemala.New Orleans: Middle American Research Institute Publications, Tulane University.ISBN0-939238-21-7.Reprint.
- Frost, Melissa June (August 10, 2017).Herbs That Madden, Herbs That Cure: A History of Hallucinogenic Plant Use in Colonial Mexico(PDF)(PhD). Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia.RetrievedMarch 10,2022.
- Kaplan, Lucille (October–December 1956). "Tonal and Nagual in Coastal Oaxaca".Journal of American Folklore.69(274): 363–368.doi:10.2307/536346.JSTOR536346.
- Nutini, Hugo G.; Roberts, John M. (1993).Bloodsucking Witchcraft: An Epistemological Study of Anthropomorphic Supernaturalism in Rural Tlaxcala.Tucson: Arizona University Press.ISBN0-8165-1197-7.
- Stratmeyer, Dennis; Stratmeyer, Jean (1977). "The Jacaltec Nawal and the Soul Bearer in Concepcion Huista". In Helen L. Neuenschander; Dean E. Arnold (eds.).Cognitive Studies of Southern Mesoamerica.Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Museum of Anthropology.ISBN9780883121528.OCLC4337155.
Further reading
[edit]- Boyd, Carolyn E. (2003).Rock Art of the Lower Pecos.Texas A&M University Press.ISBN978-1585442591.
- Foster, Charles (2011).Wired For God?: The Biology of Spiritual Experience.Hodder & Stoughton.ISBN978-1444722055.
- Hoag Mulryan, Lenore (1996).Nagual in the Garden: Fantastic Animals in Mexican Ceramics.Los Angeles:Fowler Museum.ISBN978-0-930741-49-5.
- Mancilla, C. (1981).The Nagual Concept and the Collective Unconscious.Sonoma State University.
- Pearson, James L. (2002).Shamanism and the Ancient Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Archaeology.Rowman Altamira.ISBN978-0759101562.