Nahual

Nahual or Nagual, even Nawal, (in Nahuatl: nahualli, 'hidden, hidden, disguised') within Mesoamerican beliefs, is a kind of witch or supernatural. being that has the ability to take animal form. The term refers both to the person who has this ability and to the animal itself that acts as his alter ego or The concept is expressed in different native languages, with different meanings and contexts. In addition, mainly among indigenous groups, the practice or ability of some people to transform elements of nature into animals or perform acts of sorcery is called nahualism.

In Maya, the concept is expressed under the word chulel, which is understood exactly as "spirit"; 4 the word derives from the root chul, which means "divine". According to some traditions, it is said that each person, at birth, already has the spirit of an animal, which is responsible for protecting and guiding it. These spirits usually manifest only as an image that advises in dreams or with a certain affinity with the animal that took the person as his protégé. A woman whose nahual was cenzontle will have a privileged singing voice, but not everyone has such light contact: it is believed that the sorcerers and shamans of central Mesoamerica can create a very close bond with their nahuals, which gives them an A series. of advantages that they know how to take advantage of, the vision of the hawk, the smell of the wolf or the hearing of the ocelot become tools of these seers and it is even stated that some, more prepared, can even acquire the shape of their nahuals and use this ability of various forms, not all with good intentions, according to popular tradition.

Etymology
The word "nahual" comes from the term "nahualli", whose origin and polysemic meaning are in dispute, to the point that since the 16th century, authors such as Hernando Ruiz de Alarcón or Jacinto de la Serna have proposed several possible etymologies for the term. . . Among the various theories that have been proposed about its origin in are:

As it comes from the verb «nahualtía», which means «hide, hide», which Ruiz de Alarcón also translates as «disguise» or «rebozo», that is, to cover oneself with a shawl. However, Alfredo López Austin opposes this interpretation.

Coming from the verb «nahuali / nahuala», which evokes the idea of ​​«deceiving, dissimulating». The constructions with this verb are related to cunning and surprise, although the hypothesis has been opposed that in any case they denote the idea of ​​acting or doing things in the manner of a nagual, which makes it a circular etymology.

Originating from some of the verbs with the root «nāhua-», related to the action of speech: «nahuati», speaking aloud; "Nahuatia", to speak with empire, to command; "Nahualtia", to address someone.

Ángel María Garibay proposed a possible origin in the word "nahui", which designates the number four, relating it to the Spanish word "cuatrero" or to the idea that the nahual would have a "quadruple personality".

Daniel Brinton proposed in 1894 that the word nahual was a linguistic loan from the Mayan language, having its origin in the root «na-», which in Quiché means «to know, to know», thus relating it to the idea of ​​a mystical or magical knowledge.

Meaning
Due to the obscurity of the term, its wide diffusion in Mesoamerican cultures, and the diversity in information about nagualism, there is no single meaning of the term "nahual", although there are certain coincidences between various worldviews that suggest a common background for diversity. . of interpretations.

Nahual as a sorcerer
The most generalized meaning of nahualism, supported by the first interpretations made by the Spanish conquerors, gives the nahual the meaning of the person who through magical or divine arts has the ability to transform his body into that of an animal, object, fire or a meteorological phenomenon, such as lightning or clouds. Already Alonso de Molina in his Vocabulary in Spanish and Mexican language of 1571, recorded the meaning of "sorcerer", "sorcerer" or "necromancer" for the term "naualli." As defined by Lucille Kaplan:

"Nagual is used in the original sense of the transforming sorcerer concept, that is, the temporary use of an animal or other form to perform witchcraft or a harmful purpose." Based on Foster's research, modern anthropologists seem to accept the theory that the original meaning of the nahual is that of the transforming witch and corroborated with the ethnological record of the beliefs of contemporary indigenous peoples of central and southern Mexico, especially in Mexico. the fact made the difference between the concept of nahual and tonal.