Warriors' Notes for July 1997
~ Experiences and Thoughts: Page 9 ~
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Subject: Re: the word nagual
> Does anyone remember the name of the dialect that Florinda said
The word "nagual" is from the Nahuatl language, which is the proper
name of the Aztecan. In that language, there are a number of
words from the same root, "na", which all contain the idea of "to
know" or "knowledge."
The Aztecs used the word "naualli" (pl. "nanahualtin") to refer to
the sorcerers, or masters of mystic knowledge. This is the most
widely accepted meaning of the word. The spelling "nagual" is
a Spanish standardization of the original Nahuatl word.
Another usage, whose origins are less clear, is in reference to a
person's guardian or companion that appears in the form of an animal
and is linked to a person throughout their life. When one's nagual
animal fared well, so did the person. Likewise, it was possible to
harm an enemy by injuring or frightening away his nagual.
Interestingly enough, this latter meaning, that of one's guardian
spirit animal, was called the "tonalli" (or "tonal" when written) by
the Aztecs. This is also their word for heat, summer, soul, spirit
and day.
One of the traditional practices of the old naualli sorcerers was to
"call back" the tonal of a sick person, which had become lost or
injured in the netherworld. When one's tonal was restored, one
once again enjoyed health and prosperity.
The etymology of these words is much more detailed and is, IMHO,
actually quite fascinating. But perhaps this is enough to answer the
original question.
Greg
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