NAGUALISM


14. In the History of Guatemala, written about 1690 by Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzman, the author gives some information about a sorcerer of this school, who was arrested in Totonicapan, and with whom the historian had something to do as corregidor.

The redoubtable magician was a little old man, viejezuelo, and when caught had in his possession a document giving the days of the year according to the European calendar, with the Nagual, which belonged to each one. That for January is alone given by our writer, but it is probable that the other months merely repeated the naguals corresponding to the numbers. It ran as follows:

Nagual Calendar for January.

    1. Lion.
    2. Snake.
    3. Stone.
    4. Alligator.
    5. Ceiba tree.
    6. The quetzal (a bird).
    7. A stick.
    8. Rabbit.
    9. A rope.
    10. Leaf.
    11. Deer.
    12. Guacamayo (parrot).
    13. Flower.
    14. Toad.
    15. Caterpillar.
    16. A chip.
    17. Arrow.
    1. Broom.
    2. Jaguar.
    3. Corn-husk.
    4. A flute.
    5. Green-stone.
    6. Crow.
    7. Fire.
    8. A pheasant.
    9. A reed.
    10. Opossum.
    11. Huracan (the thunder-storm).
    12. The vulture.
    13. Hawk.
    14. Bat.

When the sorcerer was examined as to the manner of assigning the proper nagual to a child he gave the following account:

Having been informed of its day of birth, he in due time called at the residence of the parents, and told the mother to bring the child into the field behind the house. Having there invoked the demon, the nagual of the child would appear under the form of the animal or object set opposite its birthday in the calendar, a serpent were it born on the 2nd of January, a flower were it on the 13th, fire were it on the 24th, and so on. The sorcerer then addressed certain prayers to the nagual to protect the little one, and told the mother to take it daily to the same spot, where its nagual would appear to it, and would finally accompany it through all its life. Some, but not all, obtained the power of transforming themselves into the nagual, and the author declares that, though he could not cite such a case from his own experience, his father knew of several, and reliable priests, religiosos de fé, had told him enough examples to fill volumes.[44]

The tribes to which this author refers were the Cakchiquels and Quiches, who spoke practically the same tongue. An examination of some of the old dictionaries prepared by the early missionaries furnishes further and interesting information about this obscure subject.

In the Cakchiquel language of Guatemala, the word naual was applied both to the magician himself, to his necromantic art, and to the demonic agency which taught and protected him. This is shown by the following explanation, which I quote from Father Coto's Vocabulario de la Lengua Cakchiquel, 1651, a manuscript in the library of the American Philosophical Society:

"Magic or Necromancy: puz or naual; and they were accustomed to call their magicians or sorcerers by the same terms. It was a kind of magic which they invoked in order to transform themselves into eagles,



[44] Historia de Guatemala ò, Recordacion Florida, Tom. ii, p. 44. seq.

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