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In Aztec Mythology and Mayan Mythology , a Nahual was a spirit being, similar to a Guardian Angel , that manifested itself in the form of an animal. Each person had a nahual who watched over and protected them. Depending on the day of birth in the ancient divinatory calendar, each person receives a different nahual. Parents may keep this from the child until the he matures enough to use the knowledge in a responsible way. This may be from a concern that the person may resemble their nahual animal or develop related characteristics. For example, a bull is mean, so if a child's nahual is a bull then he would use it to gain advantage, acting mean to everyone to get what he wants. In addition, a child may blame his own inappropriate behavior on his nahual. In general, individuals do not tell people about their nahual, unless they have a really close relationship. The Nahual Throughout its history, Mexico has been known for their Shaman s, Wizard s and " Curandero s" (tribal doctors), which are sometimes called Nahuales or Naguales.. Before the rise of the great Prehispanic civilizations like Aztec and Maya , the yakis, tarahumaras and seris Indian s, who lived in the North of Mexico and Southern parts of the United States around 900 A.D., had Nahuales. These peoples lived in parts of the U.S. states of California , New Mexico and Texas , and the Mexican states of Chihuahua , Baja California , Sonora and Sinaloa . They believed that if a man can know his primitive spirit or Nahual, he can use it to cure the people and practice magic. Many primitive drawings in old caves show people like Werewolves . The Aztec origin for Nahual is "Nahualli" that means "lo que es mi vestidura o piel" (Something that is my cloth or skin). It refers to the ability of the Nahual to Morph himself into a werecreature ( Wolf , Jaguar , Lynx , Bull , Eagle , Coyote , ...) That voice also refers to necromancy, secrets and malice. In the Aztec empire the Nahuales were protecters for Tezcatlipoca , the Aztec god of the war and sacrifice. The legend said that a Nahual can put away his skin and transform into a werecreature. Many Aztec and colonial hunters said that in the night they killed an animal and the next day it turned into a man. "The Nahual only can morph in the night and he attack our babies with hellish spells", said people during the Colonial times (1500–1800 A.D.). The Santa Inquisition (the Catholic tribunal that punished Jew s, Witch es, and the generally non-Catholic) hunted Nahuales for many years. But people believed in their power and sometimes protected them, especially in the Indian towns. Most anthropologists agree that the tradition of these spirits continue in all modern Mexican cities and towns, and many have at least one Nahual acting for these spirits. TRIVIA
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