nagual

[ nah-gwahl, -wahl ]

/ nɑˈgwɑl, -ˈwɑl /

a guardian spirit among Mexican and Central American Indians, believed to reside in an animal.

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Question 1 of 12

< Mexican Spanish nagual, nahual < Nahuatl nāhualli

na·gual·ism, noun

Nagual is the name by which the sorcerers of Mexico, Indians and aborigines of America, are still designated.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
For a nagual, as I have shown, is one thing and a totem is another; nor am I aware that Zulus are totemists.
Modern Mythology|Andrew Lang
From this occurrence it will easily be gathered that it is highly dangerous to kill a tamaniu, nagual, or manitou.
Human Animals|Frank Hamel
After various ceremonies, the child he was teaching was told to advance and embrace the Nagual.
Human Animals|Frank Hamel

That is, assigned the form of the nagual belonging to the sick man.
Nagualism|Daniel G. Brinton