Nagualism

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When nagualism is one, especially in Central America and especially Mexico manicured, belief in a guardian spirit in animal - or plant -shape that, this belief, according to, every human being has and as a nagual is called.

The respective individual feels connected in a mystical community, a “fateful simultaneous existence”: If one of the two partners is affected by injury or death , this also happens to the other nagual .

Daniel Garrison Brinton's representations of nagualism criticized George M. Foster (1913-2006). In his view there was no connection in the variety of magical practices and doctrines , from which he concluded that nagualism as a closed movement did not even exist.

Sometimes it is also referred to as tonalism (from Aztec tonalli , 'fate, soul').

Nagualism in New Age Literature

Carlos Castaneda reported in highly successful books on a shamans and sorcerers of the Yaqui Indians Don Juan Matus , who himself as Nagual called

“Don Juan had tried several times, for my sake, to name his knowledge. The most appropriate term, he found, was nagualism, but such a term was too incomprehensible. To speak simply of 'knowledge' would be too vague and a word like 'witchcraft' would be pejorative. 'Mastery of Intent' sounded too abstract and 'Seeking Absolute Freedom' was too long and too symbolic. Finally, and for lack of a more appropriate name, he called it 'sorcery', although he admitted that the word was not really true. "

- Carlos Castaneda : The power of silence

Remarks

  1. ↑ Norbert Classen: The knowledge of the Toltecs, Carlos Castaneda and the philosophy of Don Juan . Nietsch, Freiburg 2002, ISBN 3-934647-47-2 .

literature

  • Daniel G. Brinton : Nagualism. A Study in Native-American Folk-lore and History . MacCalla, Philadelphia, 1894.
  • Eveline Dürr: Zapotec alter ego ideas and nagualism in Oaxaca, Mexico . In: Eveline Dürr, Stefan Seitz (eds.): Religious ethnological contributions to American studies (Ulrich Köhler on his 60th birthday). Lit-Verlag, Münster 1997, ISBN 3-8258-3259-7 , pp. 83-103 ( Ethnological Studies 31).
  • George M. Foster: Nagualism in Mexico and Guatemala . In: Acta Americana . Vol. 2, No. 1 & 2, 1944, ZDB -ID 400244-1 , pp. 85-103.
  • Ursula Thiemer-Sachse : Nagualism among the Maya . On ethnographic details in an experience report from the 17th century . In: Ethnographisch-Archäologische Zeitschrift ( EAZ ) Vol. 33, 1992, ISSN  0012-7477 , pp. 45-51.