Nagualism: A Study in Native American Folk-Lore and History

In 1894, Daniel G. Brinton undertook one of the first serious scholarly investigations into Nagualism, a sprawling system of folk-magic, sorcery, and spiritual practice that spanned tribes across Mexico and Central America. The nagual itself was believed to be a personal guardian spirit, often taking the form of a specific animal, that shaped an individual's identity, fortune, and fate. Brinton traces how this belief system functioned not merely as superstition but as a profound framework for understanding the world, one that persisted for centuries despite colonial suppression. The study examines the rituals, the practitioners known as nagualists, and the deep social ramifications of these traditions. Brinton argues that Nagualism served as a form of cultural resistance, a way for indigenous populations to maintain continuity and identity under the weight of colonial domination. This book remains significant for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual and spiritual richness of Mesoamerican indigenous traditions before the modern era systematically documented them.