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a sorcerer; a shape-changer; a spirit, often an animal form or shape a person could take on (see Karttunen; Molina gives "witch"); hieroglyphs show it attached to the crown of the human head; see for example, Nahualecaxoc (MH904v) and Nahual (MH879v)
The root nahual- "means to transform, convert, transfigure, disguise, re-clothe, mask oneself, conceal, camouflage, and finally to trick."
See an image that represents nahualli in the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities, 2020-present).
Injc, macuilli Capitulo, itechpa tlatoa, in oc centlamantli tetzavitl, in quichiuh naoalli titlacaoan = Fifth Chapter, which telleth of another fraud which the sorcerer Titlacauan wrought (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in naoalli tlamatini, nonotzale, piale, hacemelle ixtilli, imacaxtli, haquequelli, axictli, aixcoeoaliztli = The sorcerer [is] a wise man, a counselor, a person of trust - serious, respected, revered, dignified, unreviled, not subject to insults. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in tlacateculotl mocuepani naoale = The possessed one [is] one who transforms himself, who assumes the guise of an animal. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in quitoaya navalli amo tlacatl. Auh in macevalli iehoatl in quitoaya tlacateculutl tetlepanqueça tetlatlacatecoluvia = what they called a sorcerer, an evil man. And a commoner was what they called a devilish one; he cast spells; he bedeviled people. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
zan tepiton nictechiuilia, in amo uel itla oncan nicnixnextilia, niquicnopiluia: ic mitoa. Canpaxo'n naoalli. = I put a low price on something small; I do not make anything, I make no profit from it. For this reason, one says: The sorcerer bit into it. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
In youalli, in ehecatl in naoalli in totecuyo. Inin tlatolli, itechpa mitoaya: in tlacateculotl Tezcatlipoca. = Our Lord, the Night, the Wind, the Conjuror. These words were said of the idol, Tezcatlipoca. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
nahualli = tlacateculotl, devil, sorcerer; there is a saying that when the sorcerer has passed by, one has put a little money aside through hard work or has learned something by studying in a dedicated way (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
nanahualtin = shape-changing, animal alter-egos (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in naoalli tlamatini, nonotzale, piale, hacemelle ixtilli, imacaxtli, haquequelli, axictli, aixcoeoaliztli = The sorcerer [is] a wise man, a counselor, a person of trust – serious, respected, revered, dignified, unreviled, not subject to insults. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
motecuçoma quimioa in nanaoalti in tlatlacateculo, in tetlachivianime, inic itla impan quichioazque in Españoles = Moteucçoma sent witches, wizards and sorcerers to do something to the Spanish. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
yuan yn occequintin yn nanaualti yn tlauipochti yn coyonaualeque youaltica quiça mochichicuepa mocoyocuepa motequanicuepa momizcuepa mocuetlachcuepa mocelocuepa = And the others, the shape-changing sorcerers, the fire-spitting witches, those who have the coyote as their animal form, at night they go out. They change into dogs, they change into coyotes, they change into wild beasts, they change into pumas, they change into wolves, they change into jaguars. (central Mexico, late sixteenth century)
yn yehuatl yn oçomatzin teuhctli, iuh mitohua nahualli catca moch quinnotzaya yn tocame yn petlaçolcohuatl yn cohuatl yn tzinaca yn collotl, ynic mochtin quinnahuatiaya quipiaya yn ichpoch miyahuaxihuitl = Oçomatzin teuhctli was said to be a sorcerer. He summoned all manner of spiders, centipedes, snakes, bats, and scorpions; he commanded them all to guard his daughter, Miyahuaxihuitl. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Auh ca cenca huey nahualle amo mach iuhqui yn inan yn itoca Mallinalxoch. ca cenca huey tlahueliloc. yn copil = He was exceedingly wicked and a very geat nahualli. Copil was not the equal of his mother, Malinalxoch by name, but [nonetheless] was exceedingly wicked. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Nohmatca nehhuātl NiNāhualocēlōtl = It is I in person. I am Nahualli-jaguar. (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
nahualli quimamani mexica = a sorcerer agitated the Mexica
nahualli = "a powerful shape-changing sorcerer"
Ie onqujza naoalli: anoҫe onqujz in naoalli. Iquac mjtoa: in cequjntin cenca motlacujtlavia, injc motlaiecoltia vellaixnextia: auh in cequjntin, ҫan tlatzivi, maaviltia, atle qujxnextia: auh in cequjntin vellotlaixnextique, iquac mjtoa: onqujz in naoalli = Already the nagual cometh forth; or, the nagual came forth This is said when some take great care in making a living, in gaining a good livelihood. And some are just lazy; they just pass the time idly; they gain no livelihood. But some of these gain a very good livelihood. At this time it is said: "The nagual came forth." (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
An extensive discussion describing Quetzalcoatl is found in the Third Chapter of Book 6 of the Florentine Codex. It is said, for example, "in vej naoalli catca" [in huey nahualli catca], "who was a great wizard" in the Anderson and Dibble translation. He was considered a god, dating from olden times at Tula. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
El brujo de Tlalnicpatlan. "Una mujer es hechizada por un brujo. Un muchacho mata a un burro, con lo cual muere inmediatamente el brujo nahual. Se alivia la mujer." (Escuchado en Ixcatepec, Gro. Hendrichs, 1945, II: 128–129.)
Ie onqujza naoalli: anoҫe onqujz in naoalli. Iquac mjtoa: in cequjntin cenca motlacujtlavia, injc motlaiecoltia vellaixnextia: auh in cequjntin, ҫan tlatzivi, maaviltia, atle qujxnextia: auh in cequjntin vellotlaixnextique, iquac mjtoa: onqujz in naoalli = Tiene algun trasgo que le ayuda. Dizesse este refran: de aquellos que no parece que hazen nada y estan ricos, tambien se dize de aquellos que trabajan poco en deprender y en comparacion de los que trabajan mucho en deprender o en ganar la vida saben mas y tienen mas (centro de Mexico, s. XVI)
El mito de Ahuizotl. "En tiempos remotos Xaltocan era gobernado por un rey-nahual que asustaba a la gente por transformarse en distintos animales. Sus súbditos lo hicieron huir y se llevó toda la flora y fauna y hoy día Xaltocan ha perdido su riqueza natural." (Escuchado en Xaltocan, Méx., s. XX. Según Barrios, 1950, 72–82.)
Auh cenca mochi ueueyn nanaualltin ca[t]ca yn nonoualca yn omique = Y los nonoualca, ya muertos, todos eran muy grandes nanaualtin [y en la nota no. 11, dicen: "brujos" y con "poderosa magia"] (Quauhtinchan, s. XVI)
auh in mexica acalchimaltica micalque monamicque tlatilolca moch tlahuiztli co[n]maq’[ui]que M[art]in Xollotecatl ocelonahualle yetia co[n]maqui = Y los mexicanos combatieron con canoas escudo, se enfrentaron a los tlatelolcas, todos llevaban puestas sus insignias. Martín Xollotecatl fue como nahual de ocelote [ocelonahualle], se visitó [con tal insignia] (ca. 1582, México)
auh in P[edr]o Cuetzoc coyonahualle yetia yc ce[n]tlama[n]tli yn inpa[n] mochiuh al[ca]ldesme y co[n]peualtique yn intequiuh = y Pedro Cuetzoc fue como nahual de coyote de un tipo, se hizo porque los alcaldes iniciaron sus cargos (ca. 1582, México)
Inimequez nahualtin tlanonotzalo quemen mocuepa quemanian de yolcatl, de chichi, de miztli, de cuanaca, o nozo mocuepa in texcaltin. = Cuentan que estos nahuales a veces se vuelven animales--perros, gatos, gallinas--o se vuelven peñascos. (s. XX, Milpa Alta)