Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-28

I0HdLdHdu,
Sahagun says good deal in the fist volume of his HIS
toria de las Collar de Nuepa Espanal
All the days OF the year ignalized by diferen
names either Of BIRDS reptiles, OF mphbious teres
trial animals, like the Of t saints, says Bishop
Nunez De Ia Vega in the Catholic saendars The chile
received the corresponding his birthday, anG
they called that ceremony taking ht Nagua Thus from
the very beginning of his life, babe devoted to
brute, which he was brought up consider superna
turay animated by familiar demon, and to regard as
the Catholics do their guardian ae From that instant
till his last breath his Nagual behme his visible and
visible protector. The Master Nguaist then opened a
vein of the babe behind the onder his tongue
forth few drops of blood with aobsdian lancet the
nail of his orefnger which he ddgnedy caused to grow
to unusual length, and offered to the invisible demon
token of bondage and pledg Of the compact which
entered into between the chill and his Nagu Be-
fore leaving him the master po4ed out to the father
some wood where, at ue age of reason, the
boy should meet his Nagual in rider himself to raty
with the animal the bargain conceded in his 1t
not till the master had withdwn that the curate Of
the parish made of the firth of the babe bap
tism being considered by those paters form
without any consequence, and With they must undergo
as matter OF course.
"When the boy has reached til age of reason" says
father Burgoa the Master him. He
long speeches and teaches him manbd He induces
him TO believe that the god who cre3ed him and appointed
the day of his birth the very calls for him
and deyoes himself to watch lin friend under the
shape Of his Nagua Therefore, up says he
filled with courage that may pw your god your graft
tude for high favor by calling pom the animal whose
fate you must hereafter wholly be bund The boy usually
consents The Master Naguas thin brings him the place
appointed his birthday, and he in the gloom Of night
ne offers sacrifice to the demon tho his Ragua to
appear under the shape of the anmd Of which he bears the
name whether on snake agabr but which shows him
self gentle tame tractabD that the boy cannot help
caressng and taking him the bt of his friends This low
ing conference is like the cal ohe compact concluded with
the devil From that their fate intimate
connected that by pecit permission of God and positive
heavenly chassement blind men, they entirely
delivered the fend r they give themselves up him
with such complete willingness that God allows Satan to In
fct upon them in turn the harm and wounds that their
Nagual friend might Experience"
A fact, among many oters of the same kind related
at different times and place. by sincere and pious authors
will explain better than thing else the of the
ties which supposed tosxst between the Nagual and
his protege:
Father Diego" says agin Burgoa, "was monk Of
great courage and presence II mind Notwithstanding his
old age, nothing capable ntimdang him. He repri-
manded without fear all that thong reprehensble in those
who lived under his authority Among others was an Indian
whom he chastsed will great rudeness The Indian
deeply felt the injury and in his eagerness for revenge he
went and stationed himself he shadows Of river which
issues from the lake Tehntepec which the Padre
about to his way Wit sick person. Padre Diego
took of the horses Of the convent and rode quietly
citing his brevary He had hEdy entered the when
his seed was stopped van struggling get along Looking
down. the monk at once perceied that alligator try
ing to drag the horse away int the But giving the
rens 70 his seed he caused hin to advance with such rapid
y that he carried the to the beach, Kicked by the
horse and stunned with the tipped cudgel of the father the
monster fell and Padre Diego continued his ride towards the
house where he expected related what
had occurred him. and he receiving the confession
the sick man for whom he had been called he informed
that the Indian whom he hadchassed few days since had
just died. cnrsng the monk AMI his horse the instruments
OF his DEATH Father Diego eagerly made inquiry the a-
gator found dead the bach and they that
the Indian bore exactly the wounds by which his Ma
quail had been killed"
once happened" adds Fther Burgoa "to examine an
Indian on the same grounds He frankly confessed that he
had his Nagua AS repmaided him with Sc verify he an
i mt lOOk
for it, Since my childhood always that animal about
me am used to eat of what HI eats feel the harm and
good that he feels, and be acts quite friend with
That wretched deeply involved in his error like
great many Others and completely persuaded that
british an association far from being evil the
trary and favor that by could he be
deceived May the ministers Of Cod well understand their
duties to them pertains break down the Satan
who thus abors eradicate the seeds of faith May they
endeavor to bring the fathers back the faith in the
rsr onsr Children to Demon
what sort of intention they afterwards bring them
church for baptism ?"
The Spanish authors Of the 18th and 18th centuries
who speak of Naguaism give the strangest notions Of it.
Nunex de Ia Vega Bishop of Chapas the beginning
the 18th century, takes it the theme Of many of his
pastoral instructions to the Of his diocese He
exhors them to labor without nermssion for the de-
strucon of idoatry In pastoral letter Nagualism,
especially directed to the Indians he informs them that
be is perfectly of its practices The suboined de-
tails the rites performed by the Master Nagualiss for
initiating their disciples in their art borrowed from it
This class, says the Bishop, sis the wicked of ALL
They introduce themselves in the villages under the guse
physicians Of ailments and phbotonst while in re-
atty they busorcere performers of spells
who instead of beang give maades and kill the sick by
laying of herbs about them, &c. together with installations
internal words by the hep which they invoke the devil
and command him at their will according to the bargain they
have made with him."
The functions Of the Master Nagualsts principally
consisted in presiding the secret worship Of their
gods and in consulting the horoscope of the newborn
infants They also used to the vengeance Of those
who required to their art 1t is remarkable that the
initiation conferred upon single neophyte
They always need to be three together says Nunez
Ia Vega, Sin order to avoid discovery should spell be
thrown upon house village On the other hand Ma
guaist received MASTER is forbidden to act for him
self without the Of his two fellow-maste
Before admitting the candidate continues the Bishop
the Master Naguast commands him renounce our Sa
viour and the blessed Virgin and tho Saints He then
proceeds to wash the head of the neophyte and the
parts OF his body which he has water and
functions of baptism, in order says he blot all
courage fear and cowardce being obstac his initiation
into the mysteries. After these nstruc6ns he brings his
disciple to gloomy forest into the depths of frghtfu
barranca There he places himself with the ncophyte upon
an ants nest of large Size and by of magic for
mua he conures up the snake called the mother of ants
species ysregated with white, black and red She
FORTH together with other small snakes they surround
the adept enter through the Joints his left hand
out afterwards through his nose ears and the Joints
his right hand This being done mother of ants all Mt
once springs into his mouth and gets backwards like
wise al the small snakes one after another, after which they
retired to their hole.
The master then brings hs disciple to deep and hollow
place. where they meet with dreadful monster darting FIRE
through his mouth and nosrs 1.-The beast swallows the
young adept who energies from his posonI During hir
days, after another awful rites repeated
the and only then the master reveal bin
SECRETS to his disciple"
Thus far the Bishop Of Chiapas who expressly states