About the Author (s)
Mallory E. Matsumoto is an assistant professor of Religious Studies at what university?
University of Texas
This term, derived from Nahuatl meaning “transform” or “disguise,” refers to a companion spirit often taking animal form in Mesoamerican traditions.
nagual/nahual/nawal?
Naguals exist in this type of “in-between” space, connecting humans with gods and ancestors
Liminal Space
What did the Mexica (Aztecs) call sacred bundles
Tlaquimilolli
In healing practices, what did wrapping bundles help treat?
Bone injuries or fractures.
Besides Guatemala and Mexico, name one other country where Matsumoto has conducted research or fieldwork.
United States/Hungary/Peru
People usually gain their nagual at this point in their lives, even if they don’t recognize it until later.
Birth
Name one type of animal form commonly associated with naguals in Classic Maya imagery.
jaguar / turkey / peccary / toad
According to colonial writers, what did sacred bundles represent for the Mexica
They were the “principal idol” — the most sacred object.
Why were bones or inflated membranes included inside healing bundles?
To ease pain and encourage healing.
Where does Molly H. Bassett’s teach?
Georgia State University.
In many communities, harming a nagual leads to this severe consequence for the associated person.
Serious Illness/Death
The nagual’s ability to shape fate or weather echoes the role of ceremonial specialists in Indigenous communities, also known by this broad term.
Shamans
Sacred bundles played roles beyond religion. Name one other area where they were significant.
Economic, military, or ceremonial contexts.
What ritual action made sacred bundles “alive” or active during ceremonies?
Dressing, unwrapping, or revealing the bundle.
What book did Molly H. Bassett publish with the University of Texas Press in 2015?
The Fate of Earthly Things: Aztec Gods and God-Bodies.
This type of spiritual specialist—sometimes called a priest, shaman, or sorcerer—can restore a threatened nagual.
Local Healer
Rather than appearing on stone monuments, Classic Maya depictions of naguals most commonly appear on these portable objects.
painted ceramic vases (or portable media)
Why were sacred bundles so closely tied to leadership and authority?
Leaders were responsible for carrying/maintaining the bundle — it symbolized their responsibility to govern.
What metaphor did the Maya use involving bundles to describe leadership?
Leaders “took up and bore the bundle,” symbolizing responsibility and obligation.
According to the article, what is Bassett’s current research project focused on?
She is working on a book about sacred bundles and their role in religion, focusing especially on Mesoamerican materials.
Classic Maya hieroglyphs refer to naguals using this term, meaning “sleep” or “dream.”
What is wahy or wahyis?
Scholars emphasize nagualism not just as “religion,” but as a key to understanding these two interconnected aspects of Mesoamerican identity.
the self and the soul
The reading says sacred bundles express both the material and nonmaterial significance of objects. What does this mean?
Bundles are important not only for what they physically contain, but for the spiritual power, identity, and meaning they represent.
Why did colonizers misunderstand sacred bundles, according to the reading?
They saw them only as physical objects, not as living embodiments of sacred power that “owned” their devotees.