Guardians of Idolatry

Offers readers a rare, in-depth look at the nahualtocaitl and the native cosmogonies, beliefs, and medical practices they reveal. Through close reading of four incantations - for safe travel, maguey sap harvesting, bow-and-arrow deer hunting, and divination through maize kernels - Diaz Balsera shows the nuances of a Nahua spiritual world.

In 1629, preotul catolic Hernando Ruiz de Alarcón a elaborat Tratatul despre superstitiile pagane care traiesc astazi printre indienii originari din aceasta noua Spanie pentru a ajuta biserica in abolirea practicilor religioase native Nahua. Tratatul bilingv Nahuatl-Spaniol a colectat diverse incantatii, sau nahualtocaitl, folosite pentru evocarea zeitatilor mesoamericane pentru sustinerea zilnica si activitatile medicale.