Nagual

The Nagual is a supernatural creature from Aztec myth. Its name is thought to come from the word Naualii, which were dark sorcerers. The youth of this community would go to a solitary area as a coming-of-age rite. The animal that appears to them in their dreams is their Nagual, a guiding or totemic spirit. While rare, the Nagual could appear as a natural phenomenon like lightning or a meteor shower. These spirits could be used to gather information and deliver it to their human while asleep. That can also be sent to antagonize others. Mexican folklore describes them as shapeshifting creatures. They’re believed to stand seven to eight feet tall, covered in hair, with long arms. They’re thought to have the feet, claws, ears, and mouth of a wolf. In addition to these features, they howl like wolves, but retain an evil human expression. It is thought they can take the form of snakes, pumas, or wild dogs, though some believe they transform into the animal their Nagual spirit appears as.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

Steiger, Brad. The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings. United Kingdom, Visible Ink Press, 2011.