Tonal (mythology) facts for kids
Tonal is a fascinating idea from ancient Mesoamerica, a region that includes parts of modern-day Mexico and Central America. Many cultures there believed that when a person was born, they gained a special spiritual connection to an animal. This link would last their whole lives.
People believed that if their animal companion got hurt, like with scratches from a fight, the person might also feel pain or get similar marks. If the animal was sick, the person might also feel unwell. This idea is a bit like the concept of a Totem or a "spirit animal" in other cultures.
What Does 'Tonal' Mean?
The word Tonal comes from the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztecs. The original word was tonalli, meaning "day" or "daysign".
The Aztecs had a special calendar called the Tonalpohualli. They believed the day a person was born on this calendar would decide their personality and their animal companion. Each day was linked to a specific animal, and that animal could have strong or weak traits. For example, if you were born on the "day of the dog," you might have some of the dog's characteristics, like loyalty or playfulness. The word tonalli referred to both the day and the animal connected to it.
Other cultures had similar ideas. The Maya called their animal companion concept "Way." Today, the Mixe people call it Ts'ok, and the Jakaltek Maya in Guatemala call it yixomal ispiẍan nax, which means "soul bearer."
Studying the Tonal Belief
The study of Tonal beliefs began with a famous researcher named Daniel Garrison Brinton. He was an archaeologist, a linguist, and an ethnologist. In 1894, he wrote a book called "Nagualism: A Study in Native-American Folklore and History." In this book, he explored the history of the word Tonal and how people practiced nagualism (a related belief) in Mexico.
Brinton found that different communities in Mexico, like the Mixe, the Nahuas, the Zapotecs, and the Mixtecs, had their own versions of Tonal beliefs. These ideas were not new; they had roots in ancient civilizations like the Nahua, Olmec, and Toltec cultures.
See also
In Spanish: Tonal (mitología) para niños
