El Nahual Coyote, Tenextepango (El nahual perro) from the series 'Pesonajes de Morelos, Mexico'

Sergio Sanchez Santamaria

Prehispanic Mexican mythology is surrounded by shapeshifters, that could either be good or evil. These human beings could transform into animals, such as coyotes or jaguars using magic and incantations offered to their Aztec gods. They would frighten settlers at night to achieve their goals.

Tenextepango is a town in the municipality of Ayala , Morelos, Mexico. This linocut depicts the Nahual as a coyote, lit by a moon at night and wearing a human's hat with the ear holes cut out.

Santamaria comments about this work: "La mitología prehispánica estaba rodeada de estos hechiceros que asi como podian hacer el bien podian hacer el mal esos hombres que podian transformarse en animales por medion de conjuros y magia, que ofrendaban a sus dioses aztecas lograban en la noche atemorizar a los probladores y lograr sus objectivos nocturnos."