Jorge César Vélez Cervantes. Nahualism and
Tapahtiani-Nahualmej people from Cuetzalan, Puebla.
This article deals with a very accurate ethnographical
description of several kinds of healers from the north
mountains of Puebla. On one side, we find the “Tapahtiani” “the one who knows how to cure”; on the other
side the “nahualmej” who presents a nahual nature
with the possibility of transforming itself into an
animal while asleep. Not all “tapahtiani” is a nahual
nor all “nahualmej” is “tapahtiani”, the author points
out. However, in some cases the “nahualmej” are
required as “tapahtiani” in order to cure illnesses considered
as “evil”, caused by harmful entities, airs or by “masakame”, a type of witch.