The nahual

"El nahual"
Spanish C1 writing exercise

Learn about the nahual, a mystical guardian animal with deep roots in Mesoamerican culture.

Pay attention to the hints!

Some vocabulary you may want to look up before or during this exercise: "to assure", "supernatural", "loved one" and "shaman".

I’ll give you some sentences to translate into Spanish

  • I’ll show you where you make mistakes
  • I’ll keep track of what you need to practise
  • Change my choices if you want
Start the exercise

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The nahual is a very important mythical figure in Mesoamerican cultures, especially in Mexico and Guatemala. How many stories my grandmother used to tell me about nahuales when I was a child! She assured me that they were people with the power to transform into animals. According to her, this transformation only occurred at night, and was related to supernatural powers. Also, she told me that each person has a nahual, which is their protective spirit animal. Depending on the date of birth or destiny of each person, the nahual's animal can be different. Although nahuales are protectors, there are also stories where some can be really dangerous. According to ancient stories, some nahuales used their powers to protect their loved ones, but others used them to cause harm. In my community, there are people who still believe in the power of nahuales, especially shamans, who are deeply connected to them. Thus, the nahual is not only a legend, but also a reminder of the spiritual wealth and the deep relationship we have with the natural world.

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