Guatemalan folklore

sacred text of the Maya

In Mesoamerican and Toltec spiritual traditions, a Nagual (from the Nahuatl word nāhualli) refers to a human being who can access spiritual power through transformation or deep connection with their tonal counterpart. This ability is not merely about shapeshifting but also about guiding spiritual development and fostering personal transformation by bridging the physical and metaphysical realms.

great mayan emperor

Maximón () is a Maya deity and folk saint, represented in various forms by the Maya peoples of several towns in the Guatemalan Highlands. Oral tradition of his creation and purpose in these communities is complex, diverse, and born of the ancient Maya traditions centuries ago.

traditional Guatemalan doll

thumb|right|Depiction of Sihuanaba The Sihuanaba, Siguanaba, Cegua, Cigua, or Sihuehuet is a supernatural character from Central American folklore, though it can also be heard in Mexico. It is a shapeshifting spirit that typically takes the form of an attractive, long haired woman seen from behind. She lures men away into danger before revealing her face to be that of a horse or, alternatively, a skull.

belief found in many indigenous Mesoamerican cultures that a person upon being born acquires a close spiritual link to an animal, a link that lasts throughout the lives of both creatures

character from Spanish and Latin American (especially Chilean, Mexican, and Guatemalan) folklore that typifies the rogue, rascal or trickster.

An alux (Mayan: , plural: ''aluxo'ob'' ) is a type of sprite or spirit in the mythological tradition of certain Maya peoples from the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize and Guatemala, also called Chanekeh or Chaneque by the Nahuatl people. Aluxo'ob are conceived of as being small, only about knee-high, and in appearance resembling miniature traditionally dressed Maya people. Tradition holds that aluxob are generally invisible but are able to assume physical form for purposes of communicating with and frightening humans as well as to congregate. They are generally associated with natural features such a

thumb|A 2011 painting by Carlos Loarca depicting el CadejoThe cadejo () or cadejos is a supernatural spirit that appears as a dog-shaped creature with blue eyes when it is calm and red eyes when it is attacking. It roams around isolated roads at night, according to Central American folklore of indigenous origin.