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T[A tradition] that, although not limited to Afro-Mexicans, is central to their ethnic identity and may point to an African origin is the belief in the tono, variously known as the nagual or simply as el animal. The tono can be understood as an animal spirit alter-ego that each individual is assigned at birth. This wild animal is a kindred spirit and roams the surrounding wilderness. Should harm befall this animal, it's human counterpart will likewise fall ill.
The most common tonos are the bull and the tiger, but almost any animal can be a tono. [The] belief in the tono is embraced by blacks as part of their own traditional culture.
–Bobby Vaughn
from his 2001 dissertation,
Race and Nation: A Study
of Blackness in Mexico
www.afromexico.com
