Teonanácatl
/te.o.naˈnaː.katl/noun
A psychoactive mushroom or group of mushrooms described in Classical Nahuatl sources and associated with Indigenous ritual use in Mesoamerica.
Did you know?In the 16th century, Bernardino de Sahagún recorded Indigenous accounts of teonanácatl being eaten ceremonially, sometimes producing visions, laughter, fear, and encounters with the supernatural.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian era
Classical Nahuatl
teōnanācatl
“A compound interpreted as “divine flesh” or “flesh of the gods,” referring to sacred mushrooms.”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
teonanácatl
“The term recorded in colonial-era accounts for visionary or intoxicating mushrooms used in Indigenous ritual contexts.”
1569–1579
Spanish
teonanácatl
“The Nahuatl loanword preserved in Spanish writings describing Indigenous mushroom practices.”
17th Century
Latin and Spanish
teonanacatl
“A reported Mexican mushroom name appearing in European natural-historical and missionary discussions.”
20th Century
English
teonanácatl
“An ethnomycological term used for psychoactive mushrooms associated especially with Mesoamerican ceremonial traditions.”