In the original Nahua, Tlacatecolotl means “Owl Man”; they are dark sorcerers, with the owl as their nagual, a harbinger of death and ill luck.
They made a living from their malicious arts, usually cheating their victims, since they would cast spells on them only to charge exorbitant prices to lift them.
It’s not surprising then, that pre-Columbian authorities would persecute Tlacatecolotl, or even avoid their infamous services whenever possible.
In this WIP we can see the masked face of one of these fearsome necromancers, with his mask alluding to a great horned owl.
