acatl (Verg8v)

acatl (Verg8v)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the element representing the calendrical day name, Acatl (reed) shows a reed plant with the trappings of an arrow in the foreground, including the top part of the shaft, plus a wing feather and a down feather. This arrow also is rooted in a horizontal foundation, much like the mamalhuaztli (wooden piece that was drilled for the New Fire ceremony every 52 years). This foundation has short, vertical lines, perhaps suggesting that it is a rounded piece of wood, and therefore three-dimensional.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Vergara, Codex (Verg)
Date of Manuscript: 

1539

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

near Tepetlaoztoc, near Tetzcoco

Semantic Categories: 
calendrics
day name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Feathers
Fire, Tobacco, Incense, Smoke
Plants, Flora
Time, Calendar, Frequency
Weapons, Shields, Armor
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
curving, curvy, curved
frontal view
shading and parallel line hatching
three-dimensionality
vertical, upright
Keywords: 

reeds, cañas, plumas, feathers, flechas, días, calendarios, xiuhpohualli, año, turquesa, xihuitl

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Image Source: 

Codex Vergara, folio 8v, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f24.item.zoom

Image Source, Rights: 

The non-commercial reuse of images from the Bibliothèque nationale de France is free as long as the user is in compliance with the legislation in force and provides the citation: “Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France” or “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/.

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Acatonal (Verg8v)

mamalhuaztli (TR29v)

acatl (Mdz23r)

Ce Acatl (TR14v)