atl (MH557v)

atl (MH557v)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of an element (atl, water) from the compound glyph for Chalchihuatl (below) shows a spiral. Swirling water is a common theme in Nahuatl hieroglyphs. Swirls and coils suggest movement.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Landscape Features
Movement
Water
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
bird's eye view
circle, circular or rounded
spiraling, swirling, coiling, curling
Keywords: 

agua, water

Museum/Rare Book/Realia Comparisons: 
Museum/Rare Book/Realia Notes: 

This carved stone with a swirl might have been a reference to swirling water, but the original context is gone. This stone is on the side of the calendar pyramid at Tlatelolco. Photograph by Stephanie Wood, 2 May 2025.

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

a(tl), water, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/atl

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 557v, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=194&st=image

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library; used here with the Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SAq 3.0).

See Also: 

Chalchihuatl (MH557v)

atl (MH483v)

atl (Mdz18r)