Chichimecatl (MH895r)

Chichimecatl (MH895r)

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name or ethnicity, Chichimecatl (“Person from the Chichimeca”) is attested here as a man’s name. The glyph shows a bow and arrow, a semantic indicator for the semi-sedentary northerners who hunted and fought with bows and arrows. The bent-wood bow is on the left, with a string tied at both ends. On the right is the arrow, which has a point with two barbs.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

Another recurring feature identified with Chichimecs is the face paint or tattooing across the cheek, involving criss-crossing lines.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image: 
Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription: 

dio. chichimecatl

Gloss/Text Normalization: 

Diego Chichimecatl

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Keywords: 

etnicidades, chichimecas, cazar, arcos, flechas, armas, nombres de hombres

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

chichimeca(tl), an Indigenous person from the North, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chichimecatl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Un Chichimeca

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 10: The People", fol. 39v, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/10/folio/39v/images/0 Accessed 10 September 2025

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).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Chichimecatl (MH784v)

Chichimecatl (MH794v)

Chichimecatl (MH735r)

Chichimeca (Azca9)

Chichimecamani (MH490r)

Chichimeca Yaotequihua (MH597r)

ehuatilmatli (FCbk6f214r)

tlahuitolli (FCbk6ff214r)

tlamin (FCbk10f121r)