Chicua (MH568v)

Chicua (MH568v)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Chicua (“Barn Owl,” attested here as a man’s name) shows a profile view of the head of an owl looking toward the viewer's right. Its large round eye has many short black lines emanating out from it. Its beak is open.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The unusual number of lines around the owl's eye draws attention to it, perhaps recognizing its ability to see at night, but also giving an allusion of tonalli (day, sun, personal animating spirit) to it. Nahuas perceive owls to have sacred powers.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

pao chiqua

Gloss Normalization: 

Pablo Chicua

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood & Jeff Haskett-Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (male)
Mouth/Beak Open
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
profile view
shimmer, vibrance, shine with warmth & movement
Keywords: 

buhos, owls, birds, pájaros

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

chicua(tli), barn owl, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chicuatli
chicuatoto(tl), Eastern Meadowlark, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chicuatototl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

La Lechuza

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 568v, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=216&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).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

tecolotl (Mdz20r)

Cuauhtecolotl (MH525v)

tonalli (MH591v)