Chicua (MH624r)

Chicua (MH624r)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Chicua ("Barn Owl") is attested here as a man's name. It shows the head of the barn owl (chicua) in profile, looking toward the viewer's right. Its eye is open, and short lines radiate from around the eye. Its beak is closed.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The radiation around owl's eyes seem to add a special sense of power or magic. Perhaps this relates to their ability to see and hunt at night. It is also reminiscent of tonalli. Nahuas apparently perceive owls to have sacred powers. See other examples, below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

Juan
chiqua

Gloss Normalization: 

Juan Chicua

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
profile view
shimmer, vibrance, shine with warmth & movement
Keywords: 

pájaros, lechuzas, buhos, tecolotes, prominent eye, ojos notables

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

chicua(tli), barn owl, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chicuatli

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 624r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=330st=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).

Orthography: 
"q" for c
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Chicua (MH568v)

tecolotl (Mdz20r)

Cuauhtecolotl (MH525v)

tonalli (MH591v)

Atonal (MH625v)