Chimalman (MH507v)

Chimalman (MH507v)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph of a shield (chimalli) stands for the personal name Chimalman ("Like a Shield"). The name is also seen elsewhere as Chimalma, but the final "n" may have inadvertently dropped away in those cases. The shield, shown in a frontal view, has a two circles (concentric), a fringe at the bottom, and a rendition of the very popular cuexyo design (see examples below). This one has a curving dividing line between one U at the top and two U's in the bottom part. The glyph is slightly distorted here by the fact that it is caught in the binding of the manuscript.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The jury is still out, but if the name ends in -man, this would render a translation of "In the Manner of a Shield" or "Like a Shield." If the second part of her name is -ma, then some see a reference to the hand (maitl), and thus some translate her name as "Shield Bearer."

Chimalman was the name of a famous woman and deity bearer in the migration from Aztlan. She has also been described, as explained in our Online Nahuatl Dictionary, as a possible daughter of Quetzalcoatl and wife of Mixcoatl. In this case, from the Matrícula de Huexotzinco, the name is being used by what may be a macehualli woman. She does not have a title by her name, such as the imported term, doña.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

maria
chimalmā

Gloss Normalization:

María Chimalman

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie 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:

Art, Design, Crafts, etc.

Gender (female)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Weapons, Shields, Armor

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

circle, circular or rounded

frontal view

U-shapes (any direction)

Keywords:

escudos, rodelas, armas, guerra, nombres de mujeres, mujeres famosas

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

Chimalman, a legendary woman who led the migration from Aztlan, a god-carrier, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chimalman
chimal(li), war shield, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chimalli
-man(i), to be in the manner of, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mani-1
ma(itl), hand or arm, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/maitl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Al Estilo de una Rodela, o Portadora de un Escudo

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 507v, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=94&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: