Coyonacaz (MH496r)

Coyonacaz (MH496r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Coyonacaz ("Coyote Ear," attested here as a man's name) shows a frontal-view of a coyote (coyotl) ear (nacaztli). It is as though the viewer is looking inside the ear. The ear comes to a point at the top. Hair is located inside and along the top edge.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The hunting ability of the coyote was impressive to the Aztecs. At least some Nahuas saw a divine force in the Coyotlinahuatl, who could assume a human form. Rituals celebrating this force included regalia with "tails, sharp snouts, and erect ears." [See: Dan Flores, Coyote America (2016, 10).] Perhaps the hearing of coyotes was something especially appreciated.
Other notable features of coyotes include a recognition of a special aging coyote (Huehuecoyotl), and the famous Tetzcocan Nezahualcoyotl had the coyote attribute.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

fran^co
coyonacaz

Gloss Normalization:

Francisco Coyonacaz

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:

Anatomy, human body parts

Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.

Gender (male)

Hair (human or animal)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

curving, curvy, curved

leaf, marquise, pointed oval

oval (see also leaf shaped)

frontal view

pointed (see also spiky)

Keywords:

coyotes, ears, orejas

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

coyo(tl), coyote, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/coyotl
nacaz(tli), ear, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nacaztli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Coyote-Oreja

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 496r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=71&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: