Cuauhcoatl (Azca9)

Cuauhcoatl (Azca9)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound glyph represents a personal name, Cuauhcoatl (or perhaps Huitztli-Cuauhcoatl). It shows a profile view of the head of an eagle (cuauhtli) on a serpent (coatl), looking toward the viewer's right. The eagle's eye is open, as is its beak, and its red tongue is protruding and curving upward. The feathers on the back of its head are rather scalloped. The serpent's body is somewhat thick and short, and it does not have a rattler tail. Atop the serpent's back is a thorn (huitztli) pointing downward. This element is not represented in the name as glossed. The thorn is red and another color (brown or perhaps a faded green?).

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

A note on this manuscript says this person is a "mujer" (woman). A famous woman (Chimalma or Chimalman) did play a prominent role in the migration from Aztlan. But this person is wearing a loincloth and wears a lock of hair standing up on the top of their head, tied with a red leather strap, much in the way of priests and warriors, who were mostly male.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

quauhcohuatl

Gloss Normalization:

Cuauhcoatl

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Azcatitlan, Codex (Azca)

Date of Manuscript:

post-1550, but content about the migration from Aztlan to about 1527

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

perhaps Tlatelolco, Mexico City

Semantic Categories:

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound fully logographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

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

Feathers

Gender (male)

Gifts, Offerings, Sacrifice

Mouth/Beak Open

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Tongue Protruding/Noticeable

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

brown

red

white/neutral

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing right

pointed (see also spiky)

profile view

scalloped edges

triangular

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

inherent/internal/merged

right to left

Keywords:

águilas, serpientes, espinas, cohuatl

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

cuauh(tli), eagle, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuauhtli
coa(tl), snake or serpent, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/coatl
huitz(tli), thorn, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/huitztli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

[Espina]-Águila-Serpiente

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

The Codex Azcatitlan is also known as the Histoire mexicaine, [Manuscrit] Mexicain 59–64. It is housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and hosted on line by the World Digital Library and the Library of Congress.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15280/?sp=9&st=image

Image Source, Rights:

The Library of Congress is “unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection.” But please cite Bibliothèque Nationale de France and this Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs.

Historical Contextualizing Image: