ehuatl (Mdz40r)

The term ehuatl) is often associated with animal hides, animal skins, leather, or even human skins. But this garment probably had a cotton fabric base with yellow feathers attached to it, hanging in rows. Sometimes its feathers were also red or blue (see the Florentine Codex, Book 8). This garment was apparently fairly impervious to spears, darts, arrows, and perhaps even European swords. Ross Hassig describes the ehuatl as not having sleeves or leggings, but this glyph shows both, which is likely a variation. [See: Hassig, Aztec Warfare (1995), p. 90.] John Pohl says the ehuatl had strips that hung down to protect the thighs. [See his book, Aztec Warrior, 2012, p. 21.] Other yellow feather-covered garments appear below. We are also including an animal hide that has not been made into a garment.