ixtli (MH488r)

ixtli (MH488r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the element representing the noun for eye (ixtli) involves a round eye with a big lid, an iris, and a pupil. It is formed with three concentric half-circles on the bottom and one larger half-circle on the top. None of these circles is filled in. The original compound glyph that contains this eye is for the name Nahualix (as attested in the gloss image).

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The shape of this eye recalls the stellar or starry eyes found in the night sky (see below). The act of seeing and knowing were connected in Nahua thought, as expressed in the glyph for Tlamao (from tlamati, to know) which typically involves an eye. The fact that this eye here was connected with the concept of nahualli, a shape-shifting spirit--often an animal spirit--that a person could assume, suggests another almost magical association with eyes and seeing.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

navallis

Gloss Normalization: 

Nahualix

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
circle, circular or rounded
circle(s) (small, often concentric)
half circle
Keywords: 

eyes, ojos, estrellas, saber, sabio

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

ixtli, eye, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ixtli.

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

el ojo

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 488r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=55&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).

See Also: 

Nahualix (MH488r)

yohualli (Mdz39r)

yohualli (Mdz40r)

Tlamauh (MH522r)