metlapilcoatl (FCbk11f85v)

metlapilcoatl (FCbk11f85v)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring a snake in the shape of a grinding tool (metlapilcoatl), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making comparisons with related hieroglyphs. The term selected for this example comes from the text near the image in the Digital Florentine Codex. There is no gloss, per se. This example shows a horizontal snake (coatl) with rounded ends, no obvious head, and no rattler. It is covered with scales, but it looks very much like a large stone grinding tool (metlapilli). This animal is set in a landscape, which suggests European artistic influence. The snake also has shading on the underside, which gives it a three-dimensionality–another European influence.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Women who would grind maize (tlaolli) on the grinding stone (metlatl), would grasp the grinding stone (metlapilli) with both hands. The “pilli” part of the name for that tool (and this snake) may stem from mapilli, finger. The metlapilli was not the only symbolic serpent that women had in their lives on a daily basis. The weaving implement called a tzotzopaztli was another symbolic snake that could turn into a weapon.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Metlapilcooatl

Gloss/Text Normalization:

metlapilcoatl

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)

Date of Manuscript:

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Syntax:

noun(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Reptiles

Color names

Stones, Rocks, Lapidary, Masonry

Technology (all types), plus Tools

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

Shapes and Perspectives:

horizontal

shading and parallel line hatching

three-dimensionality

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

serpientes, víbora, víboras, culebra, culebras, herramientas, tecnología

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

metlapilcoa(tl), a very venomous snake, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/metlapilcoatl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

un serpiente muy venenoso

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 85v, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/85v/images/0 Accessed 16 October 2025.

Image Source, Rights:

Images of the digitized Florentine Codex are made available under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International). For print-publication quality photos, please contact the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana ([email protected]). The Library of Congress has also published this manuscript, using the images of the World Digital Library copy. “The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse.”

Orthography:

intrusive "o"

Historical Contextualizing Image: