Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina (TR31v)

Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina (TR31v)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This simplex hieroglyph, showing a xiuhuitzolli or diadem, but usually simply representing the title tecuhtli (also spelled teuctli) for lord, or high noble, here stands for the name of the Mexica ruler Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina (meaning perhaps “The Lord Who Shows Himself Angry, Who Pierces the Sky with Arrows” (a translation from the work of Enrique Vela (Arqueología Mexicana, 2011). This was the elder Motecuhzoma. The glyph is a diadem that is largely turquoise blue, but with some horizontal black lines, red trim, and a gold and red tie for the back of the head, so it has more decoration than the usual diadem. The diadem or crown is shown in profile, facing toward the viewer's right. It is a phonetic indicator for the middle of the name (-tecuh). Of course it also has a semantic value.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The diadem or crown, called xiuhhuitzolli in Nahuatl, is often used simply to represent tecuhtli (also spelled teuctli) (lord). Apparently this one, however, has distinguishing features that set it apart from the usual triangular red crown.

Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina lived ca. c. 1398–1469. The contextualizing image shows a date of 1441 next to the figure of the ruler, which is about when he came to power, following the death of Itzcoatl.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

huehuē moteuhc
çoma.

Gloss Normalization:

Huehue Motecuhzoma

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Telleriano-Remensis, Codex (TR)

Date of Manuscript:

ca. 1550–1563

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Semantic Categories:

personal name

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

tec, tecu, tecuhtli, or motecu (a diadem)

Writing Features:

simplex or element as phonogram

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Jewelry, Crowns, or other Adornment

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Politics, Power, Governance

Social Hierarchy, Commoners, Elites

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing right

profile view

tied, bound, or bundled

Keywords:

gobernantes mexicas, emperadores, teuctli, nombres de hombres, personas famosas

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

Motecuhzoma, a ruler of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/motecuhzoma
tecuh(tli), lord, high noble, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tecuhtli
huehue, an elder, old man, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/huehue

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina

Image Source:

Telleriano-Remensis Codex, folio 31 recto, MS Mexicain 385, Gallica digital collection, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8458267s/f88.item.zoom

Image Source, Rights:

The non-commercial reuse of images from the Bibliothèque nationale de France is free as long as the user is in compliance with the legislation in force and provides the citation: “Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France” or “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: