Nahual (MH879v)

Nahual (MH879v)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Nahual (short for nahualli, "Personal Shape-Shifting Spirit") is attested here as a man's name. The glyph includes a human face in profile, looking toward the viewer's right. On the head of this human is what appears to be an animal, probably an animal spirit.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The nahualli was typically visualized as being located on the top of the human head. See some other examples in this collection, below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

naval

Gloss Normalization: 

nahual

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories: 
deity name/theonym
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (male)
Nahuales, Sorcery, Divining
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Religion (Indigenous)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
profile view
Keywords: 

nahuales, espiritus, supernaturales, cabezas, nombres de hombres

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

nahual(li), a shape-shifting spirit, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nahualli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

El Nahual

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 879v, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=831&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).

Orthography: 
"v" for u, uh, or hu
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Nahual (MH873r)

Nahual (MH509r)

Nahual (MH497r)

nahualli (HJ276:79:pt1:24r)

Nahualecaxoc (MH904v)