Nahualecatl (MH721r)

Nahualecatl (MH721r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Nahualecatl (perhaps “Shape-Shifting Wind Deity”) is attested here as a man’s name. It shows the face and buccal mask that is associated with the divine force of the wind, Ehecatl. The use of Ecatl in the orthography when the imagery includes the distinctive mask of Ehecatl is not at all unusual. The part of the name that refers to a nahualli (shape-shifting spirit) is not shown visually.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

For examples of visuals that point to the term nahualli, see below.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Source Manuscript:

Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)

Date of Manuscript:

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories:

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Gender (male)

Mouth/Beak Open

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Weather, Climate

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing right

profile view

Keywords:

nahual, nahuales, viento, aliento, aire, brisas, religión indígena, nombres de deidades, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

eca(tl), air or breath, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ecatl
eheca(tl), wind, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ehecatl
nahual(li), a shape-shifting spirit, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nahualli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Nahual-Fuerza Divina del Viento

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 721r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=520&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).

Historical Contextualizing Image: