peyotl (FCbk11f130r)

peyotl (FCbk11f130r)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring a hallucinogenic plant (peyote), 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 three legged cactus, each leg with a rectangular red and yellow flower at the top. On the green grass out of which the cactus grows, on either side of the cactus, is a small rectangular shape. Apparently, these are meant to be the “buttons” that are ingested for the psychedelic effect of the peyote. This landscape feature shows European artistic influence on the Nahua tlacuilo artist/author.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This is the first example of peyotl to enter this digital collection. Other hallucinogenic substances can be brought up by using the Advanced Search, Cultural Content, “intoxicating drugs, hallucinogens” category.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

peiotl

Gloss/Text Normalization:

peyotl

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:

Intoxicating drugs, hallucinogens

Plants, Flora

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

green (light)

red

yellow or golden

Shapes and Perspectives:

frontal view

Keywords:

sustancias tóxicas, alucinógenas, plantas, cactos

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

peyo(tl), a hallucinogenic plant, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/peyotl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

el peyote

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. 130r, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/130r/images/0 Accessed 16 November 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.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: