Poyoma (Verg48v)

Poyoma (Verg48v)
Compound Hieroglyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Poyoma (“A Rose-Like Flower” or a "Hallucinogenic Flower," attested here as a man’s name). It shows the flower (poyomatl) and, above that, a hand (maitl). The hand is a phonetic syllable that complements the final syllable -ma- to the flower name. The idea that this could be hallucinogenic comes from the terms poyomahtli and poyon (see our Online Nahuatl Dictionary).

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This digital collection contains one other Poyoma name (below) and many Poyon names (as of late March 2026), all from the Matrícula de Huexotzinco. The latter may be truncated forms of poyomatl or poyomahtli. One has a focus on the plant, others focus on the flower, and one shows the head of a creature that may represent a hallucination.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

juan. poyomā.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Juan Poyoma

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Vergara, Codex (Verg)

Date of Manuscript:

1539

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

near Tepetlaoztoc, near Tetzcoco

Semantic Categories:

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Flowers

Gender (male)

Intoxicating drugs, hallucinogens

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

frontal view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

upward

Keywords:

nombres de hombres, men’s names, fonetismo

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

poyoma(tl), flower like a rose, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/poyomatl
poyomah(tli), hallucinogenic drug mixture to drink or smoke, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/poyomahtli
poyon, a narcotic, a hallucinogen, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/poyon

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Flor Parecida a la Rosa, o Flor Halucígeno

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 48v, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f104.item.zoom, accessed 25 March 2026. The Vergara is associated with Tepetlaoztoc, in the larger region of Tetzcoco, c. 1539–1543. “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/.

Image Source, Rights:

Image 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.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/

Orthography:

intrusive overbar

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: