Quetzalcuauh (MH744v)

Quetzalcuauh (MH744v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Quetzalcuauh (“Quetzal Feather-Eagle”) is attested here as pertaining to a man. It shows an eagle (cuauhtli) head in profile, facing toward the viewer’s right. Its eye is open, as is its beak. Its feathers are spiky along the top and back of its head, and at the neck. Behind the eagle’s head is a large quetzal feather (quetzalli), somewhat loosely veined and fluffy.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The man bearing this name also had a baptismal first name, Hernando, a name likely perceived to be imbued with some power or status, given that it was the name of the leader of the invading expedition to Mexico in 1519, Hernando Cortés. Note, in the gloss, what a challenge it was to write Hernando.

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)
Writing Features: 
compound fully logographic
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Feathers
Gender (male)
Mouth/Beak Open
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
profile view
Parts (compounds or simplex + notation): 
2
Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation): 
back to front
Keywords: 

águilas, plumas, quetzales, nombres de hombres

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

cuauh(tli), eagle, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuauhtli
quetzal(li), quetzal feather, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/quetzalli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Quetzal-Águila

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 744v, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=567&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: 
"l" for r
"q" for c
"t" for d
dropped "h"
dropped "n"
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Quetzalcuauh (MH622v)