tecuecuextli (FCbk12f8v)

This iconographic example, featuring a black and white sketch of a man wearing leg bands made for dancing (tecuecuextli)), 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 Hernando Cortés, “Capitán,” on his ship in the harbor at the time when he had taken some Nahuas aboard. According to the Nahuatl text nearby, the Nahuas had given him gifts, including the leg bands he is wearing in this scene. The text explains: “icxic contlalilique in chalchiuhtetecuextli teucuitlacoiollo” (“on his legs they placed the green-stone bands with the golden bells”) (from James Lockhart’s transcription and translation). The text goes on to say how, after all the gifts were given, Cortés was unsatisfied and had his men put irons on the guests’ necks and feet. Then he had the cannon shot off, which caused the Nahua men to collapse from fright.