temazcalli (CQ)

temazcalli (CQ)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This element for a steam bath or sweat house (temazcalli) has been carved from the compound glyph for Temazcaltepec. The bath is shown as a small building with a rounded roof. The roof is brownish, and the façade, with an open doorway, is left natural/white.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

While we cannot see evidence here of fire, water, or steam, these are features of the glyph for the temazcalli in the Codex Mendoza. (See below.) Robert Haskett (Visions of Paradise, 2005, 139) describes the association between pregnant women and sweat houses.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Quetzalecatzin, Codex (CQ)
Date of Manuscript: 

covers ruling men and women of Tecamachalco through 1593

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

southern Puebla state

Semantic Categories: 
place name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Architecture, Construction, Buildings
Stones, Rocks, Lapidary, Masonry
Water
Wood, wooden things
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Randall Rodríguez

Colors: 
brown
white/neutral
Shapes and Perspectives: 
circle, circular or rounded
frontal view
rectangular
right angle(s)
vertical, upright
Other Cultural Influences: 
Mixtec
Keywords: 

steam houses, casas de vapor, buildings, edificios, cleaning, limpieza, bathe, bañarse, pregnancies, embarazos

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

temazcal(li), steam bath, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/temazcalli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

casilla como estufa a donde se bañan

Image Source: 

The Codex Quetzalecatzin, aka Mapa de Ecatepec-Huitziltepec, Codex Ehecatepec-Huitziltepec, or Charles Ratton Codex. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017590521/

Image Source, Rights: 

The Library of Congress, current custodian of this pictorial Mexican manuscript, hosts a digital version online. It is not copyright protected.

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Temazcaltepec (CQ)

temazcalli (Mdz21v)

Temazcale (MH626r)