Tlatlacol (MH577v)

Tlatlacol (MH577v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Tlatlacol (from Tlatlacole, “Sinner” or "Error Prone," attested here as a man’s name) shows a frontal view of a human head. Lots of short, messy lines come off the top and the bottom of the head. Perhaps two flames come off either side of the head, seemingly pointing to the verb, tlatla, to burn, which would be a phonetic indicator that would help the reader see that this person is a sinner or mistake-prone. What may be a set of teeth (tlantli) appears to the right of the head; if so, this would be a phonetic reinforcement.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The concept of "sinner" appears to be a feature of Indigenous Christianity, as the work of Louise Burkhart has shown. The visual nature of this glyph may show European influence, too. See how it compares to Achiteotl, below. For the reading of teeth, see how teeth were attached to an eagle's head, below, in reference to the verb "to speak," tlahtoa.

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, Mexico

Semantic Categories:

personal name

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

reduplication (in gloss/text)

verb

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous Christianity)

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Number of Parts, Other / Comment:

One could count the elements as including 1) the human head (the tlatlacole), 2) the messy lines coming off of it (mistakes, or the earlier thinking about tlatlacolli), 3) the flames (tlatla), and 4) the teeth [tla(ntli)].

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

undetermined as yet

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

sins, pecados

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tlatlacol(li), sin, fault, defect, wrong, something evil, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlatlacolli
tlatla, to get burned or to be on fire, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlatla
tlan(tli), tooth or teeth, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlantli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

El Pecador

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 557v, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=194&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).

Historical Contextualizing Image: