tletl (Mglb71r)

The heart of the fire here is very similar to the fire used in the hieroglyph for tlachinolli in the Codex Mendoza (see below). Given that tlachinolli (conflagration) is often paired with atl (typically, here, to mean flood) in a metaphor for destruction, perhaps the blue box here is meant to recall water, although it does not have the other usual hallmarks of water, such as currents, swirls, shells, and droplets/beads. The larger flames in this iconographic sample from the Magliabechi recall the shape of the flames from one of the burning temples in the Codex Mendoza, folio 3 verso (see below) and the flames coming from the tlemaitl (hand-held incense burner) on folio 63 r.. Other flames in the Mendoza will often be bifurcated and have a blue ring around the flame just below the bifurcation (see below). Flames often do have a blue element to them, but this blue could possibly alternatively point to the association of fire with water.