xicotli (FCbk11f9r)

xicotli (FCbk11f9r)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring two bumblebees (xicotli, or xicohtli with the glottal stop), 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 two bees, one in a bird’s eye view on the ground, and the other in flight (showing movement). Their gray bodies appear segmented, and their tails come to a point that curves. Their wings have a yellow and pink design. The landscape setting for these bees suggests European artistic influence.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The xicotli makes several appearances in this digital collection, often as a personal name, “Xico.” A few are shown below. The bumble bee is also present in the compound glyphs for the place name, Xicochimalco, and the name of a famous person, Xicotencatl. A Quick Search for xicotli will bring all these results.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Xicotli

Gloss/Text Normalization:

xicotli

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)

Date of Manuscript:

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Syntax:

noun(s)

visual movement

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Insects & Bugs

Movement

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

Shapes and Perspectives:

3/4 view

facing left

facing right

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

abeja, abejas, abejorros, jicotes, bees

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

xico(tl), bumblebee, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xicotl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

el abejorro, o el jicote

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 99r, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/99r/images/0 Accessed 16 October 2025.

Image Source, Rights:

Images of the digitized Florentine Codex are made available under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International). For print-publication quality photos, please contact the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana ([email protected]). The Library of Congress has also published this manuscript, using the images of the World Digital Library copy. “The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: