Xiuhtli (MH896r)

Xiuhtli (MH896r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Xiuhtli (“Comet”) is attested here as a man’s name. The glyph shows a descending comet with a triangular tail. The tail has some hatching that seems to give it a three-dimensionality. Six volutes–probably intending smoke–curl off the comet’s tail, three on the left and three on the right. The comet has a circular head with two short, thick parallel marks that seem to give it two eyes.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

Some other comet hieroglyphs in this collection appear to have a head with two eyes (see below). Perhaps these are a simplified version of the snake-like comet of the Telleriano-Remensis codex (39v). A couple of comets are shown as turquoise tesserae, but those serve as phonetic indicators, given that xihuitl and xiuhtli are near homophones.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

juo. xiuhtli ycnooq~chtli

Gloss Normalization: 

Juan Xiuhtli, icnooquichtli

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Celestial Phenomena
Fire, Tobacco, Incense, Smoke
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
frontal view
shading and parallel line hatching
spiraling, swirling, coiling, curling
three-dimensionality
volute(s)
Keywords: 

cometas, colas, volutas, cabezas, ojos, serpientes, nombres de hombres

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

xiuh(tli), comet, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xiuhtli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Cometa

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 896r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=864&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: 
See Also: 

Xiuhtli (MH576v)

Xiuhtli (MH827r)

xiuhtli (TR39v)

Xiuhtli (MH796v)

Xiuhtli (MH775r)

Xiuhtli (MH649r)

Xiuhtli (MH634v)

Xiuhtli (MH638v)

Xiuhtli (MH900v)