coatl (MH483r)

coatl (MH483r)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This element has been carved from the compound sign for the place name, Mixcoatl. The clouds have been removed from behind the serpent [coatl. The serpent or snake has a curl in its body, which is spotted. Its head is raised up in a profile view, looking toward the viewer's right. Its tongue is bifurcated and protrudes.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

Coatl is a day sign in the tonalpohualli calendar. It is also an important figure in Nahua religion, with water associations. The positioning of this serpent seems affected by the original positioning of the clouds.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
spotted or mottled
vertical, upright
bifurcated
Keywords: 

snakes, serpents, serpientes, cohuatl

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

coa(tl), snake/serpent, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/coatl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

la serpiente

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 483r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=45&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: 

Mixcoatl (MH483r)