Tlayohuallotl (MH557v)
This drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Tlayohuallotl (“Darkness” or "Shadow," attested here as a man’s name) shows what appears to be the suggestion of a human head in profile, facing right, and painted entirely in black. This shape appears to include a tiny white eye, a tiny nose, a tiny mouth, and possibly a goatee. What may be hair on the head is somewhat darker black than the face.
Stephanie Wood
There may be a suggestion of European influence in this glyph. But it is unique in this database so far (three years into the project). Besides darkness and shadow, it has been translated as gloom. Thus, it may represent emotion or mood. For glyphs that involve entirely black shapes, see some examples below.
Stephanie Wood
pedro. tlayovalotl
Pedro Tlayohuallotl
Stephanie Wood
1560
Jeff Haskett-Wood
oscuridad, sombras, penumbra, mal humor, darkness, shadows, gloom, personality, mood, emotion, emoción, personalidad
tlayohuallo(tl), darkness, shadows, gloom, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlayohuallotl
tlayohual(li), the darkness of night or some shade, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlayohualli
Oscuridad
Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 557v, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=194&st=image
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).