Xiuhnel (MH639r)

Xiuhnel (MH639r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of four leaves stands for the personal name Xiuhnel ("Incapable," "Morning Star," or "Cloud Serpent"), here attested as a man's name. The leaves represent green herbs, which is one definition for the word xihuitl, and they provide a phonetic start to the name Xiuhnel. The leaves have marked veins, and they are connected together by stems.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The name Xiuhnel is a common one, especially for men. It has varying translations, and the glyphs for this name vary, too, usually between herbs (xihuitl) and turquoise (xihuitl) mosaic pieces. Sometimes the mosaic pieces can resemble stars or constellations, but it is unknown if that was an intentional semantic message.

At first glance the name Xiuhnel appears to be a compound of xihuitl (turquoise) and nelli (true). James Lockhart suggests that -nel-, when in combinations, could lose that meaning, as noted in the OND under the term nelli. According to popular belief, Xiuhnel and Mimich were two of hundreds of Cloud Serpents associated with hunting, promiscuity, and drunkenness. See The Fate of Earthly Things by Molly H. Bassett (2015, 175). The translators of the Primeros Memoriales say that Xiuhnel and Mimich were prominent figures in many migration stories of central Mexican cultures. See the Sullivan and Nicholson edition of the PM (1997, 135). Some also say Xiuhnel is the morning star. If so, then the rectangular shapes in some Xiuhnel glyph may relate to that. But there is also a xiuhnel meaning "incapable," according to A. Wimmer (2004) (included in the Gran Diccionario Náhuatl).

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

siuhnel

Gloss Normalization: 

Xiuhnel

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 phonogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Celestial Phenomena
Gender (male)
Health, Medicine
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Plants, Flora
Religion (Indigenous)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
horizontal
leaf, marquise, pointed oval
profile view
Keywords: 

hierbas, plantas, verdes, estrella de la mañana, serpiente de las nubes, incapaz, nombres de hombres

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

xihui(tl), turquoise, greens, herbs, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xihuitl-0
nel(li), good, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nelli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Incapaz, Estrella de la Mañana, o Serpiente de las Nubes

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 639r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=360st=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).

Orthography: 
"s" for x
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

xihuitl (MH537v)

xihuitl (MH537v)