Nahual (MH873r)

Nahual (MH873r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Nahual (short for nahualli, "Shape-Shifting Spirit") is attested here as a man's name. It shows what appears to be a human face in profile, looking toward the viewer's right. Above this face, is another face with a large nose, an eye, and additional parts that flow down the back of the human head, possibly partly comprised of feathers. The latter is probably meant to be the spirit.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The nahualli was typically visualized as being located on the top of the human head. See some other examples in this collection, below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

Juo naval

Gloss Normalization: 

Juan Naval

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)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Feathers
Gender (male)
Nahuales, Sorcery, Divining
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Religion (Indigenous)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing right
profile view
Keywords: 

nahuales, transformación, sobrenatural, espíritus, cabezas, nombres de hombres

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

nahual(li), a shape-shifting spirit, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nahualli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Nahual

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 873r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=818&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: 

Nahual (MH509r)

Nahual (MH497r)

nahualli (HJ276:79:pt1:24r)

Nahual (MH879v)

Nahualecaxoc (MH904v)