Tezcatlipoca (FCbk6f1r)

This iconographic example of the divine force called Tezcatlipoca is included here for the purpose of comparing it with hieroglyphs. The divine force appears as a head in the night sky, with a protruding bifurcated tongue, visible teeth, and a curling nose. Some shading suggests three-dimensionality, showing some European artistic influence. The head has a large open eye, and along the back of his head are tufts (perhaps of feathers). He was called the Night, the Wind, and the Conjuror according to various publications (quoted in our Online Nahuatl Dictionary). This helps explain why the head in the sky is somewhat reminiscent of Ehecatl, the divine force of the wind. Other names given him in the text include Titlacahua and Yaotl. Anderson and Dibble believe Titlacahua was a sorcerer and his name meant “Doubtful,” but they also state that the Nahuas saw themselves as his enslaved people.