xochitototl (FCbk11f49v)

xochitototl (FCbk11f49v)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring the black-backed oriole bird (xochitototl), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making comparisons with related hieroglyphs. The term selected for this example comes from the Nahuatl text near the image in the Digital Florentine Codex. There is no gloss, per se. This example shows a light brown and white bird, standing in profile, and facing the viewer’s right. Perhaps surprisingly, the painter did not add yellow paint, given that the description by Eugene S. Hunn explains the parts of the bird that are yellow. Here, the bird’s left leg is raised as though it is walking (indicative of movement).

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This digital collection includes three compound Nahuatl hieroglyphs for the personal name Xochitototl (named after the bird). These are all attested as names of men. Flowers are used in these glyphs as phonetic indicators for the bird name.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Xochitototl

Gloss/Text Normalization:

xochitototl

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)

Date of Manuscript:

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Syntax:

noun(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Birds

Feathers

Movement

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

brown

white/neutral

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing right

profile view

Keywords:

pájaros, ave, aves, flores

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

xochitoto(tl), the black-backed oriole bird, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xochitototl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

“Flor-Pájaro” (un tipo de calandria)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 49v, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/49v/images/0 Accessed 16 October 2025.

Image Source, Rights:

Images of the digitized Florentine Codex are made available under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International). For print-publication quality photos, please contact the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana ([email protected]). The Library of Congress has also published this manuscript, using the images of the World Digital Library copy. “The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: