Tziuhcoacatl (LTlaxUT1b)

This iconographic example is included here for possible comparisons with Nahuatl hieroglyphs. It features a Tlaxcallan noble male from Tepeticpac named Tziuhcoacatl who has come out to greet Hernando Cortés on his march toward Tenochtitlan. This personal name is also an ethnicity, for it refers to a person from a town of origin, Tziuhcoac. This may be the same place name that is found in the Codex Mendoza, which is spelled Tziccoac (see below). The simpler name Tziuhcoatl is also known, attested, for example, in manuscripts from Huexotzinco and Morelos. This man from the region of Tlaxcallan actually has a name glyph above his head. The name glyph shows a snake with a segmented body, probably the tziuhcoatl. This may be a serpent that has turquoise blue coloring above its eyes, like the motmot bird, although coloring is not visible on this person’s name glyph here. The man does wear a red cape, a loincloth with some horizontal red stripes on the ends, and some sandals with red ties. Tziuhcoacatl is pointing with his index fingers on both hands.. He is shown in a ¾ view, but his head is in profile, facing left. He wears his hair long on his neck with a tie, like a ponytail.