espada (LTlaxUT2a)

This iconographic example is included here for possible comparisons with Nahuatl hieroglyphs. It features a group of Spanish invaders in 1519, preparing to march against the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, but working first to secure an alliance with the Tlaxcalteca. The men who are visible in the contextualizing image are carrying lances and swords. The Spanish term for sword (espada) entered Nahuatl as a loanword. Another word they borrowed for “blade” or “sword” was cuchilla (spelled cochilla). The two swords in this example convey the shape of the blade, including the fuller (a dark line down the middle, running the length of the blade, which may suggest a diamond shape if looking at it in a cross section), the hilt, and the pommel. The hilt appears to have a braided texture, perhaps wrapped with cord or leather, with the intention of supporting the user’s grip.