Category Archives: Aztec

My Article on Reading Nahua Codices

My peer-reviewed article, “Case Study for Development of a Visual Grammar: Mayahuel and Maguey as Teotl in the Directional Tree Pages of the Codex Borgia,” can be viewed in its entirety online here.

I will be expanding this work into a guide for community members, students, and scholars throughout the coming months.

Images for: Case Study for Development of a Visual Grammar

 

 

Mayahuel and Maguey as Teotl in the Directional Tree Panels of the Codex Borgia

article written by Felicia Rhapsody Lopez


 

Figure 1:  Codex Borgia 49, with labeled overlay

Figure1_49-Template-small

 


Figure 2:  Detail of the primary tree/bird [C.7.] on Codex Borgia 51

Figure2_Maguey Tree

 

 


Figure 3: Detail of Mayahuel/maguey from Codex Laud 9

Figure3_Mayahuel_Codex Laud

 

 


Figure 4:  Detail of the animated day sign [C.1.] on Codex Borgia 51, highlighting a repeating symbol (the Mayahuel Band)

Figure4_Mayahuel-Band-on-Cipactli

 


Figure 5:  Detail the central corn/maize tree on Codex Borgia 53

Figure5_Maize-tree

 

 


Figure 6:   a) Detail of maguey from Codex Vaticanus B 40,   b) detail of Mayahuel/maguey from Codex Fejervary-Mayer 28,   c) detail of Mayahuel/maguey from Codex Borgia 16

Figure6_3-Magueys

 


Figure 7:  Detail of the day sign malinalli from Codex Borgia 18

Figure7_malinalli

 


Figure 8: a) Detail of Tetzineuh from Codex Mendoza 2r,    b) detail of Metepec from Codex Mendoza 10r

Figure8_Tetzineuh_Metepec

 


Figure 9: From Codex Xolotl

Tlatel-tepe_Article-Image

 

 

 


Figure 10:  Codex Borgia 49

Figure9_Borgia_49_Grayscale-smaller

 


Figure 11:   a) Detail of Sky Bearer’s associated emblems [B.] on Codex Borgia 49,  b) Detail of emblems on the primary tree/bird [C.7.] on Codex Borgia 49  c) detail of the items held by the descending male figure [C.5.] in Codex Borgia 49 d) detail of the items held by the descending female figure [C.5.] in Codex Borgia 49

Figure10_page-49-sheilds03

 


Figure 12:  a) Detail of the items held by the descending male figure [C.5.] in Codex Borgia 51,   d) detail of the items held by the descending female figure [C.5.] in Codex Borgia 51

Figure11_51_Descending-Pair

 


All images are restored versions of artwork originally drawn by Native Mesoamerican artists. They have been digital redrawn by Justin McIntosh.  NO rights are reserved.  Open Source.