Query: Nahuatl for "Venus"

mario micc at home.com
Fri Dec 1 04:57:45 UTC 2000


in the mesoamerican belief system of my ancestors, Venus had two names reflecting its two
aspects.

In the Nahuatl speaking world, Venus as the morning star was known as
TLAHUIZCALPANTEKWTLI":  I believe from Tlahuiz(tli) "light, dawn"  +  cal(li)  house +
 Pan(tli) wall + tekwtli (more commonly written as tecutli or teuctli, both of which do
an injustice to the "kw" sound, which is pronounced at the same time)  "The lord of the
house of the wall of light" or the lord of the house of dawn.

Venus as the evening star was known as "Xolotl" which is either "young page" or "Monster"

I think that the difference in meaning is probably due to vowel length difference.

I lent my trusty Analytical dictionary of Nahuatl by Frances Karttunen, to my son at
UCLA, so I am lost as to the finer points of these definitions.

I am sure someone more enlightened than myself can fill in the correct facts to this
humble
offering.

Good luck to you!!!

mario e. aguilar
www.aguila.blanca.com

Heather Hess wrote:

> Hi!  I actually remember seeing a reference of Venus in Nahuatl and can't
> remember where but this sounds familiar!  Yolohtzin
>
> >From: David Gloster <david.gloster at muenchen.roses.de>
> >Reply-To: nahuat-l at server2.umt.edu
> >To: nahuat-l at server2.umt.edu
> >Subject: Re: Query: Nahuatl for "Venus"
> >Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 22:33:16 +0100
> >
> >As no one else has yet come forth with an answer, here's my try:
> >
> >I seem to remember that Venus had two names in Nahuatl depending on whether
> >it was
> >visible as the morning star or the evening star. I think the morning name
> >was
> >TLAHUIZCALPANTEUCTLI but I've no way of checking it. Maybe someone with a
> >dictionary at
> >hand could look it up and confirm. I'm afraid I can't help you with the
> >evening version,
> >though.
> >
> >Best of luck
> >David Gloster
> >
> >
> >Heather Hess wrote:
> >
> > > Frances and Listeros:  Could you please give the Nahuatl (and spanish)
> >word
> > > for Venus.  Thanks!  Yolohtzin
> >
> >
>
> _____________________________________________________________________________________
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