![ancient aztec glyphs ancient aztec glyphs](https://st3.depositphotos.com/1589661/12881/v/450/depositphotos_128810518-stock-illustration-maya-glyphs-writing-system-and.jpg)
With the jaguar being one of the strongest land animals and the eagle being one of the strongest sky animals, a duality is created that was reflected in the Nahuatl phrase in cuauhtli in ocelotl or “the eagles, the jaguars” (Nicholson Quinones Keber, 30). The Aztec’s association of the eagle and jaguar with ferocity and valor is evident when we consider the fact that elite Aztec warriors often dressed in jaguar and eagle costumes before battle. The glyphs are emitted from the mouths of an eagle and jaguar, both considered to be two of the fiercest animals in their world. The fire and water motifs clearly mark this drum for warfare through the logogram of Atl-Tlachinolli, but the drum’s connection to warfare goes much deeper than the Atl-Tlachinolli glyph. The water motif is clearly visible when we consider the conch and shell motifs on the one band. We can see this river motif on the drum through the two bands wrap around either end of the drum. Aguilar-Moreno discusses the iconography of the atl-tlachinolli when he writes that, “Atl-Tlachinolli is expressed as a metaphor in sculpture, carvings and codices as two intertwined rivers, one of water and the other of fire” (Aguilar-Moreno 209). The jaguar-eagle drum was likely used in rituals before battles and the ornamentation further places the drum into the ritual and atmosphere of war. With fire referring to the destructive nature of fire and water likely referring to blood, atl-tlachinolli stands as an Aztec word for war. According to Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, the phrase atl-tlachinolli means “divine water (blood) fire” (Aguilar-Moreno, 209). Under the Aztec’s pictorial language system, if we read both signs together, we get the phrase “atl-tlachinolli”. Out of the jaguar’s mouth, we see a glyph meant to represent water. Coming out of the eagle’s mouth, we see a sign signifying fire.
![ancient aztec glyphs ancient aztec glyphs](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/e6/2c/37e62cb219c5b6263d7e45277dcd1f5e.gif)
These two symbols stand as markers of warfare. The jaguar-eagle glyph is defined by the twin carvings of a jaguar and eagle on opposite ends of the drums. The drum, already a major piece in Aztec ritual, gains another level of meaning and importance when we consider the iconography and imagery on the drum. The depiction of the eagle on one side of the drum contains the glyph for fire and carries an association both with the sun and with a high class warrior class.Īlong with the teponaztli’s function as a drum, the jaguar-eagle drum is unique due to the ornamentations it bears.