Kings and Queens of Texcoco

About a year ago, I did threads analyzing the names of Mexica kings and queens. I’ve been asked to do the same for the Tetzcohca royalty (the rulers of Tetzcohco or “Texcoco,” one of the three seats of power in the Triple Alliance or “Aztec Empire”).

Okay, let’s do this!

Tetzcohco (Texcoco) was founded by a Chichimec chieftain, Quinatzin Tlāltecatzin. His first name does not appear to be Nahuatl (though it bears the reverential suffix). If we look at his name glyph, however, we see that it apparently meant “growling deer.”

You’ll note, along with the deer head icon, the king is dressed in animal skins and has wild, unkempt hair (because he was a Chichimec, a barbarian of the northern deserts).

His second name is odd. It’s the reverential form of “Tlāltecatl,” literally “inhabitant of the earth,” from “tlālli” (earth) and the suffix “-tecatl” (person from X).

So “Growling Deer the Earthling,” basically. Heh.

Quinatzin married an Ahcolhua princess from Huexotla, Cuāuhcihuātzin (“revered eagle woman,” also a title of the goddess Quilaztli).

Their son was Techotlalatzin.

Techotlala (without the reverential suffix) is a strange name, clearly not Nahuatl. In his name glyph, the rock or “tētl” appears (for the sound “te-”) &…