The Bad Sellers
The term Tlaueliloc means "Perverse, bad, a malicious or villainous person or rogue." Furthermore, the term Namacac refers to, "A seller" (Nahuatl Dictionary). In the Digital Florentine Codex, “The Bad Seller” is referred to as Tlaueliloc Tlaulnamacac.
The Bad Cape Seller
In Book 10, Folio 44v and 45r, The Bad Cape Seller is mentioned. Comparing the two separate translations, they both give a similar description of what a bad cape seller is like, and their methods of deceiving their buyers. However, the Spanish-to-English translation gives a slightly more detailed description as to how the bad cape seller creates their product and how the finished product turns out. For example, as part of the process of creating a bad cape, it is mentioned that the bad cape seller boils old capes in bleach to whiten them, leaving some of them full of holes. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, the use of bleach to whiten used capes is not mentioned. Further more, in the Spanish-to-English translation, it ends with a small recap of what a good cape seller is. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, when the description of the bad cape seller ends, it immediately transitions to describing a different kind of seller.In Book 10, Folio 46r, there is another image of a cape seller, but it is displayed next to text describing how they deal their product, indicating the person in that image is a dealer, suggesting that there might be a second person involved in the business of selling capes.
This image displayed here is a depiction of a cape seller in the middle of creating their product. Located in Book 10, Folio 45r, this image isn’t displayed until The Bad Cape Seller is mentioned, potentially indicating that the person in the image is a bad cape seller. In the text, the process of how a bad cape seller is described, but through the actions of a man. This is seen in Book 10, Folio 45r in sentences like “…[F]or he knows how to freshen them up…” or, “…[H]e polishes them so well that they look as good as new…” (García Garagarza 2023). However, the person in the image is a woman. Visual elements like the skirt and hairstyle indicate her feminine characteristics. Only the skin of the cape seller is in color. Her hair, clothes, and work station are all left without color. The lack of color could represent the white finish the cape seller attempts to achieve before selling. However, there is a symbol drawn above her head, with specific details colored red and black. In the Digital Florentine Codex, keywords used to depict the image include xochitl, meaning “Flower”.
The symbol above the head of the cape seller is left out of the textual narrative. There isn’t anything in the translated text that explains the meaning behind this symbol. It is the only other thing in the image besides the cape seller’s skin that is in color. This object could be some sort of material she uses to gather dye for his product. We see in later images, like in Book 10, Folio 46r, a cape seller in the middle of making a deal. The red color reappears, but this time, it is on his product. It also bares the similar flower like shape depicted in the first image. This indicates that the symbol is a flower, used to decorate capes.
The Bad Seller of Maize Greens
Following the description of the seller of maize greens, In Book 10, Folio 47v, the bad seller of maize greens is brought to light. Deceptive and hard to work with, the bad seller mixes good grains of maize with “moldy, sour, and weevil-infested” maize that could be as old as 10 years. The bad seller lies to his consumers, praising the product by declaring it good and desirable to others.
The description of The Bad Seller of Maize Greens is very similar between the Spanish-to-English and Nahuatl-to-English translations. There are many parts of each translation that share similar wording, however, there are small differences, mainly in the order of how the description is structured. In the Spanish-to-English translation, it immediately begins with explaining how the bad seller operates their business, later mentioning how they deceive their buyers by lying to them about the quality of their product. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, it starts by explaining how the bad seller is “uncooperative, a deceiver” and then is followed by the process of how they operate.
The image depicts a maize seller in the process of crafting their product. We see a woman sitting down on some sort of blanket on top of grass. Next to her is a bag which might be filled with maize. Since this image is displayed after the description of the bad maize greens seller, it is possible that this is a bad seller. The pot next to the seller may be the item used to mix the good and bad maize together.
One thing about this image that seems to be left out of the textual narrative is the object above the pot of maize. It looks almost like a tentacle or tail of an animal. However, looking at images later in Book 10, there are similar objects above different kids of sellers. These objects seem to be plants, but it is not mentioned which kind of plant they are.
Hairstyle of The Bad Seller of Maize Greens
Looking deeper into the image of The Seller of Maize Greens, there is a specific detail drawn into the hair of the seller. The hairstyle of this person is known as Axtlacuilli, which is a woman’s hairstyle. This detail is important to point out because in the text, there is no mention of this person being a woman. When describing the seller of maize greens, words like “He mixes,” “He throws in the infested,” “He tosses,” and more are used (Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982, Book 10: The People, fol. 47v).This wording is not exclusive to one translation, as it appears in both the Spanish-to-English and Nahuatl-to-English translations. The text is generally describing the kind of seller, not the specific image displayed in the Digital Florentine Codex.
The Bad Meat Seller
The text describing the bad meat seller is in Book 10, Folio 59r. However, the image of this merchant is in Book 10, Folio 58v. The image is displayed at the bottom of the page, so the description of the seller carries onto the next page.The Spanish-to-English translation describes The Bad Meat Seller as “one who is not honest in this trade.” Furthermore, it details what makes them a bad seller; selling spoiled meat and deceiving their customers. Additionally, it gives an example of something they would do; lie about inedible meat being edible. In the translation, it mentions that one who is not honest in this trade claims dog meat is edible. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, the bad seller is labeled as a “Bad meat seller.” The wording behind the process of how they deceive their buyers is nearly identical to the Spanish-to-English translation. The main difference between the two translations is the inclusion of the terms “Bruised,” “Discolored,” and “Revolting.” These terms are used to describe qualities of the meat, or rather lack thereof.
Within this image, there are two men beside each end of a table with meat on top. The man on the right is carrying a knife or a different cutting instrument to chop up the meat (In Nahuatl, this tool is called a Tlateconi). The man on the left side of the table is not described in the Digital Florentine Codex. If the man on the right is not the meat seller, but the butcher, then it is possible that the man on the left is the one who sells the meat, making him the meat seller. If he isn’t the meat seller, then he most likely is a buyer looking to purchase meat. Additionally, on the table, there are two pieces of meat placed on a balance scale. The piece of meat on the right side of the scale is lower than the piece on the left, indicating that it is the biggest and heaviest option out of the two.
Works Cited
Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 10: The People", fol. 45r, (García Garagarza 2023) spanish translation Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/10/folio/45r?spTexts=&nhTexts= Accessed 5 May 2024.
Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 10: The People", fol. 47v, (Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982) nahuatl translation Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/10/folio/47v?spTexts=&nhTexts= Accessed 5 May 2024.
"namacac" Nahuatl Dictionary. https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/namacac
"tlahueliloc" Nahuatl Dictionary. https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlahueliloc
