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Search Issues: Update 2026-09-16 - Repairs to some of our search pages are ongoing. Thank you for your continued patience!
Meanwhile, elements of the Advanced Search are working and the Alphabetical Listings are working, too.
tobacco; incense; perfume (see attestations)
See an image that represents iyetl in the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities, 2020-present).
Cuix ica [sic] oticmoteopohuilli in Dios in yca motlanecuiliz in huel omitzotlapololti [sic] in xochitl in heytl? = Did you offend God with and through your sense of smell, [the odors of] flowers and tobacco greatly confusing you?
acaquaujtl, acaiietl, iietlalli, vel ocotzoio, ioan xochiocotzotl, ioan iiecaxitl, ioan apantlecaxitl, ioã tlequaztli, ioan apaztli, ioan xoctli, ioan atlalilcomjtl = smoking tubes, pipes, and cigars, [some] quite resinous and aromatic; and tobacco bowls; and large pottery braziers and hearths, and earthen basins, and pots, and jars for storing water (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
xuchitl, ietl, ineiscaujl tlatoani, tezcatl injc motta tlatoanj, injc muchichioa amanteca impial = Flowers and tobacco, [which were] exclusively the ruler's; a mirror in which the ruler looked at himself when he adorned himself. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
yetl: The Haitians call this plant tobacco . . . some among us call this "the holy weed"; others, nicotiana . . . The leaves are put out to dry, and then they are rolled in the shape of a cylinder, wrapped with paper and shaped into tubes and lit. They are then smoked through the mouth or the nose . . . It gives strength to the head; it induces sleep; it relieves pains and rejuvenates the stomach. (central Mexico, 1571–1615)
huítzilin , Yhuá Pizíetl Co pallí , Xochí ocotzotl. âhuí altic, totoch tin coamê, Zolimê; camochí ynin cenca míec quin míctiaya .y huá Yxpan qui hue n manaya ynin theoû Camaxtle = hummingbird, and tobacco incense, liquid nectar, rabbits, snakes, and quails— for they killed all these together and spread the offerings out before their god Camaxtli
Topanmati = the one who is acquainted with Topan [i.e., tobacco, here said to have transcendental knowledge]. (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
And it should be noticed that the old man also gave the Tenex yyetl to the pilgrim, like a guardian angel for the road, because also they have a superstition about this herb, attributing divinity to it, so that the pilgrim carried it like a guardian angel. (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
Nicān niyetlacuiticah = Here I am taking tobacco (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
Tenex yhetl = tobacco with lime (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
Aun in muchintin tlamacazque, qujmamama yn imiyiequach = And all the priests carried on their backs their tobacco bags (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
iehica ca ic oqujmomaceuj, in mavizçotl, in xuchitl yn ietl, in tilmatli = because thus he attained honors, flowers, tobacco prepared for smoking, and [rich] cloaks [were given to him] (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
auh niman ye quihuica holli copalli. amatl. xochitl. in yetl. yhuan yn itoca tlacatlaqualli. ye quitlamanilizque yn teotl = And then he took rubber, copal incense, paper, flowers, tobacco, and what are called abstinence foods with which they were to make offerings to the god (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
ayac ymiuh ayac ychimal ayac iyxochiuh ayac iyeuh toconyatitlani = No one’s darts, shields, flowers, tobacco do we send as messengers. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
yyetl = tobacco (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in tlaçotli y yetl yn van mvtlaliaya, in intlatocayeya = the precious tobacco which was placed on the rulers’ daises (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
tenexietl = a type of tobacco with a wide ritual usage
in amjximati oqujmaviҫoque in xuchitl, in jietl, in maxtlatl, in tilmatli, in quachtli, in quemjtl: auh in tlalli, in calli in oqujmaviҫoco = The prosperous enjoyed the flowers, the tubes of tobacco, the breech clouts, the capes, the large cotton capes, the clothing. And they came enjoying the land, the houses (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Cuix ica [sic] oticmoteopohuilli in Dios in yca motlanecuiliz in huel omitzotlapololti [sic] in xochitl in heytl? = Ofendiste con el olfacto, no siruiendo mas de a solos los olores.