Cihuateteo (Cihuapipiltin) In Aztec mythology, the spirits of women who died in childbirth. They would leave their paradise of the West, called Tamoanchan, coming back to bring disease to children. On the days that the Cihuateteo were believed to descend, parents would not allow their children outdoors. To placate the evil spirits, temples were built at crossroads, and offerings of bread, sometimes in the form of butterflies, were made. The Cihuateteo were portrayed with blanched white faces, and their hands, arms, and legs were whitened with powder. To die in childbirth, however, was considered honourable and good by the Aztecs.
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow – Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
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