Aztec Calendar > Gods and deities > Cihuateteo

Cihuateteo

Codex Borgia

Cihuateteo or Cihuapipiltin, the divine or noble women, the goddesses of the crossroads. They can be dangerous goddesses, spirits of women who died in childbirth, and now live on, escorting the setting sun. At noon they take over the escort from the warriors who have died in combat.

The Cihuateteo are closely related to the Tzitzimime (like for example the goddess Itzpapalotl), the star daemons that are protectors of midwives and women in labor.

The Cihuapipiltin have special influence on days 1-Calli (House), 1-Mazatl (Deer), 1-Ozomahtli (Monkey), 1-Cuauhtli (Eagle), 1-Quiahuitl (Rain).
On these days, after sunset, the Cihuapipiltin go to the crossroads to steal children and seduce men to commit aldultery.