In Aztec mythology and religion, a handful of goddesses were worshipped with the hopes of adding a new member to a family. In this article, you will encounter the female deities that were most associated with child bearing, including Cihuacoatl, who was the goddess of motherhood, fertility and midwives.
Cihuacoatl
The Aztecs looks upon Cihuacoatl (whose name translated into ‘snake woman’) as the goddess of motherhood, fertility and midwives. In the sweatbaths where midwives practiced, Cihuacoatl was especially influential. In myths, she is known to have helped Quetzalcoatl establish the current race of humanity, which was accomplished by grinding up bones from the past and mixing it with his blood. Cihuacoatl is also the mother of Mixcoatl, who she left at the crossroads as a baby. Legend has it that she often returns to the very spot to mourn her lost son , only to find a knife used in sacrifices.
In art, Cihuacoatl sometimes appears as a young woman, but is most often seen as an old woman with a skull face who carries the spears and shield of a warrior. This is because it was not uncommon to equate childbirth to warfare. Many times, women did not make it through to the end and died in the process of giving birth. The Aztecs then honored the dead women in the same manner as a fallen soldier.
In some myths, the spirits of women who died in childbirth have skeletal faces and haunt crossroads in the middle of the night in an attempt to steal children.
Xochiquetzal
Xochiquetzal is an Aztec goddess who wears many hats beyond that of a fertility deity. She is also associated with beauty, female sexual power, the protection of young mothers, pregnancy, childbirth, and crafts created by women , like weaving and embroidery.
No matter in what light she is portrayed in, Xochiquetzal is always depicted as an attractive, youthful woman , meant to symbolize vegetation and certain flowers. She is also the representation of human desire, pleasure, and of living in excess. Interestingly, she is linked to being the patroness of prostitutes and of artisans who create items of luxury.
In her presence, there is a constant gathering of birds and butterflies. When being worshipped, the Aztecs wore masks representing animals and flowers during a festival held in her honor. This commemoration would take place every eight years.
In her family tree, Xochiquetzal had a twin named Xochipilli, who was the god of art, beauty, games, flowers, dance, corn, and song. She was married to Tlaloc (a fertility god) until she was kidnapped by Tezcatlipoca (a significant deity in Aztec mythology), who forced her to marry him. Xochiquetzal also gave birth to Quetzalcoatl, who she had with Mixcoatl, who was known as the god of the hunt.