Cihuateteo

In Aztec mythology, the Cihuateteo (/siːˌwɑːtɪˈteɪoʊ/; Classical Nahuatl: Cihuātēteoh, in singular Cihuātēotl) or "Divine Women", were the spirits of women who died in childbirth. They were likened to the spirits of male warriors who died in violent conflict, because childbirth was conceptually equivalent to battle in Aztec culture. According to tradition, a woman in labor was said to capture the spirit of her newborn child similar to the way a warrior captures his opponent in battle. These spirits are also associated with the west, the place where the sun sets each day.