Cihuateteo are spirits of women who died in childbirth in Nahua religion. The singular form is cihuateteotl. Colonial-era sources connect them with the west, the setting sun, and particular days in the 260-day ritual calendar. They could be dangerous, but calling them only malevolent demons loses their honored status.
Women compared with warriors
Childbirth was understood through the language of combat, and a woman who died giving birth could receive honors comparable to a warrior killed in battle. Accounts associate these dead women with accompanying the sun from noon toward the western horizon.
Crossroads and calendar days
Cihuateteo were feared at crossroads on certain day signs, when they might bring sickness or harm, especially to children. Images often show skull-like faces, clawed hands, elaborate clothing, and exposed teeth. These features express death and sacred force, not a simple moral category of evil.
Evidence and terminology
Much written information comes from early colonial manuscripts produced under Spanish rule, including Sahagún’s Florentine Codex. Translation choices can impose Christian categories on Nahua beings. Their identity should therefore be explained through ritual, calendar, gender, and death rather than a loose comparison with European ghosts.