In the Aztec concept
of the Great Mother is found
the archetype for those women who have died during childbirth
- the Cihuatateo, "divine women",
or the Cihuapipltin, "noble
women".
The artist's rendition
of the Cihuatateo is the embodiment of the
divine spirit that transports the soul of a women lost in
childbirth to the sun. Such women were considered to hold
special magical powers - they were divine
instruments for warriors and magicians.
Myth holds that they
were joined with warriors fallen in battle, forming part of
the Sun's retinue.
The original statue
bore a scythe in her right hand, which was
later changed to a conch shell
when the scythe became damaged.
 Her
left hand held a ceremonial knife
that was exchanged for a fish in the interests
of maintaining the harmony of the whole figure. Hibiscus
earrings adorn her earlobes, and a shell
hides her pubis.
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