The Cihuateteo: Aztec Vampires

Feb 22

Every culture has its own version of vampires or vampire-like beings that hunt others at night, for the Aztecs, these were called the Cihuateteo also known as Civatateo but their story is one of tragedy.

Childbirth

The Aztecs believed labor was a fight between a woman and the gods who sent down the soul of a child from heaven. If the woman won the battle then the reward was a newborn child but if the woman lost, the labor ended in her death.

Since childbirth was equivalent to battle, any woman who died during labor was treated as a warrior who perished during war. Her body was guarded as it was believed the process of the soul leaving the body infused it with special magical properties.

Once the soul reached the underworld it transformed into a Cihuateteo, a type of demonic vampiric demi-god who were servants to the moon gods, Tezcatlipoca and Tlazolteotl.

Related: 5 Vampire Myths from Around the World

Cihuateteo’s Return

As a servant to the gods, the Cihuateteo were infused with special abilities allowing them to return to earth five nights out of the year.

During this time the vampires would appear at crossroads either in an animal form such as a coyote or snake or would appear in human form. This form was described as hideous and bordering on monstrous, they had chalk-white skin and long nail claws. Some Cihuateteo have been depicted carrying staffs adorned with the heads of their victims and a serpent around their waist

On earth, they hunted for lost children to steal, on others they inflicted seizures and disease. It’s said the Cihuateteo wanted to replace the soul they lost during their battle with the god during childbirth.

Other Cihuateteo searched for men along the crossroads to seduce. Those men that did succumb to temptations and lay with the vampires were killed after they impregnated them. The child born would be another vampiric demon and join the hunt.

In order to ward off the Cihuateteo, people would leave food at the crossroads as offerings. But many would leave large feasts because if the Cihuateteo was too distracted eating they wouldn’t notice when the sun came up. Once they were hit by the sun’s rays, they were instantly killed.