The Cihuatlactah (singular cihuatlactatl) were an exclusively-female group of Skinchangers who stole the forms of men so as to escape the rigid gender roles in which they were trapped.[1]
Overview[]
Aztec society was one of strict, traditional gender roles in which women acted as the backbone of the household and men interfaced with the world outside that household.[2] While men and women could bypass this to a degree with a permissive enough spouse, this was not sufficient to, say, enable a woman to become a warrior or a priest of an important god.[3]
An entirely secret group, for discovery would mean destruction for every member, the Cihuatlactah steal men's skins and take on their shapes to assume masculine societal roles.[2]
This sect was a small one, perhaps numbering a couple dozen during Ahuizotl's reign, and primarily composed of nobles, who had an easier time stumbling onto the mysteries.[2]
References[]
- ↑ CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 215
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 229
- ↑ CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 228