| Coatlicue
Aztec
The mother of the gods and mortals of Mexico. "She who wears a skirt of snakes" also sports a necklace of human hearts, hands, and a skull. A pair of snakes crown her head. Thirteen snail-encrusted leather cords hang down her back. Her breasts are flabby from nursing all life, mortal and divine. She merits a place here, however, not for any of these horrific traits but because she recycles: As Mother of the earth, Coatlicue receives corpses, devours them, and uses their essence to create new life.
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