Tlazolteotl

Tlazolteotl, the Aztec goddess of birth, is shown in the birthing squatting position, her baby’s head emerging from between her thighs. She was also a purification goddess and — mystifyingly — the opposite, the goddess of filth and sin (as the snakes on her ornate headdress imply). The moon, known for her chastity in other cultures, watches the birth with curiosity and compassion.