Tlazolteotl, “Goddess of Filthy Things”

Tlazolteotl was the Central Mexican goddess of purification and healing, associated in particular with the curing of diseases caused by sexual excess. She is identified by the band and spools of raw cotton in her headdress and by the two brooms she holds, symbolizing purification. The Aztecs would confess their sins and perform ritual bloodletting in front of her image, and Tlazolteotl would absorb their impurity and cleanse them.