Taino religion and creation myths throughout
the Caribbean can vary and at times can be confusing and contradictory
depending of where they come from. The Taino creation myth in and of Puerto
Rico is a variation of these general Taino myths throughout the Caribbean. It focuses on the
role of Yúcahu, the supreme deity of the Taino. According to the myth, Yúcahu lived in the
peak of El Yunque, a mountain in Puerto Rico that was considered sacred by the Tainos.
He was a benevolent and generous god who gave life and abundance to his people.
He also had a a brother named Juracán, who was the god of chaos or disorder. Juracán
was jealous of Yúcahu's power and goodness, and often tried to destroy his
creations with his winds and rains. One day, Juracán sent a giant cayman (a type of
crocodile) to attack Yúcahu's mountain. The cayman bit off a piece of the mountain and swallowed it,
along with Yúcahu's magic duho (a wooden stool). This caused Yúcahu to lose his strength and
fall ill. As a result of this, the Taino noticed that their crops were failing and their fish were
disappearing, and they prayed to Yúcahu for help. Guabonito, heard their prayers and came to
Yucahu's rescue. She was a powerful healer who knew the secrets of plants and herbs. She found
out that Juracán was behind Yúcahu's sickness, and she decided to trick him. She
pretended to be a beautiful woman who wanted to marry him. She asked him to
show her his treasures. Juracán agreed, and he took her to his cave where he kept
the cayman that had swallowed Yúcahu's duho. Guabonito saw the duho inside the
cayman's belly, and she used her magic to make it come out. She then returned the duho
to Yúcahu, who recovered his health and power. Yúcahu was grateful to Guabonito for saving
him, and he rewarded her with a gift. He gave her a piece of land that he had carved
out of his mountain with his hands. This land became known as Borikén, which means
"the great land of the valiant and noble lord" in Taino language. Yúcahu blessed
Borikén with fertile soil, abundant water, and diverse flora and fauna. He also made it his
favorite place to visit to watch over his people. This is the creation story that gave the
Taino in Puerto Rico an explanation of how Borinken came to be in order for them to
make sense of their existence on that land. The Taino in Puerto Rico and the
Caribbean were in general what we call polytheisists. They believed
in a series of major Gods and lesser Gods who exerted complete control of
everything happening to and around them. For most, Yucaho is mentioned as the supreme
Taino God, however, the first Taino creation myth speaks of the powerful creator god called Yaya,
considered the supreme being of the universe. As the life-giving spirit and causal force
of creation that presides over the universe, Yaya plays multiple functions in the mythology,
as supreme being, cacique, and father. In fact, Yaya is actually believed by many to have
become Yucaho. As a result of this Yucaho is thus seen as the supreme being in Antillean
mythology. He lives in the sky and is the invincible and beneficial protector of man.
He is also the god of Yuca who fertilizes the Earth and multiplies the harvests. For
the Taino, Yuca or Cassava is a sacred food. Another important deity in Taino
mythology is Yuhacu's mother, Atabey, the goddess of fresh water, fertility,
and the moon. She was also called the Mother of Waters or the Mother
Earth. Of exceptional beauty, she taught men of the spirits that control
the beings of the invisible world. The Taino would pass her representations over the belly of
the women in labor in order to calm their pain. Another important female deity is Guabanex.
She is the goddess of hurricanes, storms, and winds. She was also called the Furious One
or the Old Woman of the Winds. This deity was a reminder to the Taino people when they went
astray or failed to give offerings to the Gods. Then there's Juracan, who sought to undermine
his brother Yucahu. He is the god of chaos, disorder, and evil. He was also called
the Destroyer or the One Who Causes Destruction. He was believed to
be the source of all hurricanes and natural disasters. This is one of
the Gods that the Taino do not honor. Other Gods included: Maketaori Guayaba, the god of the dead, the
underworld, and the night. He was believed to be the ruler of Coaybay, the land of the dead,
where the souls of humans went after death. There was Boinayel, The god of rain, clouds, and drought. He was also called
the Rain Giver or the Good One. And Marohu, The god of sunshine, clear skies, and
dry weather who was also called the Sun Giver. The list of Taino Gods is numerous and
the forces that these deities represented gives us an understanding of what was
important and crucial in their lives. The Taino were super religious and every aspect
of their existence was believed to be explained or controlled by multiple deities and so they
were very adamant in pleasing these powers. They expressed their devotion to the Gods or
spirits by making carved representations of them, usually from wood, stone, or bone. These
carvings were called zemi idols. The Taino placed these idols in temples, shrines,
or houses, and offered them food, tobacco, or blood. The Taino also wore zemi amulets
around their necks or arms for protection. They also had special ceremonies to honor
the zemis and ask for their blessings. These ceremonies involved dancing, singing, drumming,
and sometimes vomiting to purify themselves. In addition, the Taino had a sacred bread made from
cassava or Yucca that they shared with the zemis and each other. They believed that eating this
bread would give them the power of the zemis The Taino's social structure was also
influenced by their religion. They had a hierarchy of chiefs and subchiefs who were
believed to be descendants of the zemis. They also respected their elders and ancestors, and
buried them with their belongings and zemi idols. The Taino religion was largely destroyed by the
Spanish conquest in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Spanish enslaved, killed,
or converted most of the Taino population, and burned their temples and idols.
Some of the Taino who survived mixed with other groups and preserved some
aspects of their culture and religion. Let us know what you think in the comments
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