What symbols are important to Taínos?
Puerto Rican Warrior Symbols. The Taino coqui tattoo, which represents the Puerto Rican coqui, the frog, displays an encircled leaping frog – a symbol of longevity. Similar Puerto Rican warrior symbols include lizards, turtles, and snakes – each which translated to survival and strength.
What are Taino symbols called?
petroglyphsThe Taíno written language was in the form of petroglyphs, or symbols that were carved in stone. Evidence of these Taino symbols petroglyphs can still be found around the island.
What is the Taino sun?
Description of Sun God The sun and the moon were both born in the same cave, legend states. This is the cave of Mautiatibuel (son of dawn), also known as the “Lord of the Dawn” and belonged to the country's chieftain. The Taino believed that the sun rose from this cave, and hid when the moon emerged from the same cave.
What are Taino features?
The Taíno people are medium height, with a bronze skin tone, and long straight black hair. Facial features were high cheekbones and dark brown eyes. The majority of them didn't use clothing except for married women who would wear a “short apron” called nagua. The Taino Indians painted their bodies.
What does the spiral mean in Taino?
The spiral is a common symbol found in Taino art. It is a representation of cosmic energy and its unendingness. It is also representative of sweet water. The spiral is a symbol of both material and immaterial concepts and objects.
Who is the Taino god?
The Tainos believed in two main gods, Yucahu, who was the god of cassava (the main food crop of the Taino) and Atabey, the mother of Yucahu and the goddess of fertility. They also had many other deities, such as Guabancex, the goddess of hurricanes and Maketaori Guayaba, the god of the dead.
What does the Taino snail mean?
For the Taino, snails and conches held particular significance. Snails were a source of sustenance and food. They were also used as a hallucinogen during rituals. Conches were used as decorative pieces. Larger conches were used as a communication device during the hunt, due to their distinctive sound.
Who is the Taino moon goddess?
AtabeyAtabey is an ancestral mother of the Taino, one of two supreme ancestral spirits in the Taíno religion....Atabey (goddess)AtabeyAbodeThe heavensSymbolDepicted as a nude woman, a therianthropic representation of Mother of WaterPersonal information2 more rows
What is the Taino word for moon?
Taino Word SetEnglish (Français)Taino wordsWoman (Femme)InaruDog (Chien)AonSun (Soleil)GueyMoon (Lune)Karaya6 more rows
Are all Puerto Rican Tainos?
According to a study funded by the National Science Foundation, 61 percent of all Puerto Ricans have American Indian mitochondrial DNA, probably from a common Taino ancestry.
Did the Taínos have facial hair?
They lived in the islands of Cuba, La Española, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and other islands of the northern Caribbean. The first records described them as medium to tall healthy people with tan, bronzed skin. They had no body or facial hair, pronounced cheekbones, full pout, and a good dental hygiene.
What did the Taínos believe in?
The Taínos were deeply religious and worshipped many gods and spirits. Above the gods there were two supreme beings, one male and one female. The physical representation of the gods and spirits were zemis, made of made of wood, stone, bone, shell, clay and cotton.
Why are the Taino symbols left behind?
Because there is little evidence to prove any of these claims as true, the common acceptance is that these symbols were left behind by the Taino themselves. While some of the symbols relate to deities and nature, others are about depicting their daily life.
Where did the Taino Indians come from?
The Taino Indians were an ancient civilization originating from what is now Puerto Rico. Ancient inhabitants of the region, the Taino Indians left behind narratives and tales in the form of these symbols. The Taino mainly lived off of what they could find on land and were also fishermen.
What did the Taino people live off of?
The Taino mainly lived off of what they could find on land and were also fishermen. Unfortunately, disease, war, and starvation left the Taino destroyed after merely two decades – leaving behind only their symbols. These symbols have been left behind on caves and walls across the region.
When were the symbols of the caves created?
Although carbon dating is not possible on the rocks and caves where these images have been found, the best estimate is that these were created somewhere between 5000 BC to 1700 AD.
Baby
The Taíno’s carried their babies on their backs. Many images often had babies being carried with ropes tied around them.
Bird
Birds like cranes and herons were often given human characteristics, and they usually were interpreted as symbols of being masculine.
Cohoba
Cohoba was the main deity of the Taínos. The plate of his head was used in the ceremony to inhale hallucinogen in ceremonial rituals.
Eternal Lovers
The Taíno society did not believe in private property. Whatever was grown or killed was for the whole tribe. The scene in images may mean solidarity, equality, and fertility. Eternal lovers were figures of birds either beak-to-beak or in a possible love scenes.
Shamans
Shamans were witch doctors. They cured by using plants and herbs. They were considered as priests and led all rituals.
Conchs and Snails
The snail and conch played an integral role in the Taínos’ lives. They ate snails and also used them as a hallucinogen in rituals. They even used their conchs to adorn their bodies as beads. Large conchs were used for the sound that they made, as a communication device during hunting.
Turtle or Tortoise
Turtles were considered as the mother of fertility, mankind, and origin of life. Dimivan Caracaracol (Mother Earth) had developed a tumor; on the removal of the tumor, it turned out to be a live turtle.
What instruments did the Taino use?
Many Taíno implements and techniques were copied directly by the Europeans, including the bohío (straw hut) and the hamaca (hammock), the musical instrument known as the maracas, and the method of making cassava bread . Many Taino words persist in the Puerto Rican vocabulary of today.
When did the Taino Indians arrive in Puerto Rico?
November 23, 2020. by Captain Tim. 06. Aug. Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taino Indians long before Columbus arrived in 1493. They were primarily farmers and fisherman. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the Taino population was decimated by famine, disease, and war within twenty years. Today, the Taino’s blood is part of the ...
Is Taino blood part of Puerto Rican heritage?
Today, the Taino’s blood is part of the Puerto Rican heritage and through research and archaeological digs, today there is a clearer idea of their culture and contributions to society.
Modern Interpretations
There are people today who desperately search, in books or the internet, for the true meaning of these rock-carvings not really knowing the history (or in this case, lack-of historical data) of the Tainos / Pre-Tainos. It is still unclear today of what these petroglyphs or symbols really mean.
How old are these symbols?
Ancient petroglyphs or symbols carved into rock by prehistoric peoples reveal how they envisioned the world around them. But estimating an exact age of most petroglyphs is difficult to determine.
What do they mean?
Whenever anyone views petroglyphs the unavoidable question comes up: What is the meaning of these symbols?
What is a taino tattoo?
Taino tribal tattoos are inspired by the Puerto Rican culture. Taino culture is rich in bravery, artistic triumph (unique symbols) and innovations. The Taino Indians were native to the Caribbean Indians which consisted of Modern Day Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Jamaica. The aboriginals of these island countries were called Arawak People (named after their unique language Arawakan).
What does the Taino Coqui tattoo mean?
Taino Coqui Tattoo –. The Coqui translates to the frog species found in these islands. The coqui symbol showed a leaping frog on a circle. Its symbolic meaning was good health and long life. Along with the frog, the Taino tribe was also known to show other reptiles such as lizards, snakes, and even turtles.
Why did the Taino people die?
It was evident from the tribal body art of Taino people. The indigenous tribe sadly saw a sudden demise due to the Spanish inquisition (within 40 years of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the island). However, their legacy lived on as even today the Tribal Taino tattoos are popular globally.
What does the sun represent in a tattoo?
Sun was the most common Taino symbol which represented our planetary star as a god as a life-giver. The design included sun rays along with googly eyes and sometimes a smile.
What were the aboriginal people called?
The aboriginals of these island countries were called Arawak People (named after their unique language Arawakan). Taino tribe did not use any written alphabets but mainly depended on symbols and petroglyphs. Each symbol from the Arawakan language held special meaning.