Atabey (goddess)

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Atabey
Goddess of earth, fresh water and fertility
Atabey pretroglyph Illustration.png
Reproduction of petroglyph depicting Atabey
AbodeThe heavens
SymbolDepicted as a nude woman, a therianthropic representation of Mother Earth
Personal information
ChildrenYúcahu and Guacar (twins), Guabancex/Juracán

Atabey is the supreme goddess of the Taínos, one of two supreme deities in the Taíno religion. She was worshipped as a goddess of fresh water and fertility;[1] she is the female entity who represents the Earth Spirit and the Spirit of all horizontal water, lakes, streams, the sea, and the marine tides.[2] This deity was one of the most important for the native tribes that inhabited the Caribbean islands of the Antilles, mostly in Puerto Rico (Borikén), Hispaniola, and Cuba.[3]

Atabey or Atabeira defines prime matter and all that is tangible or material and has several manifestations. One is the aforementioned nurturing maternal figure. Another is : the spirit of love. The last is Guabancex (also known as Gua Ban Ceh): the violent, Wild Mother of storms, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Alternate names for the Taíno mother goddess are Iermaoakar, Apito, and Sumaiko and Taíno women prayed to Atabey to ensure a safe childbirth.[4]

Mythology[]

Atabey conceived twin sons without intercourse. The best known is Yúcahu because he is the principal Taíno god who rules over the fertility of Yuca (cassava).

In popular culture[]

During the April 2017 Miss Universe Puerto Rico pageant, Miss Utuado dressed in a costume representing Atabey.[5]

Atabey's symbology (and her avatar Guabancex) is one of the fundamental thematic foundations of the historical thriller Los hijos de la Diosa Huracán, by Daína Chaviano (Grijalbo-Random House, 2019). In this novel, this deity is a key character and subject in developing and solving the mysteries of the plot.

Atabey, Guabancex with her helpers Guatabá, Cuastriquie and Juracán (embodiment of the hurricane) are repeatedly evoked in a novel by the Cuban-american writer Frederick A. de Armas. In Sinfonía salvaje (Madrid: Verbum, 2019) the hurricane represents the changes brought about in 1959 by the Cuban Revolution.

References[]

  1. ^ Rouse, Irving (1993). The Tainos: Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus (New ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300056969.
  2. ^ Lamarche, Sebastian Robiou (1992). Encuentros con la Mitologia Taina. University of Texas: Editorial Punto y Coma.
  3. ^ Monaghan, Patricia. "Atabey". Llewellyn. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  4. ^ Arrom, Jose J. (1989). Mitologia y artes prehispanicas de las Antillas. Mexico City: Siglo Veintiuno Editores.
  5. ^ Cobertura Oficial - Miss Universe Puerto Rico - Final 4 de Mayo: Beverly Rodríguez de León/Utuado: La diosa Atabey. Vampi. 4 April 2017. Accessed 9 December 2020.
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