Guaiaba is Taino

Did You Know: 
Guaiaba (Guayaba) is the Taíno word for the guava fruit, which is native to the Caribbean, Central, and South America. The fruit is edible, having a sweet soft interior with a thin delicate rind. The rind varies in color from green to light green or yellow in its mature or "ready to eat" state. When eating guava fruit two things you will notice is that it has small hard seeds as you bite into it as well as a distinctive aroma. Guava is said to be a good source of Vitamins A, B, and C and is a common flavor of juices and desserts in the Caribbean. Guaiaba leaves have been used as a remedy for diarrhea and the leaves are considered to have antimicrobial properties. The same anti-diarrheal substances which are useful in "folk medicine" may also cause constipation in the case of consumption of large amounts of guava fruit. In Cuba, guaiaba leaves are sometimes used in barbecues providing a savory, smoked flavor to the meat. According to Taino oral tradition, the chief or guardian of Koaibei (Coaybey), the Taino spirit world, is named Maketaurie Guaiaba. Taino oral tradition also states that ancestral spirits or hupia leave Koaibei in the evenings, sometimes taking the form of bats who feed on the guaiaba fruit.

- © 2017 UCTP Taino News

 

References

Morton, J. F. (1987). Fruits of Warm Climates. Julia F. Morton.

Arrom, J. J. (1989). Mitología y artes etnología taínas [Taíno Mythology and Arts Ethnology]. Ediciones Panhouse. 

Siguapa is Taino

Did You Know: Siguapa (Ciguapa) is a Taino term used to describe a legendary nocturnal being, female in form, said to inhabit the deep mountainous regions of Kiskeia (Dominican Republic) and Eastern Cuba. Siguapa are described with having brown or dark blue skin, backward facing feet, and very long, smooth, glossy hair that covers their otherwise naked bodies. In addition, Siguapa are said to enjoy corn, steal salt from unoccupied kitchens, and lure men to undisclosed locations to never to be seen again. Pronounced see-gooah-pah, Siguapa is also a term used specifically for the Stygian Owl (Asio stygius) found in Cuba, the Isle of Pines, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Gonave.

– © 2014 UCTP Taino News 

References

Candelario, G. E. B. (2016). La ciguapa y el ciguapeo: Dominican myth, metaphor, and method. Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism, 20(3), 100–117. Duke University Press 

Tejera, E. (1977). Palabras indígenas de la insularidad de Santo Domingo (3rd ed.). C. Editora del Caribe. (Original work published 1935)

Guaba is Taino

The Guaba or cave spider. Photo: Alferdo Colon

Did You Know: Cave spiders -- also called tailless whip scorpions -- are called guaba in the indigenous Taino language. The body of a guava is flat with long, whip-like legs. They use their powerful pincher-bearing front legs to catch their prey, usually small animals, frogs and crustaceans. The guaba are among the largest arachnid species, growing between 19 and 25 inches long, including their legs. Guaba typically live in caves or under large rocks and inside crevices. They are usually nocturnal. - UCTP Taino News © 2014

Kakata is Taino

Caribbean tarantula or kakata found in Borikén (Puerto Rico). Photo by Alfredo Colon

Did You Know: Caribbean tarantulas are found throughout the Caribbean islands and are a part of the 'New World" tarantula group. The indigenous Taino word for tarantula is kakata (cacata). The bite of a kakata is not fatal to humans even though it does posses venom. Kakata have defensive, urticating hairs, which cause itching and discomfort when harassed. The male kakata can usually be seen in the open, as they often are in search of mates. Females are also visible, but tend to stay near their homes. Some kakata are burrowing while others construct nest made of webs in trees. In the Taíno language, word kakata means to "mix" as with the hands, which brings to mind the movement of this large and hairy arachnid. - UCTP Taino News © 2014

Hibá is Taino

Did You Know:  The Hibá (Jibá), Erythroxylon havanense, is a flowering shrub found in Kuba and other islands of the Caribbean. This plant retains its indigenous Taino name, Hibá, and according to local healing traditions, the stems and leaves are good for the kidney and liver disorders. A concoction made from hibá roots is said to be a powerful diuretic. – UCTP Taino News © 2014

Hikí is Taino

Did You Know: The Hikí (jiquí, jigi, jequí), Pera bumeliaefolia; P. bumeliifolia, is a tree endemic to some Caribbean islands and known for its hard wood and moisture resistance. The tree retains it Taino name, Hikí, which sounds like “hee-kEE.” Archeologists in Kuba have found ancient Taino artifacts such as sculptures and axe handles made of this wood. According to local healing traditions, the astringent quality of this tree’s bark can be used to treat certain skin conditions. – UCTP Taino News © 2014

Hikotea is Taino

Did You Know: “Hikotea” (jicotea) is a Taino word for various land and fresh water turtles. The term hikotea (hee-koh-teh-ah) is still used throughout the Greater Antilles to identify these turtles. In ancient times the hikotea was directly linked to Taino creation, as the primordial mother of the people was a turtle who transformed into a woman. As a result of this ancestral distinction, many persons still view it as an offense to kill or eat a fresh water or land turtle. A further spiritual distinction of the hikotea is that it carries the numbers of a sacred calendar of the people on its shell. Patterns on the outer edge of its shell coincide with the sacred lunar calendar cycle of 28 days from full moon to full moon. The hikotea’s additional shell patterns correspond with the 13 moons of the lunar year. - UCTP Taino News (c) 2013 

Batata and ahe (aje) are Taíno

Did You Know: The word batata is a Taíno word describing what is commonly called a sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). The white sweet potato can also be called by another Taíno word, boniato. The word batata has since been incorporated into Portuguese to identify potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). According to some sources, the English word potato is itself derived from the Taíno word batata, which was borrowed from an early Spanish corruption patata. Traditionally, starchy root tubers are a staple of Taíno diet. Beyond the batata, other tubers such as iuka (yuca/cassava/manioc),  iautía (yautia), guaíga (guayiga), and ahe (aje) were also cultivated traditionally. However, of all these tubers iuka remains the most prominent Taíno dietary staple.  In the Caribbean, early Spanish chronicles recorded Taino names for several different varieties of ahe (aje), which are identified today as common or wild yams and are said to be part of the Dioscorea family of tubers. Caribbean or West Indian “yams” are generally identified through their Latin botanical identification of Dioscorea sativa. The word “yam” is an English form derived from nyami, a term found in some West African languages said to mean “to eat”.  Today, some of the early variant ahe tubers are not cultivated commercially or even locally and are no longer easily distinguishable by their diverse, original Taíno names. - UCTP Taino News (c) 2013

Guaikano

DID YOU KNOW: The term guaikano (guaicano) or guaikan is a Taíno word for the remora fish (scientific name: Echeneidae). Sometimes called a suckerfish, the guaikano (remora) is best known for its distinctive dorsal fin, which takes the form of an oval, sucker-like organ allowing them to take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals and even boats. Usually found in tropical or temperate waters, guaikano are known to grow between 1-3 ft long (30–90 cm). Among the Taíno, the guaikano was once used by fisherman, specifically, because of its abilities to attach on to larger animals such as turtles and sharks. A cord or “kabuia (cabuya)” would be tied to the guaikano’s tail, and once the fish attached, a Taíno fisherman could simply haul in both the guaikano and its host. - UCTP Taino News © 2011

Illustration: Modesto Garcia 

The Taíno and the 13 Moon Calendar

DID YOU KNOW: The ancient Taíno observed the solar and lunar cycles in calendar fashion. Many of the ancient ceremonial grounds and ball courts (batei/batey) are aligned with equinoxes and solstices. Elders note that life was based on these cycles and in particular to a 28 day moon calendar that is in alignment with the female menstrual cycle. Even into contemporary times the importance of the lunar cycle is observed by traditional agricultural workers, medicinal plant specialists, and fishermen, etc. Some elders state that the 28 day observance translated into a 13 moon calendar, which was actually a ‘solar-lunar’ calendar harmoniously following the Earth’s journey around the sun. A few Taíno words for moon are karaia (caraya), nonum and kati. Among the Sibonei (Siboney) Taíno in Kuba, the human-like personification of the moon was a long-haired female being called Maroia (Maroya) who came down from the sky during the new moon to bathe in certain lagoons. In the Taino and related languages the word for moon was usually the same word for month. – UCTP Taino News © 2011