THE
TAINO
term inology
The word "Tano" comes directly from
Columbus. The indigenous people he
encountered in his first voyage called
themselves "Tano", meaning "good"
or "noble", to differentiate
themselves from Island-Caribs. This
name applied to all the Island Tanos
including those in the Lesser Antilles.
Locally, the Tanos referred to
themselves by the name of their
location.
H istory of the tainos
The ancestors of the Tano entered the Caribbean
from South America and their culture is closely
linked to that ofMesoamericans.At the time of
contact, the Tano were divided into three broad
groups, known as theWestern Tano(Jamaica,
most of Cuba, and the Bahamas), theClassic
Tano(Hispaniola and Puerto Rico) and
theEastern Tano(northern Lesser Antilles), and
other groups of Tano nations of Florida, such as
the Tequesta, Calusa, Jaega, Ais, and others. Tano
groups were in conflict with theCaribsof the
southern Lesser Antilles.
Leadership
The leader of the tainos is called
the cacique. They were offered
various exception as they were
allowed to have more than 1
wives and lived in a larger house
which was made by the other
villagers this house was called
caneys.
there was one great rectangular house
where the cacique (chief) lived called
the caney. The bohique also lived in a
caney structure. The caneys were built
in a central location on the edge of the
batey and the bohos completed the
circle around the batey and the rest of
the yucayeque (village).
Architecture
Taino houses, or"bohios"were
made out of palm wood and the
roof was thatched withpalm
leaves
Socialorganization ofthe tainos
Tano society was divided into two
classes:Nitainos(nobles) and
theNaborias(commoners). Both
were governed by chiefs known
ascaciques, who were the maximum
authority in aYucayeque(village).
The chiefs were advised by priesthealers known as Bohiquesand
theNitaynos, which is how the elders
and warriors were known
Tanos villages were run by a cacique
(chief) with the help of the bohike
(priest or medicine man). Tanos were
divided by a social class structure that
included Naborias (serfs), who
performed hard labor, and Nitanos
(noblemen), who were soldiers, leaders,
and craftsmen. The cacique came from
the Nitano class and the bohike came
from a lineage of bohikes.
Tanos wore no clothes except for a nagua (a
frontal slip) used only by married women.
Dressing up meant painting their bodies with
bright color paints with intricate designs.
Body paints were made from plants. Tanos
also wore cotton arm and leg ties or bands as
symbols of rank. Their jewelry; necklaces,
earrings, arm bands and bracelets, was made
from seashells, feathers, animal teeth, bones,
and stones. Some was layered with gold and
precious or semiprecious stones. Men and
women, and boys and girls wore body paint
and made and wore lots of jewelry. Boys and
girls often made their own jewelry. They also
wore amulets.
Tainos villages and design
Yucayeques were built close to a water source. Living
in the tropics they enjoyed daily baths, sometimes
several in one day, and some being ritual baths. Tanos
most often built their homes around a batey or plaza.
The batey was used for areytos (ceremonies), ball
games, and dancing. Their round thatch roofs homes
were called bohos. Bohos were made from, reed,
bamboo and tree branches tied together; grass was
woven into them and they were packed with mud. In
every yucayeque there was one great rectangular
house where the cacique (chief) lived called the caney.
The bohique also lived in a caney structure. The
caneys were built in a central location on the edge of
the batey and the bohos completed the circle around
the batey and the rest of the yucayeque.
Bohos did not have much furniture.
Tanos slept on cotton nets that hung
from the ceiling called hamacas
(hammocks). Hamacas were also used
to sit on or to move sick people around
in much like a hospital gurney. Tanos
sat on dujos. Dujos were short four
legged seats with back rests. Most were
carved with religious symbols and some
were elaborately carved and decorated
with gold and semiprecious stones. The
cacique's dujo had a taller back rest
Religion cerem onies
Areytos were religious ceremonies
that sometimes lasted several days.
Caciques and Bohikes wore a
ceremonial cape at the areytos
called a Mao. A Mao was a round
white cotton cover with a center hole
that covered the shoulder, chest and
back. The Mao was a status symbol
During areytos the bohike taught the history of
the Tanos, the history of their particular
yucayeque, told battle stories, related important
historical events and taught religion and
tradition. There was a lot of ceremonial music,
song, and dance at areytos. A ceremonial game
was also played in the ball-game courts. Areytos
were held for different reasons maybe the
wedding of the cacique, or the birth of his child,
or even just when important guests arrived.
Children had the most fun at areytos. They
dressed up by decorating their bodies with paint
and wearing jewelry. There was lots of foods and
games to play with their friends. Children were
an important part of the festivity.
The diff
erent
carved zem ior
gods in the tainos
w orship
NB*
There were two supreme being in the
tainos gods. They were one male
and one female
Entertainm ent
The Taino had a lively and profound ceremonial tradition
from which we in the Caney Spiritual Circle draw
ourinspiration.
Their beliefs were expressed in ceremonies like the ritual
ball game called"batu" or "batey"using ritualstonecollars,
and the musical ceremonies called "areitos" that included
dances called "guarachas" and the telling oflegends.
These were very similar to modern dances still performed by
Native peoples living in the South American rainforests
wherethe
Tainos originated. These ceremonies served to provide the
element of sacred ritual and reverence within a
communalenvironment. They helped cement the bond
between the people and the Divine as well as the
relationship
between folksthemselves.
food
The tainos get most of there food
from agriculture, fishing and hunting.
They grew ground food such as
cassava, yam, sweet potato, dashen,
maize (corn), pepper. Fishing in the
near by rivers, stream and sea. Also
hunting wild animals such as coney,
wild boar, bird, snakes, mangoose,
iguana,
Cave painting
Moon:The moon rises from the cave
of Mautiatibuel (son of the dawn or
god of daybreak) at dusk, to which
the moon returns when the sun rises.
Hunter or Warrior:A person in
charge of hunting for food for their
Taino tribe. He was also the protector
against the Caribe Indians.
Shaman or Behique:A witch
doctor who knew everything about
plants, natural medicine, and herbs.
He was also a priest and led the
Cohoba and Batey religious rituals.
God of Cohoba:This god carried a
plate on his head containing a
powder that the Tainos inhaled
during a magical religious ceremony
causing hallucinations and enabling
them to contact the gods. This was
the Cohoba ritual, the most
important ceremony for the Tainos.
Anthropomorphous sun:The sun
rises from the cave of Cacique
Mautiatibuel (son of the dawn or god
of daybreak) at dawn, to which the
sun returns when the moon rises.
Anthropomorphous Cacique:The chief of a
territory called a Cacicazgo. From his chair
(dujo), he would serve as judge and administer
justice. He scheduled all planting, harvesting
and hunting activities. Since the tribe did not
have a written language, he was also the
historian who maintained the historical
memory of the tribe known as the Areito,
transmitted from generation to generation by
songs and dances under a tree or on a batey.
Anthropomorphous ball-
player:The ball game was very
popular among the Tainos. It
consisted of keeping the ball in the
air by using ones entire body except
the hands. The balls were made of
cupey tree resin.
Boinayel:God of rain. Big tears
flowed from his eyes and fell on the
farmland to fertilize yuca plants and
enable them to grow.
Toa:According to the mythology, the god
Guahoyona, in order to avoid incest,
abducted all the women of the island, leaving
the kids alone with their fathers. In the
evening the kids, starving, scream toa, toa
their cry to be breastfed. But their mothers
were far away on Matimino Island (maybe
present day Martinica or Women Island).
They cried so long that they were
transformed into frogs, toads and coquies.
