History of Europe

Curiosities about the Tainos

The Taínos were the first indigenous people that Columbus contacted after his arrival in the New World. At that time they inhabited a good part of the Caribbean, from what is now the Bahamas to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola or Puerto Rico. The cultural contribution of this people has been significant, as their language was the first native to the continent that the Spaniards encountered and which leaves the greatest mark (the RAE Dictionary today collects some 70 words of Taíno origin) and especially because they managed to express much of its history and traditions in symbols and other signs that continue to be present in many works today. While many of these symbols may initially appear similar to those used by African tribes, they are actually quite different. The interesting thing about them is that the meaning is much deeper than it seems and that is the reason why they have generated so much curiosity and study by specialists in various disciplines.

Most outstanding curiosities of the Tainos

  • Spiritual nobility: The word Taíno comes from an adjective that means noble or good, and the Taínos used this word to explain to the Spaniards who arrived on the island that they were like that.
  • Supply :One of the most interesting characteristics of the Taínos was that they did not allow the depletion of the resources of a given area. That is why, when they were in a certain area and the edible resources began to run out, they sought to settle in another place, to give the place enough time to recover.
  • Gold :they used the gold they found in the rivers to make decorations and idols.
  • Food distribution :The distribution of food was another of the most interesting aspects, because everything collected through fishing, planting or hunting was distributed among all the people who populated the area.
  • Multiple gods :as was the case with other tribes, they believed in multiple gods (polytheistic), mainly related to the different elements of nature.
  • Peaceful Tribe :One of the best characteristics of the Taíno tribe is that its members were extremely peaceful and honorable. In this sense, the worst crime that was committed was theft, and this entailed the maximum punishment, which was the expulsion of the yucayeque (village, community)
  • Preparation of sweets :They used different types of fruits, such as soursops, jobos and honey, to make different types of sweets.
  • Polygamy :they could marry several women at the same time.
  • Life after death :they were firm believers in life after death and, as in other cultures, in the burial ritual they placed containers with water, food, weapons and other types of personal objects, for that "other life".

The symbols of the Taino culture

Undoubtedly, the Tainos were a much more advanced tribe than previously thought, and that is why everything that is discovered about them continues to surprise. Of course, as we mentioned before, the symbols used to express and capture their traditions and culture are among the most outstanding, so if you want to know a little more in depth about this topic, they all show their meaning here. The symbols of the Taino culture have a deep meaning. They are simple, and at the same time perfectly reflect the pacifist style of this tribe. In this sense, they had specific symbols to reflect solidarity and equality among all members of the tribe. For them, the concept of private property did not exist, so everything was shared in solidarity, without any kind of distinction. Their culture was based on respect, both for the rest of the members and for nature.