Atabey: Creation Goddess of the Taíno

Reproduction of petroglyph of Atabey by Tainosyciboneyes, public domain

The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, and they were the region's primary inhabitants before the Spanish started colonizing it. They worshipped gods and ancestor spirits, some of which they referred to as zemis.

One of these zemis is, of course, the amazing creation goddess: Atabey.

Some sources say that Atabey is the supreme goddess of the Taíno, while others claim that her son Yucajú is actually the supreme god. Others still assert that Atabey and Yucajú share the leadership responsibilities, working together as a powerful mother-son duo.

In my opinion, it's really cool that Atabey is sometimes considered "top deity," because supreme gods/leaders of pantheons seem to so often be male rather than female. And Atabey really earns this title, considering she gave birth to herself and the rest of the universe. She's also known as a goddess of fertility, water, earth, music, and beauty.

It's said in the Taíno creation story that after Atabey made the world, she was lonely, as it was quite empty. To remedy this, she fashioned herself two sons - twin boys. She named her sons Yucajú and Guacar, and she announced that the three of them were to fill the world with living beings and natural wonders alike.

But while Atabey and Yucajú worked, manifesting all manner of incredible designs, Guacar watched them, growing jealous of their relationship... and of what they had made together. In time his bitterness led him to become Juracán, a zemi of chaos and storms. Alongside his wife and children, Juracán conjured chaotic storms and hurricanes, attempting to dismantle his mother's and brother's beautiful creations.

I hope you enjoyed July 2021's Myth of the Month!