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TAINO
First people of the Caribbean

Before Christopher Columbus sailed here and did the things he did, the original Taino (Arawak) inhabitants had an incredible mythology with its own gods and spirits known as "Zemi".

To this day, these original Caribbean myths are part of the cultural heritage of the region.

In the beginning, the goddess Atabey appeared out of nothingness, and created all of the other gods and the land.

The Five Eras of Taino Creation

  1. Creation of the World

  2. Creation of the First People

  3. Humankind becomes civilized

  4. Taino culture develops

  5. Invasion of Columbus

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Columbus, by the way, was arrested by his own government for the terrible things he did.

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The Taino had the last laugh!

The Taino live on in the cultural heritage of the Caribbean.

Commonly used words of Taino origin
Barbecue
Hammock
Canoe
Iguana
Papaya
Tobacco
Cassava

Maize
(That's right; only the Taino called it maize)

Caribbean islands with Taino names
Jamaica
Haiti
Cuba

Puerto Ricans call themselves "Boricua" after the Taino name for Puerto Rico, which means "the land of the noble and valiant lord"

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(James Pederson, the creator of Mythology Worlds)

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