Atabey: More Than a Mother Goddess
Now that we've talked about Taíno cosmology as a worldview, we can begin discussing some of the notable beings that appear within it.
One of the most frequently referenced figures is Atabey.
As is tradition at this point, disclaimer: Contemporary Taíno communities do not always interpret Atabey, her names, or even her mythology in the same way. Some communities teach about her and her manifestations or aspects, while others may use different explanations and seperate deities completely. The discussion below reflects several interpretations rather than a universally accepted doctrine. The only universally accepted doctrine about her is that she is the Mother goddess and that her birthed other deities- everything else is regionally, historically, and contemporarily interpreted uniquely. Please respect differing interpretations and practices.
Atabey is often described as a mother figure, ancestral being, creator figure, cosmic deity, or powerful cemí associated with water, fertility, and life. However, like much of Taíno cosmology, understanding Atabey is not as simple as assigning a single title or domain.
Many popular sources reduce Atabey to a "goddess of fertility" or “Mother earth”. While fertility is certainly part of many descriptions, this framing can be limiting because it reflects a tendency to translate Indigenous cosmologies into familiar European religious categories.
Our knowledge of Atabey comes from several sources:
early colonial accounts, particularly Ramón Pané
archaeological interpretation
linguistic analysis
surviving oral traditions and contemporary Taíno teachings
These sources do not always agree completely, and different communities may emphasize different aspects/incarnations/manifestations of Atabey.
One recurring theme is the connection between Atabey and water.
Water is essential for life, agriculture, movement, and survival throughout the Caribbean. Because of this, water often carries significance beyond simple utility. Atabey is frequently associated with rivers, springs, rain, and the generative forces that sustain life.
In most traditions, Atabey is also understood as a primordial or ancestral being whose presence predates humanity itself. She birthed the energies that shape and maintain the universe.
Like many figures discussed in Taíno cosmology, Atabey should not necessarily be understood as existing completely separate from the natural world. Rather, the relationships between land, water, life, ancestry, and spiritual forces are often interconnected.
This is one reason why many contemporary Taíno people describe cosmology as a worldview rather than a collection of isolated beliefs.
One of the more fascinating aspects of Atabey is that she does not always appear under a single name.
In Ramón Pané's account, Atabey is associated with a series of names often rendered as Atabeyra, Apito, and Zuimaco. Scholars and practitioners have interpreted these names in different ways. Some understand them as titles. Others understand them as aspects, incarnations, or manifestations of the same sacred being. Some see them as references to different expressions of power connected to water, creation, fertility, and life.
A brief description of the more preserved thoughts and practices regarding Atabey’s aspects, avatars, incarnations, or manifestations
This is one of those areas where there is a spectrum between historical evidence and contemporary Taíno interpretation. Historically, the most commonly cited names associated with Atabey are:
Atabey
Atabeyra
Apito
Zuimaco
(as recorded by Ramón Pané and Casas).
What exactly these names represent is debated, but many contemporary Taíno communities interpret them as manifestations, aspects, incarnations, avatars, or expressions of Atabey's sacred power.
The most commonly preserved interpretations are:
Atabey — The Primordial Cosmic Mother
Alternative spellings include Ata Bey and Ata Bei. Atabey is often understood as the primordial life-giving force and one of the most encompassing beings within contemporary Taíno cosmology. She is associated with: • Creation • Motherhood • Life and death • Origins • The Generative Force Behind Life • Cosmic balance Symbols • Female petroglyphs (modern association more than proven historical identification) • Water • The womb • The Earth as a living body • Spirals (in some traditions) Natural representations • Oceans • Earth • The life cycle itself
This is typically the first aspect of Atabey that people encounter when learning about Taíno spirituality. Rather than representing a single domain, Atabey is often understood as encompassing all aspects of existence. Photo above is from the Cagüana Centro Ceremonial Indígena, in Utuado, Puerto Rico. In some contemporary teachings, the various manifestations or avatars of Atabey are understood as residing within different parts of her cosmic body. For example, some traditions teach that Coa exists within Atabey's stomach or lower abdomen, reflecting its association with the ancestral and spiritual realms. As with many aspects of Taíno spirituality, interpretations vary between families, practitioners, and yukayekes.
Atabeyra — The Waters
Alternative spellings include Atabeira, Atabera. Atabeyra is most commonly associated with: • Freshwater • Rivers • Springs • Healing • Nourishment Symbols • Flowing water • Rivers • Springs • Water vessels • Frogs/Coquís (commonly associated due to rain and water) Natural representations • Rivers • Waterfalls • Freshwater caves • Rain
Water remains one of the strongest and most consistently preserved themes associated with Atabey in both historical sources and contemporary practice. Photo above are petroglyphs from the Piedra Escrita, a significant archaeological site located in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. When practitioners wish to speak specifically about the healing, nourishing, and life-sustaining qualities of water, they may invoke or reference Atabeyra as a distinct manifestation of Atabey's power.
Apito — Fertility and Growth
Alternative spellings include A'pito, A pi'to. Apito is frequently associated with: • Fertility • Pregnancy • Agricultural abundance • Renewal • Growth Symbols • Seeds • Sprouting plants • Cassava/yuca • Gardens • The womb Natural representations • New growth • Crops • Fruit-bearing plants
Many practitioners understand Apito as expressing the forces that sustain and continue life. This manifestation is often referenced when discussing childbirth, fertility, cultivation, and personal growth. Photo above is of Cassava, because that is the most associated with her. Some contemporary teachings place Apito within Atabey's womb, emphasizing her connection to creation and generation. Certain oral traditions also describe a close relationship between Apito and Karaya, the Moon Spirit. A linguistic note often raised in community discussions is the similarity between the names Apito and Opi'a, Operi'to**/**O'perito. Some practitioners have suggested this may point toward a connection with life-force, spirit, or soul, though interpretations vary.
Zuimaco — Mystery, Spirit, and Sacred Knowledge
Zuimaco is among the most difficult manifestations to define and is often understood differently across traditions. Associations may include: • Hidden knowledge • Spirit • Transformation • Wisdom • Mystery Symbols • Caves • Darkness • Sacred stones • Petroglyphs • Paths Natural representations • Cave systems • Night • Hidden springs
Among contemporary practitioners, Zuimaco is frequently described as one of Atabey's most mysterious manifestations, representing those aspects of existence that remain beyond ordinary understanding. Photo above are petroglyphs from the Cueva de las Maravillas National Park in the Dominican Republic
Coa Bey (Koa Bey) — The Ancestral Realm
Alternative spellings include Koa, Coa, Koa Bei, Coa Bei. Coa Bey is associated with: • Ancestors • Death • Spirit world • Spirituality • Transformation • Mediumship/Spirit Communication Symbols • Snakes (especially Caribbean boas in many contemporary traditions) • Cave entrances • Ancestral caves • The underworld Natural representations • Caves • Underground rivers • Serpents
Within many contemporary traditions, Coa Bey represents the realm of spirits and ancestors. Historical references to snakes and serpent imagery, particularly Caribbean boas, have led some practitioners to adopt the boa as a symbol of Coa and its connection to transformation, death, and renewal. Photo above are petroglyphs from the Cueva de Ambrosio in Varadero, Cuba. This manifestation is often referenced when discussing ancestors, spiritual work, mediumship, and relationships with the unseen world.
Caguana — Love, Community, and Belonging
Caguana is associated with: • Love • Community • Support • Kinship • Belonging Symbols • Ceremonial plazas • Circles • Gatherings • Community spaces Natural representations • Villages • Shared fires • Ceremonial grounds
Caguana is one of the less widely discussed manifestations within contemporary Taíno spirituality. What is known comes from a combination of historical references, oral traditions, and community teachings, though interpretations differ considerably. Because information is limited, many communities approach discussions of Caguana cautiously and may preserve teachings privately. Where recognized, Caguana is often invoked in matters concerning relationships, community care, mutual support, and the bonds that connect people to one another. Some practitioners have theorized connections between Caguana and the ceremonial center now known as La Caguana in Utuado, PR, though such interpretations remain matters of community tradition rather than scholarly consensus. Photo above is from the Cagüana Centro Ceremonial Indígena, in Utuado, Puerto Rico.
Guabancex (Gua Ban Ceh)
Guabancex is associated with: • Storms • Chaos • Transformation • Weather • Power • Righteous anger • Upheaval • Renewal Symbols • Spirals • Hurricanes • Wind • Lightning • Storm clouds Natural representations • Hurricanes • Thunderstorms • Tornado-like spiral movement
The most common historical depictions of Guabancex portray a powerful figure with spiraling arms, reflecting the forces of hurricanes and violent storms. In many contemporary teachings, Guabancex is understood as Atabey's fierce and transformative face. She represents disruption, upheaval, and the necessary destruction that often precedes renewal. Photo above is from the Caney Circle Taino Spiritual community, on a post discussing their teachings and beliefs around this manifestation. Unlike simplistic portrayals of destruction as evil, Guabancex is often viewed as a force of balance. Storms destroy, but they also reshape landscapes, replenish ecosystems, and remind humanity of the power of the natural world. Some traditions teach that Guabancex resides within Atabey's arms, reflecting her active and forceful nature. The word "hurricane" itself derives from Indigenous Caribbean understandings of powerful storms (From the male counterpart to Guabancex, Juracán,) and having conveyed them to the Spanish, preserving one of the clearest examples of Taíno influence on modern language.
Karaya — Moon Spirit
Karaya is generally understood as the Moon Spirit and, in some contemporary traditions, a manifestation or extension of Atabey. She is associated with: • Moon • Lunar cycles • Menstrual cycles • Ceremony • Cycle renewal • Life cycles Symbols • Hoop • Circle • Moon • Cycles Natural representations • Full moon • Moon phases • Tides
Karaya's traditional symbolism is often connected to the hoop, which appears in ceremonial contexts and teachings regarding cycles, continuity, and participation in community life. Photo above is of a Yoke, Hoop, from Dominican Republic currently on exhibit at the MET. This is the burial hoop, indicating completing the cycle of life. Karaya also serves as an example of how a cemí may be understood as more than a physical object. Relationships with certain spirits are expressed through ceremony, practice, and participation rather than through material representations alone. There are many different type of Hoop cemís, indicating different stages and cycles of life.
Photo above is from the Cagüana Centro Ceremonial Indígena, in Utuado, Puerto Rico, source from a UCBerkly academic journal on Taíno & Caribben Indigenous Peoples. Most anthropologists and archeologists have concluded the (left to right) 3rd stone in this photo is likely a representation of Karaya/the Moon spirit. It has the form of a hoop (Long circle with circle end at bottom), the face of Atabey, and potentially those circles at bottom could be interpreted as moons. These ceremonial stone lines an Areyto, further example of cemís being able to also be a place, practice, & memory, meant for relationship and integration to everyday life.
Photo source from Reddit. One contemporary point of discussion concerns the crescent moon imagery frequently associated with Karaya online. While this imagery does not appear to have a direct historical basis in the archaeological record (the closest historical reference has been a half face of the standard depiction of Atabey, which could be speculated to be the initial inspiration for this current design), many practitioners note that cemís have historically taken forms revealed through dreams, visions, and personal spiritual experiences. The first appearance of this dipiction (which originally did not include a body), was in the late 1990s on an indigenous network that is not accessible today. Because of this, some communities embrace modern crescent moon imagery as a valid contemporary expression of Karaya, while others prefer historically attested forms. Neither position is universally accepted, and respectful disagreement remains common within the broader Taíno community.
My personal thoughts on this is: We're allowed personal depictions. I feel adding a body is going to far for my comfort as I feel her lack of a body historically is intentional, but I am not here to be the spiritual police. And I don't think those who do not actively practice Taíno spirituality aught to be particularly judgmental on this.
Because the historical record is disrupted, there is no single interpretation accepted by everyone. Many contemporary Taíno practitioners describe these names as reflecting different faces or expressions of Atabey rather than entirely separate beings. In this understanding, Atabey is not divided into multiple deities, but may be experienced through different relationships, responsibilities, or forms of sacred presence.
As with all discussions of Taíno spirituality, interpretations vary. As with much of Taíno cosmology, the goal is not necessarily to create a rigid theological system. Different families, practitioners, and yukayekes may emphasize different teachings, stories, and understandings of Atabey. Different communities may preserve different teachings regarding these names and their meanings.
Note, this is a very long post- and at no time did we even get the opportunity of discussing any Atabey stories, myths, creation, or who she even is in the cosmology. That's how much there is to say about her. A general break down doesn't touch who she is.
What remains consistent is Atabey's importance as one of the most prominent and enduring figures within Taíno spiritual traditions unanimously.
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