Atabey (goddess)
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Atabey | |
---|---|
Mother of Waters, fresh water and fertility | |
Abode | The heavens |
Symbol | Depicted as a nude woman, a therianthropic representation of Mother of Water |
Personal information | |
Children | Yúcahu and Guacar (twins),Yayael |
Atabey is an ancestral mother of the
Atabey or Atabeira defines prime matter and all that is tangible or material and has several manifestations. One is the aforementioned nurturing maternal figure. Another is
Alternate names for Atabey are Iermaoakar, Apito, and Sumaiko and Taíno women prayed to Atabey to ensure safe childbirth.[4]
Mythology
Atabey conceived twin sons without intercourse. The best known is Yúcahu because he is the principal Taíno god who rules over the fertility of Yuca (cassava). She is also married to Yaya and had her first child Yayael who they later kill Yayael for trying to kill Yaya
In popular culture
Atabey's symbology (and her avatar Guabancex) is one of the fundamental thematic foundations of the historical thriller Los hijos de la Diosa Huracán, by Daína Chaviano (Grijalbo-Random House, 2019). In this novel, this deity is a key character and subject in developing and solving the mysteries of the plot.
Atabey, Guabancex with her helpers Guatabá, Cuastriquie, and Juracán (embodiment of the hurricane) are repeatedly evoked in a novel by the Cuban-american writer Frederick A. de Armas. In Sinfonía salvaje (Madrid: Verbum, 2019) the hurricane represents the changes brought about in 1959 by the Cuban Revolution.
References
- ISBN 978-0300056969.
- ^ Lamarche, Sebastian Robiou (1992). Encuentros con la Mitologia Taina. University of Texas: Editorial Punto y Coma.
- ^ Monaghan, Patricia. "Atabey". Llewellyn. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ Arrom, Jose J. (1989). Mitologia y artes prehispanicas de las Antillas. Mexico City: Siglo Veintiuno Editores.