Aboriginal myths of taínos are the result of a symbiosis of the Indigenous, Spanish and African religions and other religious expressions of the world.

Let us draw our attention to the mythology of the first Caribbean inhabitants called Indians by Admiral Christopher Columbus and decipher what this culture meant by its myths. Animism is found in the accounts of the Antillean mythology: its religious figures are seen as good and bad spirits or exhibiting both characteristics. On occasions, totemism can be seen in the cemíes; they were conceived having the shape of an animal or were anthropozoomorphous. The All Mighty of the Antillean aboriginal population taught taínos the techniques of agriculture and navigation, but they can also be turned into choleric beings that needed to be calmed down by their mother. Guabancex (the "wind lady"") who could also be very choleric. It was Boinayel ("brown snake", a metaphor for the rain clouds) to whom Marehú opposed, the spirit of good weather. Guacar was known as "Mother of the Waters, the Lady of Moonlight, Tides and Maternity and Baibrama, who besides being choleric, was also ugly and bad because he sent diseases. Guatauba, Guabancex's herald, had the power of the thunder, he was in charge of commanding the cemíes to help make strong winds and heavy rains.

MYTHS of tainos ON BIRTH AND DEATH If we simply focus on their religion, animatism is the belief on a being with an invisible power, potential, quality or a special gift which distinguishes one person from the other, but which can be found in a plant or in an animal or expressed in the social conglomerate also named maná. The fact is that taínos reached to personification, i.e. the conception of the spirit to whom they attributed a given shape, known through their idols that accounted for their symbolic representation of religious figures i.e. their cemíes. Their well-structured mythology gave many answers to main questions. Thus their "world", a common sea full of islands, became its cosmos and it was completely logical that in one of these islands, the Hispaniola, they located the cave named by them Jagua where their origin took place. Thus taínos who sprung from this cave were, according to the meaning of the term, were "good, noble and cautious", while their ancestors were "braveless, meritless," and sprung from Amaiauna. Antillean men were not created as those who belonged to an agricultural society; they sprang from the soil. Jagua cave was located at Cauta mountain, identified by Antilleans as the "high place" where spirits live. And such a mountain is located at Caonao, a place that according to the term means abundant in gold, which they appreciated, not by its commercial value as conquistadors did, but by the emanations of super beings that contributed to virtue and longevity, according to other Amerindian cultures. The origin of the sun and the moon was also located in a cave according to taínos. This cave, according to them, was located at the land of Cacique Mautiatihuel. The men staying inside the cave could not go out until they were not told where to go. That seemed to be the order given by Anacacuya, the "Central Spirit,". They were on their duty in the evening; Macocael, "the one without eyelids," "the seepless" was in charge of this endeavor. But men disobeyed. Macocael was late to return on his duty and thus the sun took him away and transformed him into a stone in a place near the cave. Other men who also disobeyed were turned into trees named jobos and Yahubaba who was entrusted to bring the plant (güeyo) for Anacacuya's healing was turned into a bird. Out of transformation children were turned into frogs. Newborn were left in a place near a stream by Guahayora. This mythical character also disobeyed, he broke the taboo associated with incest and was punished with syphilis. The woman called Guabonito a "spirit that emerges from the waters," took him to a secluded site (guanara) and healed him; then he changed his name, an action that is like a revival after suffering from a disease. Taínos claimed that the sea formation was made by four brothers, it is not clear whether they were twins or quadruple, there is no clarification as to who took the güira that As a result there was so much water spilled that flooded the Earth. Taínos also had their own myths on death. Their ancestors believed that death was a prolongation of life, but they did believe in ghosts. On day light, the dead were secluded in Cobaybay (the House of the Dead), in the evenings they had parties and had a ride. The dead appeared to the living along trails, and if they were brave and not scared, the ghost disappeared. The only way to distinguish them was touching the belly, if they lack the navel, they were dead, deprived from their flesh and spirit.

*Doctor Fariñas, Cuban researcher and historian, the authoress of the book Religión en las Antillas (Religion in the Antilles) took her Ph. D. thesis on this topic.

Taino village

Enjoyment and knowledge gathered in a Taíno village, recently opened to the public in the eastern province of Holguín where the sculptors have the size of a human being and represent the first Cuban inhabitants. The reproduction of a community of Taíno Indians makes up Chorro de Maíta Archeological Site where the largest cemetery of Caribbean 's aboriginal population is found. The visitor can taste typical Taíno food in the restaurant and see scenes where Indians trapped into time performed the dances in group known as areítos. Scientific tests carried out in the site ensures that skulls and skeletons found, belonged to several individuals who lived there on the years 1490 and 1540. Also in the Zapata peninsula, there is a replica of a Taíno village, that is famous for the realism of the figures achieved by the celebrated sculptress, Rita Longa.