There were three primary religious practices: Religious worship and obeisance to the zemi themselves. Dancing in the village court during special festivals of thanksgiving or petition. Medicine men, or priests, consulting the zemi for advice and healing.
What type of farming did the Tainos practice?
The Taíno had a developed system of agriculture which was environmentally friendly and almost maintenance free. They raised their crops in a conuco, a large mound which was devised especially for farming. They packed the conuco with leaves which improved drainage and protected it from soil erosion.
How did the Tainos organized their society?
The Taíno society was divided into two classes, the Nitaino, the nobility or upper class and the Naboria, the working or lower class. The Nitaino consisted of the cacique and his family, warriors and artists and ruled over the Naborias who were fishermen, hunters, and farmers.
What god did the Tainos worship?
Taíno religion, as recorded by late 15th and 16th century Spaniards, centered on a supreme creator god and a fertility goddess. The creator god is Yúcahu Maórocoti and he governs the growth of the staple food, the cassava. The goddess is Attabeira, who governs water, rivers, and seas.
What is the difference between Kalinagos and Tainos?
The Tainos and Kalinagos were two different Amerindian groups which inhabited the islands of the Caribbean. The Tainos lived in the islands of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas), while the Kalinagos lived in the Lesser Antilles (Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia etc.).
What is the most important position in Taino society?
Taíno society was textured and varied, but also ordered. In any Taíno society, people existed within a hierarchical structure. At the very top were a class of noble rulers and priests. The chief of a Taíno village was called a cacique, and the priests were the bohiques.
What kind of economy did the Tainos have?
Economy The Taínos were farmers and fishers, and practiced intensive root crop cultivation in conucos, or small raised plots. Manioc was the principal crop, but potatoes, beans, peanuts, peppers and other plants were also grown. Farming was supplemented with the abundant fish and shellfish animal resources of the region.
How did the Tainos get rid of criminals?
The criminal would be slowly and mercilessly punished to death. This was done by piercing the criminal with a pointed pole or stick. It was convenient that the Tainos lived near the sea as one of their key economic activities was fishing and this was a key part of their diet.
Who was the leader of the Taino people?
The Taíno people were an indigenous ethnic group of the Caribbean who lived in structured societies with political hierarchies, complex economies, and rich cultural traditions. A Taíno village was ruled by the chief, the cacique, as well as the priests.
Who are the lower classes in Taino society?
Below this ruling class was a class of lower nobles, including the professional warriors. These people were known as nitaínos. Below them were the naborias, or the workers. Everyone in Taíno society fit somewhere in this hierarchy and had a job to do.
