What do you think?
Rate this book
Cave of the Jagua: The Mythological World of the Taínos
Cave of the Jagua has long been the authoritative text on the now extinct Taíno people of the West Indies. In this revised edition, Antonio Stevens-Arroyo reinforces his groundbreaking work with new research and analysis. The volume features updated interpretations of Taíno spirituality, evaluates recent DNA findings among Caribbean people, and offers new evidence that Taínos were not exterminated in the sixteenth century. This volume will be invaluable to scholars of religion, anthropology, and Latino studies alike.
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 15, 2006
5 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 1, 2020
I'm really happy this book exists, because there isn't much literature regarding the Taínos and their belief systems. This book goes much deeper into than any other i've found when it comes to looking at Taíno myths and cemis, explaining each individual characteristic behind the stories and representations. I appreciated it for that. Was it fun to read? No. It reminded me why I hated dealing with the classical anthropologists (I'm looking at you Lévi-Strauss!) in college. This book looks at things from a perspective of Lévi-Strauss's structuralist theory, and it just gets too heavy for me. I also happen to be a very practical person, so sometimes I just can't go along with all the conclusions, especially when it regards representations (I have to believe people constructed for function like we do at least some times...not everything is representative of a penis or womb). While I didn't buy everything 100%, I'm happy I had this resource to at least get another opinion. I read the 1980s version though, and would like to at least take a peek at the updated one, especially so I can see how it reflects the neo-Taíno movement and the new revelations that the Taíno are not extinct.
March 8, 2024
I decided to read "Cave of the Jagua" after finding a Reddit post recommending it for people trying to learn about Taino mythology. This book turned my casual curiosity about the now-extinct Taino people of the Caribbean into a new field of interest.
The book is separated into four sections:
1. The Social Context for Taino Mythology
2. The Taino Creation Myth
3. The Hero Myth
4. The Interpretation of Taino Mythology.
Section One was the perfect start. I felt much better situated once understanding not only the historical period that the Taino inhabited but also the geographical reality of the Antilles. The introduction to the fauna and flora of the islands provided a fantastic reference for the context of Taino symbols within their mythology.
Section Two made me cry, which sounds pretty dramatic. However, it was the first section in which the Comparative Method of studying religions was discussed, so I felt a connection with the cultures across history that shared these mythologies. I had already studied Levi-Strauss (though it was in the context of African religions), but this book inspired me to find the communal subconscious within myself. What a great way to build a personal relationship with the subject matter. I teared-up in the face of the sublime beauty of it all, which is the best kind of crying.
The Hero Myth section was the weakest for me, though by no means was it bad. I struggled to follow along with the analysis as some of the symbolic connections did not seem as intuitive as previous ones had.
The fourth and last section, The Interpretation of Taino Mythology, started pretty wordy and did not have to do much with Taino Mythology itself; there was a lot of psychoanalysis which I don't care much for. But the ending brought it together with the descriptions of Cemies and different mythological personae.
Despite my few criticisms, I think this was an amazing read. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Comparative Religion or Mythology, and especially to people like myself who seek the stories that connect us across borders and history.
The book is separated into four sections:
1. The Social Context for Taino Mythology
2. The Taino Creation Myth
3. The Hero Myth
4. The Interpretation of Taino Mythology.
Section One was the perfect start. I felt much better situated once understanding not only the historical period that the Taino inhabited but also the geographical reality of the Antilles. The introduction to the fauna and flora of the islands provided a fantastic reference for the context of Taino symbols within their mythology.
Section Two made me cry, which sounds pretty dramatic. However, it was the first section in which the Comparative Method of studying religions was discussed, so I felt a connection with the cultures across history that shared these mythologies. I had already studied Levi-Strauss (though it was in the context of African religions), but this book inspired me to find the communal subconscious within myself. What a great way to build a personal relationship with the subject matter. I teared-up in the face of the sublime beauty of it all, which is the best kind of crying.
The Hero Myth section was the weakest for me, though by no means was it bad. I struggled to follow along with the analysis as some of the symbolic connections did not seem as intuitive as previous ones had.
The fourth and last section, The Interpretation of Taino Mythology, started pretty wordy and did not have to do much with Taino Mythology itself; there was a lot of psychoanalysis which I don't care much for. But the ending brought it together with the descriptions of Cemies and different mythological personae.
Despite my few criticisms, I think this was an amazing read. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Comparative Religion or Mythology, and especially to people like myself who seek the stories that connect us across borders and history.
October 13, 2009
A fascinating look at the world and beliefs of the first people Columbus met on his arrival in America.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews