Life and Island Times – June 6 2016

The Goddess of Storms

Taino depiction of Guabancex: the Goddess of Storms

Guabancex was a goddess of the native Tainos of the Caribbean islands long before Columbus arrived and Spanish colonization began. She was known as the “one whose fury destroys everything.” Taino idols depicting her revealed a deep understanding of the weather mechanics of her storms’ destructive forces with their spiraling wind patterns.

Juracán was the Taino word for her storms, which the Spanish transliterated into huracán. Shakespeare even appropriated the word in King Lear, which he defined as “the dreadful spout which shipmen do the hurricano call, constringed in mass by the almighty sun.”

According to Taíno mythology, Guabancex was entrusted to Aumatex, the ruler of a mystical land. This granted him the title of “Cacique (chief) of the Wind;” but, with this boon came the responsibility of repeatedly appeasing the goddess throughout his reign. Furthermore, due to the importance of the wind for travel between islands and the need of good weather for successful crops, other caciques would offer her part of their food.

Given Guabancex’s volatile temper, these efforts often failed. When they did, she would leave Aumatex’s domain enraged with the intent of bringing destruction to all in her path, unleashing the juracánes. She would begin by interrupting the balance established by Boinayel and Marohu, the deities of rain and drought. By rotating her arms in a spiral, Guabancex would pick the water of the ocean and land, placing it under the command of the goddess of torrential downpours who violently forced it back over the Taíno settlements destroying their homes and crops. She would threaten the other deities in an attempt to have them join the chaos.

Despite the National Hurricane Center’s prediction of a normal Atlantic Ocean storm season, it appears that a hungry and angry Guabancex is off the reservation. 2016 already has three named storms on the books.

Taino mythology provided no known way to appease this destructive goddess when she was on a rampage. We all better have plans A, B and C ready for implementation. For you island newbies that means you had better decide now if you are a leaver or stayer and plan accordingly.

2003’s Juracán Isabel (image courtesy of Mike Trenchard,
Earth Sciences & Image Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center

Meanwhile, W and Marlow celebrated their Sunday afternoon at Schooner Wharf listening to Michael McCloud singing Hurricane Blow:

Another hurricane season just comes along
Another pretty good reason to make another song
Another little celebration for a woman and a man
Still living on the island and it’s still dry land

Whoa, hurricane winds don’t you blow
Keep the water in the ocean so my house don’t float
Whoa, people don’t know
It’s been about year since the hurricane blow

We got the sunburned babes laying on the beach
We got big ole lobsters, just outta my reach
Living is easy down here in the sun
But it goes away if a hurricane come

Whoa, hurricane winds don’t you blow
Keep the water in the ocean so my house don’t float
Whoa, the people don’t know
Got nothing to fear ‘cept a hurricane blow

I’ve been living on this island for a mighty long time
It’s slow, it’s simple, and l like just fine
The old people say I gotta be ready to go
I ain’t afraid of nothing ‘cept a hurricane blow

Whoa, big wind don’t you blow
Keep the water in the ocean so my house don’t float
Whoa, the people don’t know
Got nothing to fear ‘cept a hurricane blow

So I saved a lotta money, just to buy myself a boat
And I scammed a buncha money, just to make it stay afloat
There’s lotta things it needs, so I ran out and got ‘em
When the hurricane comes, she’ll be sitting on the bottom

Another hurricane season just comes along
Another pretty good reason to make another song
Another little celebration for a woman and a man
Still living on the island and it’s still dry land

Whoa, big wind don’t you blow
Keep the water in the ocean so my house don’t float
Whoa, the people don’t know
Got nothing to fear ‘cept a hurricane blow

Ain’t nothing to fear ‘cept a hurricane blow
I got nothing to fear ‘cept a hurricane blow

Tropical Storm Colin heading Marlow’s way (images courtesy of NASA)

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat/Michael McCloud