Taino symbols?

Question

I just returned from my honeymoon to the Dominican Republic and we purchased alot of native paintings and the sales person informed us of what some of the symbols ment but he said we could find their meaning on the internet aswell. However, i cannot seem to find any web sites containing pictures and the meanings of each symbol. Any help?

Thank you!

Answer 1

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispanola with Haiti. Their history and culture thus has much in common.So, one must presume this also applies to the art and its sources. But there is nothing written individually about DR Folk art except that Taino symbols, yes, were important to the people of the DR see http://www.medalia.net/Taino.html
The people of this region believed that a supernatural being created the world and that all things, such as rain, fertility, wind etc., were attributed to spirits that controlled them. Each of these spirits were represented by a figure. The turtle is a also an important Taíno image as it represents the Tainos's ancestral mother.Are there turtles and different stick figures in your pictures?
The Taíno Indians were the dominant culture in this region - including Haiti and the DR during the Pre Columbian era (from about 1200 AD to the arrival of Columbus in 1492).
http://www.medalia.net/Taino.html
See http://hometown.aol.com/caneypath2/gua.html
for Gua symbol;
For spirit flags (sequins) http://www.haitian-art-co.com/flag2.html
Also go this site, and scroll down to painting: http://www.figgeartmuseum.org/SiteDefault.aspx?nt=16&PageID=134
In Haita, as presumably in DR, Voodoo is the key to the art of the people. Today many Haitans - and presumably those from DR -are Roman Catholics. But their artwork is actually a mixture of Voodoo images and Catholic symbols - such as lilies, altars (both Voodoo and Christian). The Virgin Mary, for example, is worshipped as both Jesus’ mother and the voodoo goddessof love, Eruzlie Freda. And Christian Saints are depicted side by side with Voodoo spirits.
I do hope, to some extent, this has been helpful as there is nothing specific relating to DR on line.

Answer 2

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I am of Cuban descent and know that my grandfather had some Taino blood on his maternal side I think his grandma was a Taino, but the pics are in Cuba sorry :(. Sounds, like a kick *** tat though of the Carib people. I know Cuba had the Ciboney and Taino and I am guessing PR had the Taino any others?

Answer 3

Dominican Republic Symbols

Answer 4

http://www.symbols.com/

This always helped me much. Hope it can do the same for you.