Guarionex (
Taíno language
Taíno is an extinct Arawakan language that was spoken by the Taíno people of the Caribbean. At the time of Spanish contact, it was the most common language throughout the Caribbean. Classic Taíno (Taíno proper) was the native language of th ...
: ''"The Brave Noble Lord"'') was a
Taíno
The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...
cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
from
Maguá in the island of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
at the time of
the arrival of the Europeans to the Western Hemisphere in 1492.
He was the son of cacique
Guacanagarix, the great Taíno
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
who had the
vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
of the coming of the
''Guamikena'' (White Men).
Since 1494 the Spaniards had imposed heavy tributes on the Taino population of Hispaniola. In 1495, Taino led by
Caonabo
Caonabo (died 1496) was a Taíno ''cacique'' (chieftain) of Hispaniola at the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival to the island. He was known for his fighting skills and his ferocity. He was married to Anacaona, who was the sister of another ' ...
raised up in arms but were crushed by
Bartholomew Columbus
Bartholomew Columbus ( lij, label= Genoese, Bertomê Corombo; pt, Bartolomeu Colombo; es, Bartolomé Colón; it, Bartolomeo Colombo; – 1515) was an Italian explorer from Genoa and the younger brother of Christopher Columbus.
Biography
Bor ...
. Guarionex then opted for accommodation and appeasement but by 1497 the situation had deteriorated further. Guarionex then sided with Spanish rebel
Francisco Roldán
Francisco Roldán (circa 1450 - 11 July .S. 1 July1502) was a Spanish colonial administrator.
Biography
He was left as ' (local governor) of La Isabela when Christopher Columbus returned to Spain from his second voyage. In 1497, Roldán revolted ...
and set out to attack the Spaniards. Columbus assembled his troops and attacked Guarionex's camp at night by surprise. The cacique was captured and his warriors dispersed. Guarionex was later released by Columbus and went back to his policy of appeasement. At one point he could not hold on to power and fled to the north of the island. The Spaniards captured him there and sent him in chains to
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in 1502, but the ship sank during a storm.
[ Lost was a fortune in gold said by ]Bartolomé de las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas, OP ( ; ; 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a 16th-century Spanish landowner, friar, priest, and bishop, famed as a historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman then became a Dominican friar ...
to be worth 3600 castilians
Castilians (Spanish: ''castellanos'') are those people who live in certain former areas of the historical Kingdom of Castile, but the region's exact limits are disputed. A broader definition is to consider as Castilians the population belonging ...
.
At some point he fled to Puerto Rico and was cacique of Otoa (Utuado
Utuado () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central mountainous region of the island known as the '' Cordillera Central''. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west ...
, Puerto Rico).
In popular media
Cacique Guariones is mentioned in a Puerto Rican décima
A décima is a ten-line stanza of poetry. The most popular form is called décima espinela after Vicente Espinel (1550–1624), a Spanish writer, poet, and musician from the Siglo de Oro who used it extensively throughout his compositions.
The dé ...
in the Journal of American Folk-lore volume 31, published in 1918.
See also
*Chiefdoms of Hispaniola
The chiefdoms of Hispaniola (''cacicazgo'' in Spanish) were the primary political units employed by the Taíno inhabitants of Hispaniola (Taíno: ''Ayiti'', ''Quisqueya'', or ''Bohio'') in the early historical era. At the time of European conta ...
* List of Puerto Ricans
* Agüeybaná
*Agüeybaná II
Agüeybaná II (c. 14701511), born Güeybaná and also known as Agüeybaná El Bravo (English: ''Agüeybaná The Brave''), was one of the two principal and most powerful ''caciques'' of the Taíno people in " Borikén" when the Spaniards first arr ...
* List of Taínos
This is a list of known Taínos, some of which were ''caciques'' (male and female tribal chiefs). Their names are in ascending alphabetical order and the table may be re-sorted by clicking on the arrows in the column header cells.
The Taínos w ...
* Arasibo
Aracibo (born c. 1480s) was a Taíno ''Cacique'' in Puerto Rico who governed the area which is now named after him (now spelled Arecibo).
Pre-Columbian era
Aracibo governed a tribe whose village was located by the shore of the river "Abacoa" (n ...
* Hayuya
Hayuya (born c. 1470s) was the Taíno Cacique (Chief) who governed the area in Puerto Rico which now bears his name (which is now spelled "Jayuya").
Arrival of the Conquistadors
When the Spaniards arrived in "Borikén" (the Taíno name for Puerto ...
* Jumacao
Jumacao a.k.a. Jumaca (born ''c''. 1480s) was the Taíno Cacique (Chief) of the area in Puerto Rico named after him (now spelled Humacao).
Before and after the arrival of the Conquistadors
The Taínos, who lived in Puerto Rico long before the arr ...
* Orocobix
Orocobix was the principal regional Taíno Cacique (chief) of the central mountain region of Puerto Rico called Jatibonicu in the 16th century. The Jatibonicu territorial region covered the present day municipalities of Aibonito, Orocovis, Ba ...
* Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center
The Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center ( es, Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes) in Sector La Vega de Taní, Barrio Tibes, Ponce, Puerto Rico, houses one of the most important archaeological discoveries made in the Antilles. The discovery pr ...
References
Indigenous Caribbean people
Taíno leaders
16th-century indigenous people of the Americas
16th-century rulers in North America
Dominican Republic people of Taíno descent
Haitian people of Taíno descent
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