Chaxiraxi is a

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

, known as the Sun Mother, in the religion of the aboriginal Guanche inhabitants of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to ...

.Matilde Moreno Martínez: Relatos legendarios: historia y magia de España. Desde los orígenes a los siglos de oro. In: Castalia didáctica. Band 48. Editorial Castalia, Madrid 2007, Chaxiraxi was one of the principal goddesses of the Guanche

pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...

. She was associated with the star

Canopus Canopus is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and the second-brightest star in the night sky. It is also designated α Carinae, which is Latinised to Alpha Carinae. With a visual apparent magnitude ...

. As natives of the Canary Islands are believed to have originally been pre-civilization

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

, it is conjectured that Chaxiraxi may have been adapted from the Punic-Berber goddess Tanit, and given a different name and set of attributes. She is also associated by some with the alleged appearance c. 1392, 1400 or 1401 of the Virgin of Candelaria on Güímar, on the island of

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the Archipelago, archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitant ...

, carrying her infant, Chijoraji.

Present-day worship

Chaxiraxi is considered the main goddess of the

neo-pagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

religion the Church of the Guanche People.

References

External links

Guanche Religion

Mundo Guanche: Chaxiraxi
Canopus Guanche goddesses African mythology Berber goddesses Mother goddesses {{Africa-myth-stub