TEWKEs] RELIGION 55 



Names of different se?)!^ occur in the works of Ramon Pane", Peter 

 Martyr, and other writers, but the lack of uniformity in spelling used 

 b}' these authors and the number of names applied to each se»ii make 

 it difficult to determine their identity. There is, however, in earlj' 

 writings abundant material which is highly instructive and which can 

 be used to great advantage in this comparative stud}'. Speaking of 

 their zeriils, Columbus wrote these words: "They also give the image 

 a name, and I believe it is their father's or grandfather's, or both, 

 for they have more than one, and some about ten, all in memoiy of 

 their forefathers, as I said before." Peter Martyr's account of the 

 religion of the natives is derived from Pane's book. 



The earth goddess had at least five different names, and to this luim- 

 l)er ni^a^' be added others that appear in some of the accounts. The 

 sky father likewise had several different names; possibly descriptive of 

 attril)utes or peculiarities. 



The following list, compiled from Peter Martyr and Ramon Pane, 

 contains corresponding names of the earth mother mentioned by two 

 contemporary observers : 



RAMON PANE PETER .MARTYR 



1. Atabei. '' 1. Attalieirii. 



i. lermaoguacar. 2. Maniona. 



3. Apito. 3. Guacarapita. 



4. Apito, or Siella. 4. Liella. '' 



5. Suiiuaco ( Ziiimaco). 5. (Tuimazua. 



The great aboriginal cultus hero, Yocahu, or Jlara/tl^ a beneficent 

 god, sometimes spoken of as son of the universal mothei', was regarded 

 as their Great Spirit, the analogue of the Ci'eator in higher religions. 



The several names of this son, "who lives in the sun," and his attri- 

 bute "Lord of Earth,'' are given in the following list: 



Sol'RrE GODDE-SS OK GoD 



Ramon Pane • Jooakuvague-Maorocon. 



Peter ^lartyr locauna-Guamaonocon.f' 



Las t'asas Yocahu- Vagua-Maorocoti. 



In Jamaica (according to Bachiller). Yocahuna. 



In Borinquen (according to Bachiller) Yacana-<jumauoniocon. 



«The account of the religion of the Antilleans by this Catalan priest appears in Fernando Colum- 

 bus's life of his father. Although the authorship of this life has been questioned by Harisse, Bachil- 

 ler y Morales well says that, whether the work ascribed to Fernando Columbus is apocryphal or not, 

 the relation of Fray Ramon Pane must be regarded as genuine. From the edition of the Historia 

 del Signor Don Fernando Columbus, printed \n Milan in 1614, Bachiller has taken section 1 of the 

 second part of his work. According to Torquemada (Mon. Ind., p. 296), Pane was one of three 

 zealous priests of Haiti who, having learned the Indian tongue, employed it in teaching the natives. 

 He, with Fray El Bermejo and Fray Juan de Tisim, went among the Indians, learned their language, 

 and rejjorted to Columbus their rites and ceremonies. The most satisfactory summary of Fray 

 Ramon's studies, that used by the author, is found in the Apologetica, in vol. v, Historia de las Indias 

 of Las Casas, and Churchill's Collection of Voyages, n. 667-f)7S. 



'»-Ua, "first;" b€i, "existence.'' 



c Possibly a corruption of the Spanish Ucn-a, "earth." 



rfThe first element, ^ua/na, according to Bachiller, possiblymeans "lord" or "ruler,'' uroit, "earth." 



