Guanín (Taíno)
In the Taino culture of the Antilles, a guanín (pronounced gua-NIN) meaning "The Noble of Nobles" was a badge of honor of tribal leadership and authority, worn by the Caciques (chiefs) and by the Nitaino (nobility). It was a small disc that could be worn around the neck or some other part of the body. The brightness of the metal indicated that the leader had a connection with spiritual powers.[1]
It was made of a mixture of gold and copper. Flakes of gold were extracted from rivers, and pounded with rocks until they merged together. The origin of smelting the gold with copper is not clear.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 Reniel Rodríguez Ramos (26 December 2011). "CARIBBEAN / Guanin". Encyclopedia of Puerto Rico. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
External links
- "The Great Seal of the Jatibonicu Taino Tribal Nation of Borikén". Tribal Government of the Jatibonicu Taino People of Puerto Rico.
- Héctor A. García. "Historia de Puerto Rico: Indios Taínos". Proyecto Salon Hogar (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: salonhogar.net. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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