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Guabancex is the zemi or deity of chaos and disorder in Taíno mythology and religion, which was practiced by the Taíno people in Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba, as well as by Arawak natives elsewhere in the Caribbean. She was described as a mercurial goddess that controlled the weather, conjuring storms known as "juracán" when displeased. The latter term was later used to name the climatological phenomenon that is now known as a hurricane in the Western Hemisphere.
The Taínos were aware of the spiraling wind pattern of hurricanes, a knowledge that they used when depicting the deity. Her zemi idol was said to depict a woman, but the most common depiction of Guabancex presents a furious face with her arms extended in a "~" pattern.[1]
The Spanish word huracán may be derived from juracán. The English word hurricane derives from the Spanish. There are many alternative spellings listed in the OED: furacan, furican, haurachan, herycano, hurachano, hurricano, and so on. [2]
The term made an early appearance in William Shakespeare'sKing Lear (Act 3, Scene 2) and in Troilus and Cressida (Act 5, Scene 2), in which Shakespeare gives the following definition:
the dreadful spout Which shipmen do the hurricano call, Constringed [i.e., compressed] in mass by the almighty sun.[3]
Guabancex is a zemi of storms aided by Coatriquie, and Guataubá, who control wind and rainfall.[4] She was entrusted to the ruler of a mystical land, Aumatex. This granted her the title of "Cacique of the Wind", but it also imposed the responsibility of repeatedly appeasing the goddess throughout her long reign. Furthermore, due to the importance of the wind for travel between island and the need of good weather imperative for a successful crop, other caciques would offer her part of their food during the cohoba ceremony. However, given Guabancex's volatile temper, these efforts often failed. When they did, she would leave her domain enraged and with the intent of bringing destruction to all in her path, unleashing the juracánes.
彼女はまず、雨と干ばつの神であるボイナエルとマロフによって確立された均衡を崩すことから始めた。グアバンセクスは腕を螺旋状に回転させ、海と陸の水を汲み上げ、それをコアトリスキーの支配下に置いた。コアトリスキーはそれをタイノ族の集落に激しく押し戻し、彼らのボヒオ（集落）と作物を破壊した。彼女は他の神々を脅し、混沌に加わらせようとした。彼女に先立ってグアタウバが雲、稲妻、雷鳴で彼女の到来を告げた。
大アンティル諸島の最東端に位置するプエルトリコは、北大西洋の熱帯性暴風雨やハリケーンの進路にしばしば位置し、それらは東海岸に上陸する傾向がある。タイノ族は、女神とその従者がエル・ユンケの熱帯雨林の頂上に到達すると、そこに住んでいると信じられていた最高神ユカフと衝突すると信じていた。また、彼女はアタベイの怒りの顕現であるとも言われている。
グアバンセックスは、嵐と関連付けられていた神カオラオと何らかの繋がりがあるとされているが、その繋がりは明らかにされていない。カオラオは、海の貝殻で作られた楽器であるコボを演奏することで嵐を引き起こすとされていた。