CubaPLUS Magazine

This year, 2022, when the winter solstice is scheduled for the night of December 21, it is fascinating to remember that there, in the southeast of Cuba and in the middle of a distant cave through which clear and calm water flows, the sculpture of the aboriginal goddessAtabeira, or Atabey, will receive the blessing of the first rays of the king sun at dawn on the 22nd.

This will encourage the request of wishes or prayers, which can be fulfilled. It must be admitted, it is not easy to get to the so-called Idol or Mother of the Sweet Waters, carved in the calcareous rock by one or more pre-Columbian aboriginal artists. It is located almost at the entrance of a spelunca some 60 meters long, in the splendid Desembarco del Granma National Natural Park, in the domains of the Sierra Maestra and close to the fishing village of Cabo Cruz, in the middle of the El Guafe archaeological trail.

Experts consider that the lighting of Atabeira on the days when the solstice usually occurs, between December 21 or 22 of each year, is not a fortuitous coincidence. Still, it responds to rites of the Antillean Taíno culture, similar to those found in Venezuela, a field in which progress is being made with academic studies. However, there are still many enigmas to be unveiled.Traveling to this remote site is a fascinating expedition for curious lovers of nature, ethnology, and science, as it is also close to the colossal marine terraces of Cabo Cruz, a spectacular geological region.

Returning to the enigmatic Atabey, her sculpture emerges from the water in the middle of an always clean pond, possibly originating from an underground spring. It was only discovered in the 70s of the last century, through the collaboration of the local Gerardo Téllez and the groupof fans to the archeology of Niquero, the municipality to which it belongs.

A proper niche with invaluable archaeological remains was found in its surroundings, such as the remains of an ancient village, and burial and ceremonial places. According to the Arawak or Taino Atabeira worldview, she is also the fertility blood of plants and animals, and the conception of the supreme deity, of the masculine gender, is attributed to her.

Due to the long time that its existence was ignored, it is in a good state of conservation, even under the erosion of natural elements. With the great luck of being the only authentic idols of the aboriginal culture preserved in its place of origin, Atabeira remains almost always in the shadows of this enchanted cave, patiently waiting for the arrival of the sun, every December.