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“Horcan” Episode CCLXI - 261
Every week, Etnia Nativa presents a new episode believing in the power of natural spirits
about cultural heritage and native knowledge. This that had a good or a bad effect on
week, it is about hurricanes. The recent onset of the their existence in the form of rain, wind,
2024 hurricane season serves as a constant reminder sun, stars, and other natural forces
and frequent topic of conversation. However, we can that could do them good but also evil
be grateful that our “privilege” close location to the and so influence directly their lives: like
South American continent spares the island from their when fears of winds show their anger,
devastating effects, and what we can get in Aruba is destroying their houses,*cunucos (agri-
a lot of rain and thunderstorms. cultural fields), and tearing down huge
trees.”
When European sailors anchored their ships in the Some of these native communities rep-
Caribbean Sea, they did not know what natural resented the hurricane in the form of a
phenomena threatened the region. They only knew spiral or a snake with swirling shapes.
that the meteorology of the place presented differ- To interpret the movement of the hur-
ent characteristics, so much so that ignorance and ricane’s rotation and its calm central
lack of experience were the main causes of the ship- part, which was its eye, surrounded by
wrecks that occurred in the first years of interconti- powerful winds that swirled counter-
nental voyages. clockwise, rotation creates the idea
However, the civilizations that inhabited these places that it was a living entity that or mys-
knew very well that, during certain times of the year teriously moved through supernatu-
and following the position of the stars, a superior ral forces, spinning from one cardinal
natural force on their way was capable of destroy- point to the next. Once in a while, it
ing everything and menacing their survival. These barely advances its trajectory by a few
Caribbean populations shared a word in common kilometers and sometimes is static, at-
that identified the aggressive spirit behind the storms, tacking and devouring its victims.
known as huracan. Aruban Caquetian ancestors The hurricane, just as it currently still
called it “horcan,” a word still used in our Papiamen- does today, affects the economies for them.
to language, meaning hurricane. They were animists, of the towns it reaches. In most cases, At the time the Spanish language ad-
those affected are not only depen- opted this word, h was pronounced
dent on tourism but also on agriculture as f. So the same word in Portuguese
for their existence. It is an unfortunate became furacão, and in the late 16th
phenomenon that reoccurs every year century, the English word was some-
and will continue to influence daily life times spelled “forcane.” Many other
in the Caribbean. spellings were used until the word be-
We need rain and gentle wind for the came firmly established when Shake-
natural balance of our environment speare used the spelling “hurricane” to
and cannot move or change our ge- refer to a waterspout. In Spanish and
ography, but rather know, understand, English, the word can be used to figu-
and overcome the attacks of this phe- ratively refer to anything that is pow-
nomenon by building back better. Our erful and causes confusion. In Spanish,
ancestors sought explanations for the hurricane can also be used to refer to
devastating phenomenon of observ- a particularly impetuous person.
ing the stars, the clouds, the sounds of
some animals, or the strange calm that If you are interested in learning the true
sometimes radiates from the Caribbe- identity of Aruba, book a visit to Etnia
an Sea before a storm. Nativa, home of our chief cultural col-
There is controversy over whether the umnist, who has been a trend setter
origin of the word hurricane is Taíno, since 1994, having the honor to par-
Mayan, or Caquetio. For the Mayans, ticipate in the realization of the island’s
the hurricane was the god of the wind, projects such as the National Park and
and its syllables mean “hu-wind, ra- Archaeological Museum, among oth-
energy that gives shape, can-center,” ers. Actually, he continues to share the
translating the word as “wind concen- culture of Aruba, providing valuable
trator.” For the Tainos and the Caque- knowledge to his visitors.
tios, the word hurricane simply meant This private museum sets itself apart by
“storm.” The word came to the English offering a personal native touch and
language directly from Spanish, when providing the opportunity to enjoy a
Spanish explorers took it from the Taí- diverse array of artworks, objects, arti-
nos and later from the Caquetios. It facts, dead dissected animals, plants,
was quickly incorporated into many colonial furniture, unique old photos,
old-world languages since winds as etc. Your opportunity to dive to the na-
strong as those of the Caribbean hur- vel of Aruba! Whats App +297 592 2702
ricanes were an unusual phenomenon etnianativa03@gmail.comq
