Jaragua (Hispaniola)
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Anacaona
Yaguana (Leogane), Jaragua (Hispaniola)
Archival Overview
Legendary Taino queen, poet, and composer celebrated as the 'Golden Flower' (Anacaona) of Xaragua on Hispaniola, whose lyric ballads (Areitos) and tragic execution by Spanish conquistadors made her an eternal martyr of indigenous Caribbean civilization.
Biographical Record
Anacaona (c. 1474–1504) was the sister of supreme cacique Bohechío and wife of Caonabo, ruler of Maguana. Renowned across Hispaniola for beauty, diplomatic eloquence, and poetic brilliance, she composed oral epics ('Areitos') that preserved the history, mythology, and agricultural traditions of the Taino people.
Following her brother's death, she ruled the prosperous, cultured kingdom of Xaragua. In 1503, Spanish Governor Nicolás de Ovando arrived with 300 soldiers under pretense of a peaceful banquet; Ovando gave a secret signal, locking eighty Taino chiefs inside a building and setting it ablaze. Offered life if she would become a concubine, Anacaona proudly refused and was hanged in Santo Domingo.
Key Life Milestones
Diplomatic Reception of the Spanish Expeditions
Hosted Bartolome Columbus in Xaragua with grand cultural pageants, demonstrating indigenous civility.
The Martyrdom of the Golden Flower
Refused to purchase her life with dishonor, hanged by colonial authorities in Santo Domingo.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic