Semi

A semi (also written zemi or cemi) is a Taíno divine, nature, or ancestral spirit, as well as the a sculptural object housing the spirit. The sculptures are also made among the wider Arawakan peoples.

Taíno religion, as recorded by late 15th and 16th century Spaniards, centered on a supreme creator god and a fertility goddess. The creator god is Yúkahu Maórokoti and he governs the growth of the staple food—the cassava (kasabi). The chief goddess is Atabɛra, who governs water, rivers, and seas. The lesser deities who govern natural forces are also semi. Boinayel, the Rain Giver, is one such semi. Spirits of ancestors, also semi, were highly honored, particularly those of kasikɛ (chiefs). Bones or skulls might be incorporated into sculptural semi or reliquary urns. Ancestral remains would be housed in shrines and given offerings, such as food.

Semi can be consulted by a bohuti (healer/priest/shaman, also buhuitihu) for advice and healing. During these consultation ceremonies, images of the semi could be painted or tattooed on the body of the bohuti. The reliquary semi help their own descendants in particular.

Statues
Sculptural semi or "amuletic semis" take many forms, but the most characteristically Taíno art form is the three-point stone semi. One side of the stone might have a human or animal head with the opposite side having hunched legs. These are sometimes known as "frog's legs" due to their positioning. The fierce face of the creator god is often portrayed. Very small ceramic three-point semis have been uncovered by archaeologists in the Lesser Antilles, as well as Colombia and Venezuela, dating back to 200 BCE. Small amuletic semis would be worn on warrior's foreheads for protection in battle.

Semis are sculpted from a wide variety of materials, including bone, clay, wood, shell, sandstone, and stone. They are found in the remains of many Taíno settlements across Kubao (Cuba), Ɛti (Haiti/Hispaniola), Hamaika/Hɛmaka (Jamaica), Borĩkẽ (Puerto Rico), and other Caribbean islands. Some are quite large, up to 100 cm tall. Some are effigies of birds, snakes, alligators and other animals, but most are human effigies. Even twin human figures are portrayed.