Maria Lionza: An Indigenous Goddess of Venezuela

Mar a Lionza is at once a native girl, born in the 16th century to an Indian chief in the Venezuelan region of Yaracuy, and a goddess of nature, peace and harmony to over eight million Venezuelans in the 21st century. Her name means "Mary of the boar," taken from her full name "Santa Mar a de la Onza Talavera del Prato de Nivar"-a title given by the Catholic Church in the attempt to Christianize her cult. This book is Mar a's story, as much as can be told. Other than a few scholarly articles, the existence of Mar a Lionza and her following is unknown in Western literature. Gabriel Ernesto Andrade of La Universidad del Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela wrote "If I would have to find one word to describe the Mar a Lionza religion, it would be 'mysterious'." And so Mar a, as well as her origins and how she became regarded as the goddess of the people of Venezuela, remains a mystery in many ways. And that is as it should be.