Mambises

As Mambí (plural: mambises ), the Spanish colonial forces described the guerrilla fighters who fought 1868-1898 for the separation of Cuba from the Spanish colonial power.

The etymology of the word Mambí is controversial:

• Origin of the Bantu, the language of origin of many of the living in Cuba slaves of African people. The original word mbi to various pejorative meanings ( Fernando Ortíz Fernández, Cuban anthropologist ).
• In Santo Domingo there was a fighting against Spanish rule guerrilla named Juan Ethenius Mamby, a former black Spanish officer who joined the rebels in 1846. This name was then used to collective name for all insurgents to Santo Domingo: " The Mamby - Men". Spanish troops, who came at the beginning of the Cuban struggle against Spain in 1868 by Santo Domingo to Cuba, this designation then turned to the Cuban rebels, who eventually took over for themselves ( Philip Sheldon Foner, American historian ).

It is also conceivable that both statements are true.

First, this word was understood as an insult, but then later used by the insurgents themselves understood and after independence from Spain in Cuba as an honorary name that is still used today for all against the Spanish colonial rule fighting Cubans.

For the Spanish, the term " guerrilla " did not come as a term in question, as such, the Spanish fighters were called against Napoleonic rule. " Guerrilla " thus has a fundamental positive connotation, which could not be applied to opponents of Spain in Spain. The Spaniards called their Cuban opponents as "insurgents ", " bandits " or simply as " mambises ".