Pop Culture References of Wizard101: Azteca – Anacaona Black Snake

Anacaona Black Snake – Anacaona / Whitesnake
https://www.wizard101central.com/wiki/Creature:Anacaona_Black_Snake
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacaona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitesnake
https://youtu.be/WyF8RHM1OCg

Anacaona Black Snake has kidnapped Ah Tabai Skyrazor’s Wild Wing Hunters and it is up to your wizard to defeat him. Anacaona talks about one who feels desolate, abandoned and without hope, one who will suffer.

Anacaona (1474?–1504), or Golden Flower, was a Taíno cacica, or female cacique (chief), religious expert, poet and composer born in Xaragua. Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Ayiti or Quisqueya to the Taínos (the Spaniards named it La Española, i.e., Hispaniola — Modern day Dominican Republic and Haiti) was divided into five kingdoms, i.e., Xaragua, Maguana, Higüey, Maguá and Marién. Anacaona was born into a family of caciques. She was the sister of Bohechío, the ruler of Xaragua.

She succeeded Bohechío as cacica after his death. Under Anacaona’s rule, the Spanish settlers and the Taínos of Xaragua coexisted and intermarried.

In 1503, Nicolás Ovando, the governor of the island, visited Xaragua. He suspected an insurrection was brewing among the Taíno chiefs, including Anacaona, presently in the kingdom. Ovando gave the order for the caciques to be captured and burned. Anacaona was hanged.

Anacaona’s Monster Tome description says he is not to be confused with White Snake. My research uncovered several species of Anacondas and Boas native to South America but none that are black in color. We don’t want to confuse Anacaona Black Snake with Whitesnake.

Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.

Whitesnake enjoyed much success in the UK, Europe and Japan through their early years. Their albums Ready an’ Willing, Come an’ Get It and Saints & Sinners all reached the top ten on the UK Albums Chart. By the mid-1980s, however, Coverdale had set his sights on breaking through in North America, where Whitesnake remained largely unknown. With the backing of American label Geffen Records, Whitesnake released Slide It In in 1984, followed by an eponymous album in 1987, which became their biggest success to date, selling over eight million copies in the US and spawning the hit singles “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love”.

Though not directly quotes in the lyrics, their song “Here I Go Again” describes a man who is desolate, abandoned and without hope.

The current list of all the (known) Azteca references are located here.

Although I am well versed in Pop Culture references, I do not claim to have caught them all. Let me know your favorites in the comments and if I’ve missed one you caught, let me know so I can add it to the list.

Text for this article is excerpted from the linked wiki pages.

Anacaona Black Snake image is from Wizard101, and is copyright of KingsIsle Entertainment.

Anacaona image is borrowed from Wikipedia and is in the public domain.

Whitesnake image is from Pelo Magazine #146 January 1981 via Wikipedia. It is in the Public domain.

Image usage qualifies as fair use under US copyright law.