The legend of Gara and Jonay

As the Beñesmén celebration approached , in which the aborigines celebrated the arrival of the new year and worshipped their gods, the youngest girls in the village who were of marriageable age, went to the jets to learn their fate in love.

In order to know this prediction, the girl had to look at herself in the water of the jets. If the water was calm and clear, when she looked at herself, it meant that she would soon find love and that it would bring her much happiness. On the other hand, if the water was murky, it meant misfortune and lack of love.

Meeting between Gara and Jonay

The legend of the Garajonay Park is about a tragic love story between a princess from La Gomera and a prince from Tenerife.

According to legend, a few days before the celebration of the Beñesmén, the princess of Agulo (meaning princess of water), known as Gara, performed the ritual of the Epina jets like the rest of the young women of marriageable age. After looking into the waters, she could see how they began to become cloudy and was frightened, as this augured ill love.

He decided to consult the local wise man, known as Geiran, who replied: "what will come to pass will come to pass. Gara flee from the fire or it will consume you".

Gara resigned herself and returned to her cave in silence, but what she didn't know was that in a very short time, she would meet the love of her life.

The night before the Beñemén, numerous Guanches, the name given to the aborigines who inhabited the island of Tenerife, arrived on La Gomera. Several 'menceys' (the name by which the kings or chiefs of a territory were recognised) arrived, including the Mencey of Adeje, who was accompanied by his son Jonay or Ajonay.

When the two youngsters met each other's eyes, they fell madly in love and their love story began.

Water and fire are not compatible

When the young couple decided to make their love public, between their two families, something awakened the internal fire of the Echeyde volcano (the name given to the current Teide volcano).

After this event, some of the aborigines remembered what had happened to young Gara the day she went to the Epina jets. So, they decided to accuse the couple of being in love, since for them a love between water and fire was impossible because they considered them as elements that are not compatible.

When they separated the loving couple, what happened seemed like the work of the gods, because Echeyde stopped their fury.

Tragic reunion

When the Echeyde volcano was already calm after the separation of Gara and Jonay, the Mencey de Adeje decided to return to Tenerife with his son and the other Guanches.

But despite being separated into different islands, young Jonay could not stop thinking about beautiful Gara. One night he decided to go looking for her, so he tied animal guts around his waist and swam towards the coast of the island of La Gomera.

When he met his beloved again, her face lit up with happiness at the sight of him, a happiness that would not last long.

They were soon discovered, so they had to flee from a crowd that wanted to separate them. Therefore, they decided to hide in the Cedar, the highest area of the island and the one with the most vegetation.

However, when they thought that all the bad things had happened, they heard the screams in the distance and realized that they were still looking for them.

They did not know what to do, until Jonay glimpsed a small sharp cedar stick on the ground and knew what he should do.

They were not willing to live without each other, so Jonay took the cedar stick and sharpened it a little more at both ends. They placed the stick at the height of their chests, where their hearts were, and a last embrace united these lovers forever in the park we know today as Garajonay Park.

‍

‍

If you loved this Guanche legend, we recommend you to read the article about the prehistoric forest of La Gomera.