What you should know about the history of the Guanches
The Guanches of the Canary Islands
Today, the Canary archipelago is made up of a Spanish-speaking population with a generally Spanish-European culture. However, the reality was very different before the conquest of the Canary Islands.
We are in 1402 when the conquerors arrived in our lands. At that time, the islands were inhabited by the original natives, the Guanches.
However, although this concept gradually became generalised to refer to all the ancient Canary Islanders at the end of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is true that the term "Guanche" was only used to refer to the inhabitants of the island of Tenerife, and thus, in the rest of the islands, they had their own way of referring to themselves.
Thus, we also have the gentilicio bimbaches in El Hierro, gomeros for La Gomera, auaritas for La Palma, canarios in Gran Canaria, majoreros for Fuerteventura and majos for Lanzarote.
to follow on your holidays?
Don't miss the Taganana TrekkingExperience : discover the Guanches of Anaga
Through a three-hour walking tour, we will visit places of aboriginal worship and ancient necropolises, we will observe the signs they left written in stone to understand their magical and religious world, and we will learn about the mystery of the origin of the settlement of the Canary Islands and the way this troglodyte society survived.
If you want to live a unique and environmentally friendly experience, and also get to know the Anaga Rural Park with a guide, book your place for a guidedtour.
But where did the inhabitants of the Canary Islands come from?
Research to date indicates that the Guanches had a clear socio-cultural kinship with the ancient Berber ethnic groups that lived and still live in western North Africa before the settlement of the Arabs.
Experts say that the ancient population of the Canary Islands developed their culture from 500 BC until the 15th century, ending with the conquest of the archipelago.
Even so, the causes of their emigration and whether they arrived by their own means with pre-established objectives or whether it was something beyond their control are still unknown.
The encounter with the Guanches
When the first conquerors arrived on the islands, they found a population whose living conditions were very different from their own in every way. Their physical appearance was robust, with big backs, dark skin and beautiful features.
So much so that there are ancient writings and accounts of the conquistadors that define them in such a way:
"You will find almost nowhere more beautiful people or more gallant people than those of these islands, both men and women, as well as being of good understanding if there were anyone to cultivate them".
Aboriginal way of life
As for their way of life, the volcanic conditions of the islands gave the aborigines the possibility of building caves, which they used as their habitual dwelling .
The aborigines of the Canary Islands therefore lived in natural caves located on the slopes of ravines or in coastal cliffs.
The caves, made with dry stone walls, fitted out the rooms. The brightest parts, facing outwards, were used as kitchens. However, the less well-lit, inward-facing areas of the cave were used as sleeping quarters.
They were dedicated to agriculture and livestock farming and fed mainly on gofio (a crop of barley and wheat, which they toasted and ground), goat's milk and hunting wild pigs, goats and sheep.
Their clothing was characterised by the use of tanned goat or sheep skins to cover their most intimate parts, leaving the rest of the body uncovered.
The Guanche culture was similar to the Berber tribes of North Africa, with advanced cultural development. The Guanches were distinguished by their artistic character, as they used ceramic, bone, vertebrae or wooden necklaces as ornaments.
They also created ceramic bowls with geometric designs that they used as domestic or decorative utensils.
On the other hand, as a means of defence or for hunting, they created very rudimentary weapons based on polished stones with sharp edges, or wrapped in leather and held in place with ropes, spears, etc.
Surprising or not, they were all very effective in the fight against the invaders, who needed almost a century to win the conquest of the Guanche peoples.
However, it is noteworthy that, unlike other ancient cultures, no archaeological sites or documents have been found to prove that these aborigines had any knowledge of navigation. No archaeological sites or documents have been found to prove that these aborigines had any knowledge of navigation.
Regarding their religion, Guanche mythology had different gods on each island and their religious beliefs were especially linked to Guanche mummies.
Mummification, or preservation of the deceased body by embalming techniques, was a custom or rite in the higher social classes and related to eternal life.
The ancient settlers of the Canary Islands communicated in a language of Libyco-Berber origin, also known as the "Guanche language".
Unfortunately, this language disappeared completely after the conquest. Studies have shown that it comes from Berber dialects because of the similarity in the roots of the words.
Nowadays, only specific words have been preserved and are still used in the current Canary Island speech. These words refer to objects, fauna and flora specific to the islands.
Examples include:
"Tajinaste": native plant located in the Teide National Park.
"Baifo": to refer to goat breeding.
"Tabaiba": Canary Island plant.
"Perenquén": type of salamander from the islands.
Guanches in Tenerife
The conquest of the Canary Islands began in 1402 in Lanzarote and ended 94 years later, in 1496, in Tenerife, when Alonso Fernández de Lugo, belonging to the Crown of Castile, put an end to the conquest after the hard battles against the inhabitants of the archipelago.
In 1494, when the conquest of the island of Tenerife began, it was divided into nine kingdoms or menceyatos. Each kingdom had a king called a Mencey. These were the highest civil, religious and military authorities in the region they ruled.
Today many of these kingdoms or menceyatos have become municipalities and retain their original names, for example, La Orotava, in the north of the island of Tenerife, which later served as occasional accommodation for great scientists and naturalists such as Alexander Von Humboldt, considered one of the founders of modern geography, as well as an explorer and expert in natural sciences.
Guanches in Candelaria
In the municipality of Candelaria, next to the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias, there are nine bronze sculptures representing each of these menceys.
Acaymo, mencey of Tacoronte: Governor in the menceyato of Tacoronte, in the north of Tenerife, which occupied the current municipalities of Tacoronte, La Matanza de Acentejo and El Sauzal.
Adjona, mencey of Abona: Governor of the extensive menceyato of Abona, located in the south of Tenerife. He occupied the territories that are today the municipalities of Fasnia, Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel and Vilaflor.
Añaterve, mencey of Güímar: His territory occupied the current municipalities of El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo and Güímar, as well as part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna.
Bencomo, mencey of Taoro: His territory occupied the Villa de La Orotava, La Victoria de Acentejo, Santa Úrsula, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos and San Juan de la Rambla.
Beneharo, mencey of Anaga: His lands occupied a large part of the Anaga massif.
Pelicar, mencey of Icod: The menceyato of Icod occupied the current municipalities of La Guancha, Icod de los Vinos and El Tanque, as well as part of Garachico.
Pelinor, mencey of Adeje: His menceyato occupied 180 km2 of the current municipalities of Adeje, Guía de Isora, Santiago del Teide and part of Arona.
Romen, mencey of Daute: His lands occupied the current municipalities of Buenavista del Norte, Los Silos and part of Garachico.
Tegueste, mencey of Tegueste: This mencey occupied the present-day municipalities of Tegueste and a large part of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
We invite you to live a complete Guanche experience with us in Anaga, Tenerife. Live the history!
