My last full day on Gran Canaria (actually a couple days ago) I wanted to checkout the cultural side of the islands. So it was natural that I would visit two of the islands most popular sites. Even so there were very few visitors there (most I am thinking we’re back at the resort pools or beaches – that’s a shame). So I will take this opportunity to share some of what I learned there and hopefully if you visit Gran Canaria it will spark some curiosity about these interesting people.
They have done a wonderful job of conservation and preservation at Cueva Pintada Archeological Park, protecting important cave paintings as well as remains of a village and a recreation of some of the dwellings. With interpretive films and panels in several languages I would call it a must visit to learn about this ancient culture.
Cenobio de Valerón, a type of giant grain store, hidden away in caves, is perched on the top of an immense gulley. At times when it was common for marauders and pirates to land and raze crops to the ground, the native islanders cleverly hid their stocks out of sight and reach, in inaccessible places like the Cenobio.
There is a lot of myth and legend surrounding the early history of the Canary Islands, with many early inhabitants believing them to be the lost land of Atlantis. Others considered the islands to be the site of the magical, mystical Fortunate Islands, the blissful paradise of both Celtic and Greek mythology.
Everything to do with the original aborigine culture of the Canary Islands is shrouded in mystery. As in many other cases, the only real facts that we have about the past are those reflected in the surviving chronicles, but even these do not throw much light on the people who inhabited the various islands before their final conquest by the Crown of Castile.
Apparently, when the first conquering seafarers landed on the Canary Islands and Gran Canaria, they considered these to be at the end of the world as it was known at the time, on the furthest ventured outskirts of the Ocean. The Archipelago brought the launching of the expeditions of Columbus in search of the New World and unfortunately opened up the warfare between the various monarchs of the times in Europe for the control of lands beyond their continent.
One theory is that Gran Canaria’s natives, widely known as Guanches, originally came from North Africa and that they were descendants of the Berber people.
These original natives of Gran Canaria were at the time quite oblivious to what was going on in the rest of the world. This community lived off the land. Their God was Acorán and their society was organized into groups of nobles at the orders of a Guanarteme (leader).
The Guanches fiercely resisted the Spanish invasion but, by 1483 the Spanish forces had completed the conquest. Nearly all of the Guanches were killed or committed suicide rather than surrender to the Spanish. Those who survived were forced into slavery and to convert to Christianity, and soon started to die out. When I asked the guide at the museum of there were any remaining today the answer was unfortunately no. How sad that we have lost an entire culture, it should certainly be a lesson for us in the future.
Very interesting, Dana. Love how well you articulate and photograph your adventures… and then are willing to share with us. Happy Trails my friend😊🍷