The Guanches of Gran Canaria

There’s much mystery surrounding the original settlers of the Canary Islands. However the Spanish conquistadors’ tales of a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed race of people has led to the conclusion that they originated from North African Berber tribes, with whom they shared elements of their lifestyle and culture.

A handful of place names and Canarian words bear a striking resemblance to Berber tribal languages, and there was even a tribe called Canarii from where the name Canary possibly originates.

Theirs was a primitive, cave-dwelling culture, with basic stone tools, weapons and clay pots; there was no metal on the islands. They had a simple life, shepherding, gathering fruit, fishing in coastal pools, and carrying out limited agriculture.

Surprisingly for an island race, they had little knowledge of boats and navigation, although they probably arrived by boat as they bought domesticated animals, such as goats, sheep, pigs and dogs, plus wheat and barley with them.

It’s been suggested that they were dropped off by seafaring people and left to fend for themselves, or that it was too difficult to navigate the islands due the strong currents and trade winds and they gradually lost their sea legs.

Once settled, it appears that the natives of the Canaries rarely interacted, if ever, and each island developed its own dialect and way of life. The aboriginals on Gran Canaria were known as Canarios or Canarians, however over time Guanches, traditionally used to describe the settlers of Tenerife, has been been applied to the aboriginal culture across all seven islands.

Cups facing the sea

A guanche warrior named Tegueste

https://www.theroadtowanderland.com/escaping-city-northern-aboriginal-route/
http://www.populartags.org/tags/guanches