The Early Inhabitants of the Canary Islands

Statues of the Guanche Chiefs with king Mencey Tegueste in Candelaria the original inhabitants of Tenerife, Canary Islands

“The very existence of a white people perpetuating an advanced Neolithic Culture in the 14th Century of our era in the extreme SW of the Old World was such an unaccountable oddity that the association of the Canary Islands with Atlantis became quite a logical presumption since the problem entered the field of erudite inquiry. The presence of a people belonging to the white stock in a group of islands facing western African Coast was only to hard to explain.

The Romantic belief that the Canaries were a relic of the sunken land described by Plato in the Timaeus, and that their early dwellers were Atlantean refugees, expanded enthusiastically in the last Century and was taken up by many an Atlantologist. Such an attitude of mind seemed to be confirmed when Mr. Verneau, a famous anthropologist, found that some ancient Canarians belonged to a human type which was very similar to the Cro-Magnon race living throughout Europe in Upper Paleolithic. Actually, only a few scholars suspected that the Canary islands were keeping a mystery as striking as Atlantis itself, their earliest cultures having originated in the Sahara when it was a fertile land, before the rise of the Egyptian Civilization. ” (The ancestors came from a region south of Alun of the Spanish Sahara or Rio De Oro, this is typified by a region in Tenerife Island called Ta Oro, and is first noted by Dean Clarke June 25th 2002). Note from D. Clarke- The Islands of Canary are La Palma, Hierro, Gomera, Gran Canaria, Fuertentura, and Lazarote.

“Recent discoveries would definitely prove that the Sahara region was not only a happy and prosperous land, but that it was the center of widespread culture. Perhaps, the most noticeable of these recent discoveries is that of a distinguished Italian Paleoenthnologist, Dr. Fabrizio Mori, who found a series of wall paintings on the rocks of Tadrat Acacus, in the Fezzan Region, Lybia, illustrating everyday life of these prehistoric people. These paintings were obtained by the same carving, and coloring techniques as in the famous caves of France and Spain. They show a high degree of craftsmanship as well as a good artistic level. One of them is particularly interesting, showing as it does two young hunters or warriors, both white-skinned, one being blonde, and the other one dark haired. They sit down face to face during a sort of ceremonial rite. Another painting shows a lying mummy, and we wish to point out that Dr. Fabrizio Mori, while excavating on the same place, found the body of a young boy which had very probably been artificially embalmed. This mummy, which was found in the Upper Strata corresponding to more recent times, was dated back to about 3,500 B.C. with the aid of carbon 14 method. It is not a violent presumption to suppose that when the climate began to change, we do not know if gradually or in a short lapse of time, the white-skinned peoples of the Sahara region were obliged to emigrate. Some reached the Canary Islands, perhaps after a long and hard journey. The Canaries were the last place in which they could settle. There was nothing but endless Ocean waters further on. Some others reached the Nile Valley where they were absorbed by other peoples belonging to different racial groups, until they lost their original identity and formed the background of the early Egyptian Civilization. In the British museum there is a body pf a pre-dynastic man (i.e. before 3,500 B.C.) which is on exhibition in the Egyptian section. The man was buried lying on his left side and in a contracted position. (Fetal) The body, which shows no sign of artificial embalming was preserved owing to desication in the warm sand which covered it. The man was fair haired.”

Note form Webmaster D. Clarke- It is well known Egyptian used dyes in their hair, which only a chemical dna analysis can determine the genetic makeup if caucasian by nature.

“The Canaries are a group of seven islands, the nearest to the N.W. Coast of Africa being at about one hundred miles from the shores of the Spanish Morocco, South of the Ifny Territory. These islands, which lie on the African Shelf , originated between the end of the Tertiary and the beginning of Quaternary, owning to the action of heavy and prolonged volcanic forces from the Ocean bottom. The total lack of fossils belonging to the Tertiary proves that they are comparatively recent. The climate of the Canaries varies from island to island, ranging from desolate appearance of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura where a heavy deficiency in the moisture compels the natives to exert all their ingenuity to collect water, to the everlasting springs of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.”

” The Canaries were known to the ancients who gave them the name of Insula Fortunatae” (happy and prosperous islands).”

Webmasters Note- The Fortunate Islands was a mis-nomer or mistake it often got confused with the Cape Verde Islands by name of Fortunate with 14th and 15th Century map makers. The reason for the combined misunderstanding is that the culture may have referred to the Islands as ’Prosperous’ in their Native Language, but the Island called Fuertentura was very close to the name of Fortunate which both names are derived from different linguistic directions and are not directly the same meaning. This must be clarified for histories sake. Thus it is a Spanish mis-interpretation of a Canary aboriginal word that lies underneath it.

“In the fourth book of Melpomene, Herodotus reports that the Phoenician exploreres had made a round trip of Lybia (viz. Africa) around 600 B.C., on behalf of the Egyptian Pharaoh Nekau (Necho) of the Dyn XXVI., and that they returned to Egypt through the Pillars of Hercules.”

Webmasters Notes- This may explain why Elliot Grafton Smith not knowing the report of Melpomene of the 600 B.C. era discovered a Canary Mummy that had egyptian practices of mummification that was exactly like the 26th Dynasties practices. We now have to points of contention that Greek-Egyptians knew of Canaries before 600 B.C., and maybe that the Egyptians knew about it even earlier.

“An evidence of the real occurrence of such a voyage lies on Herodotus’ words when he reports that the Phoenicians had the Sun on the right at a certain moment of their navigation. Some 100 years later, the Carthaginians made a Voyage in the Ocean Islands which came down to us in the account of the Periplus of Hanno. It seems probable that all these contacts were casual and irregular, no actual connection having been established with the Canary islands, and in fact, the knowledge of their existence went lost soon after the fall of the Roman Empire. The historians report that a Mauritanian King named Juba established a fishing business in the Canaries some 50 years before the Christian Era. However, the Canaries were rediscovered during the fourteenth-century when some explorers and navigators from Genoa, Italy (note form a Carthage region), who were at the services of the king of Protugal, began to explore the Atlantic Islands. The Canary islands were Probably reached by the Vivaldi brothers during their voyage with no return. In 1312, Lanzaroto Malocello of Genoa landed in the Island of Lanzarote which was called in that way after his name. In 1341 the discoverer of the Azores, Nicoloso da Recco (Recco is a small town near Genoa) reached the canaries. It must be remembered that the arms of the City of Genoa appear on ancient charts of the Canarian area. Other explorers and navigators made their way to the Canaries. An account of the voyage made by Julian de Bethencourt is given in the Chronical of “La Canarien” which was published in Paris in the year 1630. (Histoire de la premiere decouverte et conqueste des Canaries faite des l’ an 1402 par messire Jean de Bethencourt). In 1476, in appliance of the Treaty of Tortdesillas defining the colonial spheres of Spain and Portugal, the Canary Islands passed under Spanish control. The Spaniards had to fight hard against the natives who did not accept their domination as well as their religion. A long period of struggle took place until 1512 when the conquest and the christianization of the islands were completed. THE NATIVES WERE EXTERMINATED OR ABSORBED BY THE SPAINIARDS. Some others were exilaited and never returned to their native land. The original culture and language of the ancient Canarians went gradually lost. However, it must be taken into account that the Canary Islands had become a strategic outpost of basic importance, particularly after the Discovery of America in 1492.

It is a pity that there was no Deigo de Landa among the Spanish conquerors who could take record of native words and legends. The sum of the evidence from the skeletal remains of the natives shows that the early inhabitants of the Canary Islands belonged to different ethnical groups.

Actually three physical types have been classed as belonging to well identified stocks, while a fourth type, which is still unclassified, was perhaps an intrusive element. A classification based on scientific methods of research was first set up at the end of the nineteenth century by the indefatigable Mr. R. Verneau, a reputed French Anthropologist. His basic work is still valid, even if some revision is being carried out by numerous scholars in the light of the evidence accumulated since Verneau times. (R. Verneau ’Rapport sur une mission scientifique dans l’ Archipel Canarien’, Paris, 1887.)”

“The most interesting amoung the physical types classified by Mr. Verneau shows close similarities to the Cro-Magnon race of the Upper Paleolithic Europe. This type was called “Guanche” by Mr. Verneau, who gave a specialized ethical meaning to this word coming from the native language of Tenerife where it was originally used to indicate “a native of”, or “a son of”. Such people, being dominant element in the population of Tenerife, were tall to very tall in stature (some were over 6 feet of height), with the white-and-pink complextion of an englishmen, and a long head (dolicocephalic) with a broad face and a typical triangle shaped chin. They had big and low orbits with strong eyebrows. The body was strongly built. Their hair ranged from fair to medium brown. Against popular belief that all Guanches were blonde, it may be said that their hair was more or less the same one can see on the bare head of people rushing up Trafalgar Square on a Summer Day after five o’clock. Perhaps these folk were no longer pure Cro-Magnon since before their settlement in the Canary islands. WE think it advisable to call them Cromagnoniods rather than Guanches, owing to the indiscriminate use made of this latter name, even by some scholars, to indicate all the natives of the Canary Islands regardless of the racial group they belonged to. The second physical type, classed as Semitic by Mr. Verneau, would be better classed as Mediterranean. It was the dominant element in the islands of Gran Canaria and Hierro. These people were small to medium in stature, with a complexion ranging from light to dark brown like the Arabs and Southern Italians of Sicily and Calabria. They were moderately dolicocephalic with a long face and a narrow nose. They had black eyes and their hair ranged from deep brown to dark. The body was slenderly built. The third type is featured by a short head (brachicephalic) with a broad face. The nose is large and flattened. The body is squabby. Some scholars think that this type is likely to be related to the Mongolic stock, while others regard it as the result of a mixture between Asiatic and Mediterranean types. The fourth type has not yet been identified owing to the fact that only a few bones have been found. Perhaps it was an occasional foreigner like the Negroid of Grimaldi in the Upper Paleolithic cultures of SE France.”

“All these settlements took place in very ancient times before the invention of the wheel, and before the diffusion of metal working. Metals were totally unknown to the Canarians. Like all the other Ocean islands East of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Canaries were not inhabited by man when the Cromagnoniods coming from the NW Coast of Africa landed in search of better conditions of life. Actually , the Canary islands were the last outpost these people could aim at, as further on there was nothing but the endless waters of a huge sea. Taking into account that the Cromagnoniods had never been a sea going race, we might reasonably conceive that they believed they had reached the extreme boundary of the world.”

Webmasters comment- There is no conclusive evidence that Cro-Magnon did not know what a boat was, nor is there evidence he had not used one. So, recent discoveries since 1965 have come to light that the Folsom man’s lithics in America have many affinities to the Solturian in France with that ancient culture using spear lances as well in both cases used on Bison.

“However, when we turn to a tentative explanation of their unawareness of any kind of shipping means, we are at a loss to understand how they reached the Canaries, as in fact, no landing bridge ever existed to connect these islands to the African Continent.”

Webmasters comment-There has been speculation recently and in the past that a land bridge might once have existed, but that it was not a complete one and that a raft had to be used in the island hoping to the first Canary Islands. This however as yet has not been proven, but earth fractures may explain the possibility in the future or we are left with Cro-Magnon was at the time Ocean going!

“It was a long time since the occurrence of the first immigration, when other peoples belonging to a different racial group of Mediterranean extraction, settled in the islands bringing a more developed culture. How comes it that all these folk lost their knowledge of navigation once landed on the Canary Islands?

Why the Canarians did never take the opportunity of picking up some shipping practice from sailors or shipwrecked who, either occasionally or on purpose must have landed on the islands, particularly when the Phoenicians or the Carthagineans made some attempts to circumnavigate the African Continent?”

Webmaster comments-In this way Canary Islands has the same enigma as Easter Islands why would the people who depended on the sea and arrived by boat not be interested in further travel due to remoteness, or a lost art, or a lack of trees on the an island. The possibility of isolation from persecution, isolation in privacy of bliss in a religious sense, or the lack of need to not stray from a good fishing source, or easily attained life. It would not seem agriculture was the reason the Cro-Magnons came to Canary Islands it had to be food like fish or fruit, protection, or insulation from climate that had gone wrong in Europe and in the Sahara, and the Glacial Ages do reveal this to be true. The Canaries where insulated from the cold, and scorching extremes for many thousands of years. To a point that why would the climate change any time sooner for them? In both cases a drought on Easter Island or Canary Islands would have been devastating, but in the Canary Islands it was less likely due to the regional thermals. The greatest danger to the Canaries is Tsunami, Volcanic Eruptions, or Earthquakes if we do not include a near by asteroid. The Early Inhabitants of the Canary Islands, By Alf Bajocco Part II Discusses Language!

“An evidence which might prove that the ancients had good knowledge of the Canary Islands and their inhabitants is contained in the manuscript Saudades da Terra by the Portuguese Historian Gasper Frutuoso, who lived in the 16th Century.

In the Chapter Do que se diz das linguagens de todas estas Ilhas Canaries of his manuscript, the author reports that the Canary Islands were not inhabited by man and that they were peopled by Carthaginean prisoners who had been conveyed to these islands by the Romans after having their tongue cut for punishment. Owing to this fact, their descendants who could not learn any speech whatever from their mute fathers, developed new languages which grew independently throughout the islands as there was no communication among them. This story might be considered to be a figment of Frutuoso’s mind, but actually it isn’t as some basic statements he reports are quite correct. However, when we turn to Frutuoso’s assertion that the Canaries were not inhabited by man in ancient times, we find that such a statement lies beyond the scientific knowledge of his times. Who told him that the Canary Islands were not peopled by man? This fact has only been ascertained by the geologists and archaeologists of our times. Frutuoso also reports that a man, who was a native of Gran Canaria, named Anton Delgado, having been questioned about the origin of his people, replied that the early inhabitants of the islands had come from Morocco at the times of the Moors.

Apart from the statement of the period of the immigration given by Anton Delgado was based on actual facts. Actually, the inhabitants of Gran Canaria were for the most part Mediterraneans who had come from Morocco in very old times before the discovery of metal working. It is our opinion that the account given by Gasper Frutuoso comes from an old Phoenician story dealing with a voyage beyond the Pillars of Hercules erron eously ascribed to the Romans at a later time. However, Gasper Frutuoso insists on the Roman origin of the story and expresses his personal conviction that the Canary islands had been discovered by the Roman Emperor Trajan (A.D. 97-117), who was born in Spanish port of Cadiz, and who was a reputed mathematician and philosopher. Such an attitude of mind, which is typical of Frutousos’s times, only proves that the original source of the story had been forgotten. It had been ascribed to the Romans in the same way as all the inventions of the past were believed to be Chinese.

Actually, there is no trace whatever of a Roman settlement in the Canary Islands, while we know that the Romans used to leave durable evidence of their conquests everywhere they set. As far as the absence of any knowledge of shipping throughout the islands is concerned, we think it interesting to report that the natives of Gran Canaria could swim while those of Tenerife couldn’t. Gasper Frutuoso, in reporting Anton Delgado’s words affirms that the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands spoke a different language and that they could not understand each other. Actually, there were different dialects being offshoots from a common background of Berber extraction. We give the hereunder some of the original Canarian words as they have been reconstructed by the scholars of rpesent days. Even though some influences of Arabian dialects connot be denied, it must be pointed out that the original language was Berber:

“Ahemon “Water” in Lanzarote and Hierro (cf. Berber “Aman”)

Ataman “The Sky” in Tenerife (cf. Wolof “Asaman” and Arabic “Sama”)

Chamato “Woman” in Tenerife (cf. Taureg “Tamet”)

Faican “High Priest” in Gran Canaria (cf. Wolof “Fayda” meaning “much esteemed”)

Tagoror “Meeting” in Tenerife (cf. Tuareg “Tahrut” meaning “Society”) webmasters note -’Oro’ in word as singular ’people of’ a Egyptian god?

Tibicena “Dog” “Evil Spirit” in Gran Canaria (probably from the old African linguistic background)

Zeloy “The Sun” in Palma (cf. Berber “Azil”)”

We also give a Canarian original sentence as reported by Spanish Historians:

“Ajeliles Juxaques Aventamares” meaning “Run away! They are coming to take you.”

(Tomas Arias Marin y Cubas, Historia de las Siete Isles Canarias, origen, descubrimiento y conquista, an original manuscript-A.D. 1694.)

These words belonging to the dialect spoken by the native Gomera are a proof that the language was of Berber extraction. In the reconstruction made by Mr. G. Marcy, a well known expert in Berber languages, the above mentioned sentence would be: “Ahel I-bes, huhak sa aben tamara-s”, with the same meaning. From the evidence which we possess, we know that the cardinal numbers of the early inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the following:

“Ben = One (webmaster comment- of the Egyptian-Celtic ’Ben-Ben stone’)

Lini =Two (webmaster note- Remi was probably the original twin Egyptian Goddesses)

Amiet= Three (compare with Egyptian HMT= Phallus, three lines, earth and sky symbol hieroglyphs and meaning three in Ancient Egyptian)

Arba= Four (also Acodetti) webmasters note-’Splendorous four trees?’ or cardinal points?

Cansa = Five (webmaster note- a kind of ’Thoth’?)

Sumus = Six (webmaster note- ’Priests’)

Sat = Seven (webmaster note- ’Set’)

Tamatti= Eight (webmaster note- Lybian-Egyptian ’Mother Goddess’)

Acot = Nine (also Alda Morana, meaning “One less than ten”) Webmaster note ’Splendor -(Fire (Sun-Priest)) Beloved of Osiris’?

Marago = Ten (Webmaster note- Muluga, Moroca, Malaka i.e Milky like Milky Way completed circle due to the less than expression of the above nine.)”

-The Webmaster admits speculation but with my years of research I know I am fairly right on 80 percent of the above speculations along with Alf’s thoughts. That a Semetic People left strong linguistic traces upon the Canary Islands far more then Carthage or Romans did. This brings up the point that there may have been some lingustic affinities between the Canary Natives back to Ancient Berber which in turn did influence some of the later Egyptian words, more so than say to the Basques. Basque words exist in the Canaries but must be cautioned to any association to the Cro-Magnon linguistic patterns. They would be difficult and hard to divide even for a scholar on this subject such as myself. The clue would only be found in some prehistoric idioms that had some freakish local dialect still pounding on the pavements of those islands and its peoples or their barter contacts via folklore like expressions. Especially if unaccounted for in known Semetic, Roman, Etruscan, or other Spanish latent cultures. I predict it will turn out that an extremely ancient language would lie underneath with a very close connection to some ancient Cro-Magnon Sahara expressions. The expressions might be simple and probably extremely rare and a little more interesting then just ’ugh’.

The whistle language given to sailor prisoners without tongues is an interesting problem because within the whistle would be a meter that like in poetry would possible mimick the native language of the Gaunche song’s or story’s. This as a plausible substitute to deal with natives feeling sorry for the Carthage prisoners who needed to communicate in another way. We could say the bird language from the Bushman Hottentot clicks, to the western african whistle language would not be out of place born out of hunting the creatures with their own whistles, nor found on the early Canaries? Did the Romans humiliate Carthage prisoners by substituting forcibly their language to what they considered barbarians i.e click talkers, and whistlers, for it was a very harsh punishment that involved towards Carthage personal humiliation.

One would think Carthage prisoners would welcome the Guanche and as a beautiful peaceful people even more civil then the Romans not treasure there wives stories, for they could not speak the same? –

“Our knowledge on Canarian numbers is mainly based on Spanish and Portuguese accounts. We wish to mention a manuscript by Antonia de Cedeno, Breve Resumen o Historia muy verdadera de la conquista de Canaria, as it seems that this well known historian could avail himself of first hand information including some transcription of the cardinal numbers. Acodetti (Four) and Alda Morana (Nine) come from a manuscript in Latin giving the account of a Portuguese expedition made in 1341 under the direction of Angiolino del Tegghia of Florence, Itlay. We wish to point out that the author of this manuscript was not Giovanni Boccaccio (the famous Italian writer and poet), as it has erroneously been reported by some scholars. The evidence given by the number three, which sounded almost in the same way both Egyptian (HMT., where “H” is like “Ch” in Scoth Loch) and in Canarain (Amiet) proves that there was a common background from which many languages and dialects of North Africa derived. It is interesting to say that some scholars believe that the Egyptian names of Cardinal Numbers from one to five were of African extraction while the following numbers show a Semetic influence. Other Canarian Cardinal Numbers, such as Ben (one) etc., have their counterpart in the dialect spoken by the native tribes of the Western Coast of Africa (Wolof, Zenaga, Silha, etc.) We give hereunder some Canarian words of Berber extraction:”

“Achich =’Son’

Adarg =’ Shoulder’

Ahemon = Water

Ara, Axa = ’Goat’

Cuna = ’Dog’

Taharenemen = ’Dry Figs’ webmaster note- Medi-Terranean

Almogaren = ’Temple’

Ataman= ’The Sky’

Falcan ’High Priest’

Arba ’Four’

Cansa= ’Five’ webmaster note-same as Cuna or Dog but Egyptian Thoth extended.”

All notes by webmaster date from June 25th-26th afternoon 2002 as first revealed.

“The appellative “Guanche”, which became widely used in the Nineteenth-Century to indicate all the early inhabitants of the Canaries, comes from an original word of the native speech of Tenerife. Its actual meaning was nothing but, ’Son of’ and the ’Native of ’ as it is proven by its Arabic counterpart ’Ben’ meaning the same thing, which was employed in the first names as a translation of Guanche. Ex.: “Guanche-Tinerf” and “Ben-Tinerf”, both meaning “Native of Tenerife”.

Webmaster note-it can only be speculated that the ’Native’ had a doublet terminology i.e. there was a dualistic meaning to ’Son of’ and ’Native of’ for it would not have been necessary to ’Ben’ it or ’Guanche’ it with distinction from one another when it originally meant ’Son, or Native of’ both. It would seem that ’soul or way of a clan’ was first then ’Son of’ after for give ’directional implications’ of ’way’ as a kind of taboo of life giving and sense of place. In this sense both Guanche and Ben mean the same thing in Life and pillars of Life. Canary Islands were a life beyond the pillars!!! But before the pillars was the Ova that formed a internal pillar in its on making symbology wise and creating a town city by its Ova outline.

Tinerf name gives a clue to why Guanche as well?

Almost a ’Land or Islands of Life’ would thus be its original likened name not ’Fortunate’ for finding as secondary.

The antiquity of some of the words (in some cases) are pre-4,000 B.C. in its use or beginnings and which can make scholars conclude from this no doubt 6,000 B.C. with this date at least that the beginning of Canary Island inhabitants migration and possibly older as being very plausible. For Guanche is actually older by name then Ben. Ben is well known at least 3,400 B.C. in Egyptian description, or language. We know there was a great migration of Azilians a Cro-Magnon descendant at around 10,000-8,000 B.C. which ironically the word ’Azil’ was a Canary word? Could they be the one and the same?

“Guanche” became widespread throughout the islands at the end of the fifteenth century A.D. when the Spanish began to use it beyond its original meaning. Its wrong use by modern writers and archaeologists was due to a misinterpretation of Verneau’s words. In reality, Mr. Verneau only used ’Guanche’ as a specialized technical word to indicate a particular physical type. In Gran Canaria we find the prefix Guan in the first names, such as Guanhahaben, Guanarche, Guanariga, Guanariragua, etc.

Actually, even though the Canarians spoke different dialects varying from island to island, it is evident that all these came from an original linguistic background of Berber extraction. Foreign influences, such as the Arabic ’Ben’ for ’Guanche’ as came later, perhaps at the time of the rediscovery or during the Spanish Conquest. The Berber origin of Canarian speech has been recognized since the end of the eighteenth century A.D. by George Glas who came to the conclusion that it was a variation of the Silha dialect spoken in a region of N.W. Africa (see The History of the Discovery and Conquest of Canary Islands, printed in London in 1767 for A. Pope and J. Swift in the Strand.) The Canarians never used writing as such. However they used different forms of pictography and some inscriptions have been found, particularly in the Island of Hierro. Such petroglyphs can be divided into four groups, each group belonging to a particular cultural stage of the natives. The first type comprises a series of symbols having a magic or religious meaning which recall the Upper Paleolithic Magdalenian patterns. The second type comprises a mass of symbols put down without any apparent order or direction. Some of these hieroglyphs might recall Palaeocretese signs. More than a writing such a series of signs look like copies of actual symbols made out by the natives perhaps with a view of picking up their magic power (webmaster note-Magical Life-Giver philosophy i.e. Gaunche).

The existence of such petroglyphs might indicate that ancient explorers and sailors landed in the Island of Hierro coming into contact with the natives. Such a supposition might be confirmed by the discovery of a third type of petroglyphs which look like a true from of writing. The symbols are similar to palaeonumidic letters or at least some of them recall palaeonumidic writing. They are in vertical columns. The fourth type of petroglyphs shows more specialized form after palaeonumidic pattern. Here again we have only short texts arranged in vertical columns. Any attempt to decipher in Canarian inscriptions has since failed. A typical form of communication is that still used by the inhabitants of the Island og Gomera, dating back to very old times, which has been adapted to the Spanish language. Such means of communication consists of a modulated whistle imitating words (Andre Classe, La fonetica del silbo gomero, an article in “Revista de Historia Canaria”, Nos. 125-126, year 1959, pp. 56-57). The social organization of the ancient Canarians was quite an advanced one, as the stage achieved by the natives was far beyond that of a purely tribal society typical of prehistoric cultures. The territory of the islands had been divided into districts recalling cantons of Switzerland. At the head of each district there was a local king. These rulers, called “Reynos” (webmaster not the same as Roman Remos but i.e. Sun-Born Twin Kings?) by the Spanish, exercised their power with great authority and wisdom. Their title was “Guayres” in the native speech of Gran Canaria, “Menceyes” in that of Tenerife, “Altithai” in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.”
(Webmaster note- The “Altithai” is an extremely important word because it is definitely pre-greek and is pretty much pre-phoenician and explains the ’Alda’ prefix as a ’Alti’ type word it is at least contemporary with Malaga names and is considered a pre-celtic pseudo Basque i.e. sea people language. Eskimo’s have been known to use words like this form showing its archaic quality. The Menceyes confirms the next stage linguistically after Althi words or Atl-Atl’s as a ’water, doublet word’. Menceyes is not necessarily Spanish in Canaries because in pre-Dynastic Egypt that word was floating around Harpooner clans who carried a ancient tradition that dated back to the Azilians???)

There were no human sacrifices, and only the heaviest of crimes, as murder and adultry, were punishable with death. Capital Punishment, however, was inflicted without cruelty.

Tribal and familiar life showed a tendency to matriarchy, probably deriving from an old Berber custom. People belonging to the upper class wore long hair, while the commoners used to have their hair cut. The ancient Canarians worshipped the sun which they called ’Almogaren’. (Webmasters note- ’Almogaren’ is very Irish and Scotish sounding both of which do have ancient Basque connections such as ’Alma’ or God or Almaner and Garen i.e. a ’crown’ which is God’s Crown related to the circled looking sun.) The ritual of the Canarian religion was pure and simple. A class of high priests, called Faycans (not Pagans but use the Faga or Figa, or Vega-n term), directed the activities of the cult. There were also corporations of nuns who lived in caves like the hermits of the early Christian times. They were called Arimaguadas, or Maguadas.”

Webmasters note- the indication of this a is a prefix and suffix doublet of ’God’ in Ari, and Das or Roman Dias the middle is Magua or a ’Persian like’ Zoraster type of Fire-Sun God. This would explain the type of people indicated as having a Semitic almost Mongoloidish facial characteristics.

The Canarians belonging to the upper class used to embalm the body of their dead. (Webmaster note a Egyptian practice) There were different methods of embalming which, similarly to Ancient Egypt, varied according to the rank and financial position of the family. (Webmaster note also a practice very Egyptian)

A cranial study on some of the mummies found in the cave of Tenerife has been carried out by the German anthropologist, Dr. Ilse Schwidetzky. As some scholars were asserting that an oligarchy had been established in Tenerife by a highly cultured Mediterranean folk over the ruder Cromagnonoids who were the majority of the population, the purpose of Dr. Schwidetsky’s work was also to ascertain if such a statement was true. Actually she found no evidence of a particular race, as the skulls examined by her belonged to a more or less homogeneous group showing a mixture of Cromagnonoid and Mediterranean features. These mummies have been dated to a period ranging from the eighth to the ninth centuries of the Christian era by radio carbon estimation of specimens from a cave where they had been found.” (Webmasters note – new information has come to light that the practice of mummies on the Canaries went further back to at least 200 B.C., so the 800-900 A. D. only represents cultural discontinuity over time that a practice (though the Egyptians began to discontinue) the Canaries continued to use for much longer after the birth of Christ.)

“This is not mentioned in Dr. Schwidetsky’s article which had already been published when such a dating could not be obtained. We are going to examine other dates by Carbon 14 method in the following pages.

As far as the question of mixed races is concerned, apart from the evidence given by the wall paintings discovered by Dr. Fabrizo Mori, we wish to point out the mixtures took place since prehistoric times. In the Museum of Archaeology of Pegli, near Genoa, Italy, there is on exhibition the skeleton of an Upper Paleolithic man, belonging to the Aurignac race, found in the cave of “Arene Candide” of Finale Ligure, near Savona, Italy. The typical cap made of sea shells, as well as weapons and implements from the burial of this man are the exact reproduction of those found in the tomb of another Upper Palaeolithic hunter, belonging to the Cro-Magnon stock, dug up some 40 miles afar in the caves of “Balzi Rossi” of Grimaldi, very close to the border between Italy and France, on the Italian side. We add that the famous “negroids of Grimaldi” were found on the same place. Some datings by the radio active carbon estimation of samples of organic matter from the Canarian sites have recently been obtained. A fragment of wood from a coffin found in the necropolis of Cascajo de Puerto de Las Nieves, near Agaete, in the NW Coast of Gran Canria, has been dated back to A.D. 783, which corresponds to similar dating obtained from other samples of archaeological material coming from inhumation burials found on this site. The wood coffin we refer to had been hollowed from the trunk of a pine tree by using the same method employed by primitive peoples for building a canoe. It contained the bones of an old woman, probably a priestess. The tomb consisted of a stone structure enclosing the coffin, shaped like a small tower, rising to a hieght of six feet (Webmasters note-A Ben-Ben or Obelisk type Menhir?) It recalls the “Chullpas” of Ancient Peru. Another fragment of wood from a funerary cave found at Acusa, not very far from Agaete, in the Artenaria district (Gran Canaria), (Webmaster note- Athena as Artena ?) has been dated back to about A.D. 647. Organic matter from the deepest layers of the tumulus of “La Guancha” at Galder, (Webmaster note- Gader a name for Cadiz,Spain) in the northern district of Gran Canaria, has been estimated to belong to the third century of our Christian Era. All these dating refer to comparatively recent times, and we do hope that further discoveries bring to light some older material belonging to the earliest settlements. “(Webmasters note-that is in some cases very difficult depending on which island is or was volcanically active, which there is no doubt at some time man may have witnessed horrible explosions while on the Canaries of volcanic eruptions that bury and draw waters of disaster and oblivion!)

“We have already pointed out that the Arabs do not seem to have ever been able to establish durable contacts with the Canary Islands and perhaps they never reached them, all the information they had about the islands coming from legends and classical sources. Actually, when we turn to the descriptions of the Atlantic Ocean islands handed down by the Arabian authors, we always meet with extravagant and unbelievable stories. Even the most reputed writers, such as El Edrisi and Abufilda, reported incorrect statements and superstitious accounts of wonderful events, and facts. The only Arabian writer we can rely on was Ibn Khaldoun, who wrote between 1332 and 1406, a man fully possessed of a logical mind, a quality which is seldom found among historians of his time. In actual fact, he was the only one to report some true statements on the Canary Islands and on the inhabitants. However, when we turn to his description of the methods of determining the ships position and course followed by the sailors who explored the Atlantic Ocean in the Canarian area, we are rather surprised at seeing that he refers to some very old technique which were in use many centuries before his times, when the compass had not been invented. Either we assume that the Arabs did not know the compass all through the fourteenth-century, or we come to the startling conclusion that he qouted froma classical sources without realizing how much time had elapsed since the events referred to. Knowing as we do that Ibn Khaldoun was as accurate in reporting facts as a modern scientist, we must confess that we are rather perplexed about his funny account. Even though he was a “paper man” we cannot reasonably think that he had no idea at all of navigation techniques. We must also take into account that explorers and navigators from Genoa had already begun to sail their ships in the Ocean waters in search of new lands to discover.” “Apart from what we call the “Ibn Khadoun enigma”, it seems that the Arabs of these times were an imaginative people, believing as they still did to a lot of frightful stories telling of the Ocean perils, which had probably been invented by the Phoenicians with a view to keeping all other peoples away from their secret routes.”

“Even though there was a common cultural background with a common language and a social organization extended in the same way over the islands, it seems quite evident that the inhabitants of Gran Canaria achieved a higher level than the natives of Tenerife.” “The Gran Canarians erected megalithic structures which recall pre-Roman Sardinia as well as ancient Peru. Most of these monuments , which however are not so massive as Peruvian or Sardinian Buildings, seem to have been erected for funerary purposes. There were no big temples or palaces, no pyramids and obelisks in the Canary Islands.”

(Webmaster note- It depends on whether you call a Irish Tower an Obelisk or not, and whether a terraced temple complex a pyramid or not.)

“In Tenerife no architectural remains were found, and the natives preserved the old custom of using natural caves to bury the body of their dead. The burial rite of inhumation even when the body of the dead was not embalmed. Perhaps the most famous Canarian monument is the tumulus of “la Gauncha” at Galdar which we have already mentioned reporting that its deepest layers have been dated back to the third century of our era (A.D.). ” The Early Inhabitants of the Canary Islands, Alf Bajocco Part IV artifacts found

“The tumulus is a megalithic structure comprising a series of circular towers. The monument recalls the nuragic villages of Sardinia and in fact, both structures have a certain striking features in common. This does not imply a direct relationship between pre-Roman Sardinia and the island of Gran Canaria.

However, such similarities may conceivably be connected with the common background from which both cultures derived. In addition to the tumulus of “La Guanche”, other stone structures in the Island of Gran Canaria refrain the leit-motiv of the circular tower. The Canarians dressed in sleeveless blouses made of goat’s skin, which were called “Tamarcos”. Men and Women wore the same dress. There is no archaeological evidence that local kings and priests were distinguished by more elaborate costumes, even though we may reasonably suppose that they adorned themselves with necklaces and diadems. Actually, a lot of these objects were found during the excavation work, and diadems or crowns made of clay as well as other objects of adornment, were on exhibition in the “Museo Canario” of Las Palmas, where they are also scale models of dwelling houses and burial places. Bags of goat’s skin were also used to contain the mummies which were placed in natural caves in the island of Tenerife. Hand driven mill-stones were used to grind cereals. Some of them had three hollows where to put the fingers actioning the grindstone with a clock like movement. The Canarians had stone ovens for baking some of their foods. These folk were very probably hunters before they reaching the Canary Islands where their economy had changed from the hunting and food collecting stage to that of food-production. It may also be that agriculture was imported by the second wave of immigrants belonging to the Mediterranean race. In the island of Tenerife pastoralism was still one of the main activities of the natives at the times of the conquest by the Spanish.”

(Webmaster note-As we know the Greeks and Egyptians used a lot of goat skin in dress, and when Noah landed on Arrat he let lose the goats the earliest. Sardinia used goats extensively, which goats more than cows were more appropriate in island domestication, due to size and food conservation. These regions are some of the early regions to cultivate grain, but this leaves a strange problem? If grain did not first move from east to west but west to eastward the Canary Islands could possibly represent a very early stage of grain milling. The stones they use are from early Neolithic stage, it is not they may have invented it as much as they may have derived it from a culture that was moving around at agriculture’s own beginnings. This is possible that an island culture would employ grain as a substitute faster then some inland regions due to the need for alternative sources having few food choices at various times that had become scarce. The next information clarifies this point.)

“There is no evidence that the Canarians had salt for the seasoning of foods or for household use, even though it is reasonable to suppose that they had something such as special softners and flavoring substances probably obtained from powdery residue their fires.”

(Webmaster note- salt might have been imported but in certain times it was as precious as gold, and sea-salt might have been used at a lot of expense of time to make. The softners and flavorings used in making would be similar to what we find in Haiti, and Jamaica which have spices that would suffice the use of any extension of salt. Pepper was a very early spice and I do not know if there was any variation of pepper on Canary Islands as a substitute, which would be very important in this regard. The next line brings up possible Greek and Basque influences of intoxicants.)

“Some scholars think the Canarians used an alcoholic drink made from the fruits of a local tree called “Visnea Mocanera” by the botanists. The craft of pots achieved a high standard in the Canaries, particularly in the Island of Gran Canaria where a gradual development from Neolithic patterns brought to a varied repertoire of artistically elaborated forms.

While in Tenerife pottery is for the most part plain ware with oval bottom, mainly produced for utilitarian purposes after the Neolithic models, that of Gran Canaria shows skillful use of red and black scheme with geometric motifs recalling pre-Minoan Crete.”(Webmaster note-not middle phase nor post Crete but very early, and Egyptians as well pre-dynastic had this red on black style.)

“This does not necessarily imply a relationship between the two cultures, only meaning that there was a common background established since before the immigration of the Saharian peoples to the Canary Islands.”

Anyway, even though the pottery of Gran Canaria may be considered a typically local craft, some foreign influences cannot be denied. There are scholars who think the Mediterranean people bringing a higher culture settled in the island overwhelming the ruder Cromagnonoids who became a dominated class. Such theme is fascinating and would deserve a better study. However, one can reasonably ask why these highly cultured newcomers, coming as they surely came from the sea on boats , totally forgot the art of navigation.” “We must stress upon the fact that no connecting land bridge ever existed between Africa and the Canary Islands. And again, if the Canaries were reached by staggered waves of immigrants at intervals as long as to imply more advanced cultural stages taking centuries to become consistent, how comes it that all these peoples never care to preserve their craftsmanship leaving it to flow away at such a point that they did not move from an island to another?

“Leaving for the time being the problem of navigation in the Canarian area, we come back to pottery and mention that the only craft of pots which seem to lack of any foreign influence is that of the Hierro Island. In addition to pottery, the art of making clay figurines and idols is an evidence even better than pottery with a view to giving an idea of the artistic level achieved by the early inhabitants of the Canary Islands. A Dog’s head (measuring 3.4x 2 inches), made of clay, found at Arucas in the Northern part of Gran Canria, shows such an extrodinary sense of life that it must be considered something more than a modeled representation of the dog. The artist probably intended to sculpture those evil creatures called “Tibicenas” believed as having a dog’s appearance. A clay statuette of a woman, dug up on the same place, shows a considerable artistic level even though the head is missing. Other female figurines were found in gran Canaria and they are on exhibit in the local Museum. A vessel cover found at Majada de la Altabaca (Alde or Alta word) in the North West of Gran Canaria, was made like a human face and is something between an attempt to naturalism and exaggeration stressing on a peculiar expression. This piece is absolutely unique.”

(Webmaster note-This reminds me of the particular importance of expression that goes back to Cro-Magnon, but also if the pieces which I have not seen is squinting a kind of squinting eye cult as found of the Mayas may explain a very strange connection.)

“The Canarians made typical colanders which were probably used as strainers in cookery. Also typical are the so called “Pintaderas” (small objects of clay or other material which were spread of coloring substances to imprint magic or ornamental drawings on the body). Such “Pintaderas” are similar to European Upper Paleolithic and Mseolithic patterns. According to the tradition handed down since the times of the Spanish conquest, the Canary Islands took their name from the native dogs. In reality, “Canaries” might come from the word “Canis” meaning “dog” in Latin. Recent archaeological work, combined with a study of Canarian animals of today, shows that in ancient times there were at least two types of dog, one which was similar to the Australian dingo.”

“Animal bones, mainly goat, have been found during the excavation work held throughout the islands. We know from tradition that the Canarians used to dress themselves in sleeveless blouses made of goat’s skin. Actually goats were a fundamental resource in the economic life of the natives.” (Webmaster note- a Mesolithic expression)

The Canary Bird is very probably a native animal. It still lives in the wild state in the islands where it preserves its original green color. Foods were generally poor in ancient times and they were mainly based on cereals with only a little meat. The Canarians had a typical food , which is still prepared today, named “Gofio”. It was obtained by melting in cold water toasted flour made of barley.” (Webmasters note- one can see Barley arrived in Late Mesolithic age at least, and at times displaced earlier Millet)

“Fishing was practiced only to a limited extent by the natives who never used boats or crafts. Residual of shallow-water fish have been found by the archaeologists into the stomach of Canarian mummies examined by them. Perhaps the natives used nets made of animal skin or sinews to dam a shallow water keeping themselves close to the wind and water line.”

(Webmaster note- this style of fishing goes back to Paleolithic times of hunter gatherer groups, how funny that invaders came and went and even into almost recent times they still fish this way. Note also no interest whatsoever to develop a navy or extensive boats, it would seem either a prohibition against it, an isolationist behavior, or keeping the place a purposeful secret, not just fear or the loss of navigation skills. One has to start a reason for the other. Was the pity of the invaders to just let them for the most part be due to no precious minerals enough to exploit them?)

“All historians agree in reporting that the Canarians were beautiful. They were tall, well built and of singular proportion. They were also robust and courageous with high mental capacity. Women were very beautiful and Spanish Gentalmen often used to take their wives among the population. The belief that the ancient Canarians were a people favored by great duration of life became popular at the time of the Spanish Conquest .”(Webmaster note a ’Fountain of Youth’ and one of the reasons in reports led to Columbus to look beyond the Canary Islands for it.)

“An examination made of the Canarian Mummies with a view to ascertaining the trueness of this report, shows that such a statement is correct if referred to the Canarian districts where foods were abundant and easy to find. I is a pity the Spanish never cared to take a record of the original legends they undoubtedly heard of in the islands. However, it must be taken into account that they were so much in trouble making war against the natives that they had no time at all for cultural activities. The importance of the Canary Islands, lying on their strategic position in the Ocean waters, became outstanding after the discovery of America. Finally wee think that a mention must be made of the work which is being carried out in the islands by eminent Canarian archaeologist, such as Prof. Sebastian Jimenez Sanchez of Las Palmas, Dr.

Ellas Serra Rafols of Tenerife, and many others, with the cooperation of foreign scientists whose contribution has proven to be first class. The activity of Canarian archaeologists is a basic one and is fundamental to anyone who wants to achieve a better understanding of Ancient Canarian cultures.

Magazines and journals dealing with the history and prehistory of the Canary Islands are available. Among these we wish to mention, ’Revista de Historia Canaria, published on behalf of La Laguna University (Tenerife), Faycan, a journal of research edited by Prof. Jimenez Sanchez, El Museo Canario.”

And annotated comments By Webmaster D. Clarke of June 26, 2002

In all fairness I tried to put forward what still to this day in the Canary Islands has held true according to Alf Bajocco statements. This in context I have also added to for the probability of Atlantis (A Upper Paleolithic origin kingdom i.e. 10,000 B.C. on back) colonists have a 50% chance of arriving at the Cnary Islands and no less for three important criteria’s have been met.

1. Escaping from a ecological tragedy in their stories, flood myths are known also to exist in Canary islands, Tsunami or otherwise.
2. A Cro-Magnon race with many affinities to a Sahara version of the Azilian-or Southern Spain cultural complex. Relating this to glyph body art introduced in some cases out of nowhere as well as the Cro Magnons. Introduction-spear or trident as one of there fishing symbols i.e. used usually for smaller fish. As a Hunter and Gatherer stage out of lack of choice in moving from catastrophes.
3. Fear of Dogs as a irrational blame on the Flood as a Dog indicated as the Harbringer of the tragedy in a celestial implication? As related to many world wide flood myths of a dog or fox gone astray from is position or stage.

And the last criteria, the in terraced walls, and concentric linings a very early stage of neolithic and Mesolithic practices that preclude the advent of pyramids.

We could say that to this day the Canary Islands are still culturally, and possibly linguistically the best visible (above the surface of the Ocean) view of what parts of Atlantis according to Plato were like, especially in a post flood sense of conditions for man. It is also likely that since man does not seem to appear to exist on the Canaries before 15,000 B.C. that these had more common escapees then aristocratic survivors

But who managed to keep a certain kind of Atlantean like Canton Government (noted by Plato) found in regions of Cro-Magnons of ’a King of the Sun’, or ’Twin Celestial Kings’ to each provincial canton in the Canaries. Ironically, when the Egyptian-Phoenicians arrived I am sure they were shocked to find a similar government was already in place????

As you all know this only deepens the mystery of Herodotus’s

Alf Bajocco

Source: north-of-africa

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3 Comments

  1. Tummert says:

    Tanmert for posting such rich article

  2. zawalidz says:

    i wish to be this article in arbice plise

  3. السلام عليكم، أضم صوتي لزواليدز حتى يتم عرض المقال بالعربية، وأود \ان \اقول لكم ليس هناك شاطئ اسباني ““The Canaries are a group of seven islands, the nearest to the N.W. Coast of Africa being at about one hundred miles from the shores of the Spanish Morocco, South of the Ifny Territory. These islands, which lie on the African Shelf ,
    إذن هي شواطئ أفريقية على الأقل ، لأن اسبانيا لم تظهر إلا بعد أن صنعتها إيزابيلا على أهرام من الدماء والمحاكمات الحارقة ، وتذكروا جيدا أن+ شعب جزر أكناري قد تم محوه ولا أعرف أنه بقي منه عرقا ، وأتساءل كيف بالذين يطالبون بتاريخهم، هم أندلسيون أصلا ربما؟؟

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