The Guanches - Tenerife’s Indigenous Inhabitants

There are countless reasons for the Canary Islands’ over twelve million yearly visitors. Whether it is due to the archipelago’s crystal waters, volcanic landscape, or sub-tropical climate, travellers to the islands are guaranteed a unique and exciting experience.

However, what most of these visitors fail to recognise, is the Canary’s rich and diverse history and ancestry. Long before the islands were colonized by Spanish settlers in the 15th century, it was already occupied by another civilisation - the Guanches. 

Who were the Guanches?

Etymologically, the name Guanches can be accurately translated as “person of Tenerife.” Although the term was originally used to describe the ancient inhabitants of only Tenerife, it is now used to make reference to anyone from the prehispanic population of the Canary Islands in their entirety. 

For a civilization of this period, the Guanches were especially tall, ranging from five feet nine inches to six foot two. They also show evidence of being strong and agile, which helped them to navigate the difficult desert terrain, and demanding outdoor lifestyle.

Evidence found through archaeological studies indicates that the Guanches were predominantly tribal, and therefore had a ruler such as a king or a chieftain. They were also more than likely farmers and - because food could be sparse - they may often have had to act as hunter-gatherers and forage for fruit. The Guanches likely resided in simple homes and caves, and their wealth was determined by the number of cattle they owned. 

Not very much is known about the Guanches religious preferences, although it is thought that they believed in one higher power or God and in the existence of a form of a devil or demons.

However, who this God was varied from island to island: Acoran in Gran Canaria, Achaman in Tenerife, Abora in La Palma, and Eraoranhan in Hierro. The islanders used the pottery idol to represent their supreme beings and worshipped them in their caves, out in the open, and under sacred trees. Each of the islands had specific methods of honouring their God - for example, Lanzarote used milk as a form of sacrifice and they poured it on the peaks of their mountains. 

Risco Caido - a structure that consists of 21 caves that were used by the Guanches as religious temples and for astronomical observation - has recently been made into the Canary Islands’ first Unesco Heritage Site. The structure was decorated with sophisticated drawings and holes which illuminated that artwork when sun or moonlight filtered in, demonstrating how advanced the islanders were for such an ancient civilization. 

Furthermore, the Guanches have been associated with the similarly advanced ancient Egyptians due to their practice of preserving their dead through mummification. Once the intricate mummification process was completed, the individual was exposed to the harsh sunlight for two weeks, and during this period, their loved ones could mourne their lost family member. Once the procedure was done, the body was wrapped, individually marked and then taken to a burial cave. It is from these mummies that DNA could be extracted, and the genesis of the Guanches determined. 

Where did the Guanches originate from?

The origins of the Guanches has been the subject of considerable debate from both scientists and archaeologists. Many theories have abounded over the years, which contributed their ancestry to a variety of different sources, such as the Celts, the Vikings, and even the fabled Atlantis. This could potentially be due to the islands’ popularity throughout the ages as they were visited by civilisations such as the Numidians, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians.

What’s more, many ancient Roman artefacts were found on Lanzarote. However, as no evidence of any Roman settlements has ever been found, it is more likely that the inhabitants of the islands traded with the Romans. 

It is unclear how the original Guanches reached the Canaries in the first place, considering the islands’ remote and difficult-to-reach location. The most popular theory proposes that they used a number of small boats and landed on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

However, contrary to this belief, it is also thought that the Guanches were land lovers - thus, they did not sail. Therefore, it seems unlikely that they came to the Canaries of their own volition. Instead, it has been proposed that they might have been brought to the islands by sailors. This theory also accounts for why the tribes of aboriginal Guanches on the individual islands did not seem to have interacted with tribes from other islands - they were not comfortable navigating the sea between island to island.

Despite these diverse theories about how the original inhabitants of the Canary’s arrived on the islands, the most significant evidence of the Guanches’ heritage has come from a 2019 DNA study of ancient mummies discovered on the islands.

This study found evidence to suggest that the Guanches were descendent of the Berbers of North Africa. The Berbers (or as they refer to themselves, the Amazigh) are considered to be any descendants of the pre-Arab dwellers of North Africa, especially Morrocco and Algeria. Furthermore, they speak a variety of languages that evolved from the ancient Egyptians, which might somewhat explain the connection between the Guanches’ and Egyptians’ predilection for the mummification process. Also, Considering the Canary’s proximity to Morrocco and the fact that the Berbers may have landed on the islands in approximately 100AD, this theory is unsurprising. 

Unfortunately, due to repeated visitors to the island - as well as repeated attempts at invasion from Europeans - many Guanches died from exposure to diseases that they had no natural immunity to. Survivors of these instances were likely converted to Christianity and probably eventually even married Spanish invaders. For this reason, many modern-day Canary Islanders claim to be descendent of the Guanches.

Conclusion

The Guanches no longer exist as a civilisation, yet their influence on the modern-day Canary Islands is clear. From their interest in the artforms of dance and music to their strong familial bond and the unique whistling language employed in La Gomera - the Guanches’ influence is indisputable.

If you would like to know whether your DNA could be linked to the first known inhabitants of the Canary Islands, then you can find out with My True Ancestry