Whistlers & Warriors

A few of our group here at blendingtogether have expressed some interest in the Whistling people of the Canary Islands. According to what I have read and heard it was a traditional form of communication on the small island of La Gomera. It allowed the locals to communicate across distances which would have been difficult to travel due to the nature of the land. It calls to my mind the concept behind smoke signals; but I'm certainly no expert on the topic. This mode of dialogue is called Silbo. I've found a youtube clip that presents it much more thoroughly and have included it here.

Others have also asked about the warrior type women on La Palma that I alluded to. That was a bit more difficult to obtain information about. Apparently the original inhabitants of these islands, which were known as the Guanches, were very respectful and honoring of the Divine Feminine Goddess. For instance, the patron of the Canary Islands to this day is the Mother Mary, and in one basilica on Tenerife there is a replica of the Black Madonna that we experienced at Montserrat. I'm not sure if the society in those times was strictly matriarchal, but there was certainly a great deal of respect towards women. Their priestesses were known as "harimaguadas", and they had a great deal of influence. Of course that all changed when they were systematically destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors. If anyone out there knows anymore about this, please do share.

Tomorrow we will visit the last of our islands in the Canary archipelago, Tenerife. I'll bet Joy is excited!