The Guanches, Iemanjá and Our Lady of Candelaria

 Danilo Anton

Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is one of the island territories of Africa, located farther west, at a distance of 500 kilometers from the mainland. It has an area of ​​just over two thousand square kilometers and rises about 3.700 meters above sea level in the Pico de Teide. As the next African coast, Tenerife has a relatively dry climate, particularly in the southern portion of the island. For a long time, both Tenerife and other Canary islands were inhabited by the Guanche people, who for several centuries had settled in the islands after crossing the sea expanse that separates the islands from the mainland where they developed their own culture adapted to the characteristics of islands environment. The quiet life of the Guanches ended when the invaders coming from beyond the sea began to disembark. They took possession of the land, the people were enslaved, women raped. The Guanches fought bravely. Tenerife continued to fight until there was no more warriors. Finally, in the year that Christians numbered as 1496, the Guanche country fell to the invaders.

In the christian year of 1392 the Guanches of the Güimar menceyato on the island of Tenerife were surprised one morning to find a statue of a woman that had been left by the sea on the beach. Identifying it with the spirit of the moon, they led her to the Chinguaro sacred cave where she became part of the Guanches ceremonial.

Some years later when the Guanche country was invaded by the Spanish forces and their inhabitants were enslaved and killed, the image remained in the hands of the friars who accompanied the conquerors. Occupants identified the novel image with their own deity "Virgin Mary" and continued worshiping her. Their celebrations were held on February 2 and August 15. The feast of February 2 was "the purification". The image was first housed in a chapel and later in a church. It was called the "Virgen de la Candelaria". Much later, on November 7, 1826, a storm struck the coast Guimareña leaving the Candelaria forever. The sea had brought her and the sea had taken her away.

Every year, since immemorial time, the Yoruba people of Niger threw images of Iemanjá to the sea sea with gifts of flowers, food, drink and ornaments to ask for the health and fertility of women and the land. The images were taken by the ocean currents and led to different directions. Some returned to the coast, others disappeared forever, like swallowed by the sea, and a few were carried to distant beaches. Perhaps some of them had arrived to the beaches of Tenerife.

The year was 1830, on the island of Itaparica, Bahia de Todos Santos, the Brazilian coast of Bahia. It was the eve of the February 2nd. Several communities of Yoruba slaves were preparing to celebrate the Feast of the Purification in honor of Iemanjá and the Virgin of the Sea as they did every year. That morning they were surprised to find an image of the Goddess that had been left by the sea overnight. It was covered with small shells and their colors had faded. But she was the Orixá of life and seas. No doubt about it. That night the biggest Batuque that was remembered in the area was organized. The Goddess incorporated in all Paes and Maes and told them many things ... The Islanders called her Nossa Senhora das Candeias. She was watching the sea from an old chapel that stood next to the sea in the eastern end of the island.

From: Misteries of America; Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones