Could the Guanches be the progeny of the Atlantis's survivors?
The Guanches are the Canaries' ancient settlers, establishing their presence in the archipelago long before the Spanish conquest in the 15th century. Their origins remain a mystery and despite their eventual vanishing, they have left behind numerous traces of their existence. Characterized as tall, with light skin and golden hair, there is speculation that they might have been the direct progeny of Atlantis's survivors!
The Canary Islands is a group of seven islands in the Atlantic Ocean near northwest Africa, part of a broader region known as Macaronesia. The term Macaronesia, derived from the Greek words μακάρων νῆσοι (makarōn nêsoi), meaning "Islands of the Blessed," is a contemporary designation for several North Atlantic archipelagos off the African coast.
Ancient Greek geographers used "Islands of the Blessed" to describe islands located beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, also referred to as the Lucky Islands. These islands were mythologized as a haven where gods welcomed heroes and, exceptionally, also humans.
The Canary Islands, along with the rest of the Macaronesian archipelagos, hold a place in legend and geography that has led some scholars to consider them the remnants of the mythical continent of Atlantis. Plato recounted that Atlantis was situated beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar) and was submerged under the ocean in a single night.
The Guanches are recognized as the initial inhabitants of the Canary Islands, though their origins remain enigmatic, and their culture has largely vanished, leaving behind fascinating remnants.
The Guanches pose a significant enigma for both anthropology and history. It is believed that these first settlers might have arrived on the Canary Islands around 3000 BC from Africa. However, a puzzle arises from the physical characteristics of the Guanches, as evidenced by mummies discovered in various caves across the archipelago. They had light skin, tall stature, and reddish hair - traits more commonly associated with Nordic regions than Africa.
According to Pliny the Elder, the Carthaginians, led by Hanno on behalf of Juba, the king of Mauretania, visited the archipelago around 50 BC and found it uninhabited, yet they encountered the ruins of several buildings. This suggests that the Guanches might not have been the first settlers, or perhaps the Carthaginians did not explore the islands thoroughly.
By the Spanish conquest era, the Guanches had not progressed beyond the Stone Age. Giovanni Boccaccio, in his work on the Canary Islands and other newly discovered lands beyond Spain, depicted the Guanches as a peaceful people. The Guanches led a simple life, engaging in animal husbandry (goats, sheep, and wild boars) and agriculture, cultivating fruits (notably figs), vegetables, legumes, wheat, barley, and fodder. They consumed flour dissolved in water, as they were unfamiliar with bread. They resided in stone and wood houses, which were whitewashed on the inside.
Little is known about the religious beliefs of the Guanches. They harbored a widespread belief in a supreme deity, known by various names across different islands. In Hierro, women revered a goddess named Moneiba. Gods and goddesses were traditionally believed to reside on mountaintops, descending to hear the prayers of the devout.
Following the Spanish conquest, the legacy of the Guanches has largely faded, though Canarian nationalism strives to preserve their memory. Despite this, research into their mummies and archaeological sites has not advanced as much as that of other, more distant civilizations.
So, who were the Guanches?
The Guanches, now vanished as a distinct population, showed through skeletal analyses a striking resemblance to Cro-Magnon man. This Europoid group was initially described by Europeans encountering them as possessing Nordic traits, marked by light skin and blond hair.
Scholars speculate that the Guanches may have been a subset of Cro-Magnons who, in early history, inhabited the northern reaches of Africa, stretching from Egypt to the Atlantic. Atlantologists suggest these individuals were remnants of Atlantis, a civilization obliterated by a cataclysm around 13,000 years ago, coinciding with the end of the last Ice Age. This event is thought to underpin the flood narratives found across various global cultures.
Research points towards a significant geological occurrence 15,000 years ago, leading to the peculiar weather pattern known as the Younger Dryas. The cause of this "catastrophe," whether stemming from Earth's own processes or an extraterrestrial collision, remains a topic of debate.
Red hair, unlike the predominant black hair in indigenous populations across Asia, Africa, and America, is a genetic marker more common in northwest Europe, particularly Ireland.
Our knowledge of pre-Christian Ireland is pieced together from Roman accounts, Irish poetry and mythology, and archaeological evidence. The island's initial Mesolithic settlers arrived around 8,000 BC, after the Ice Age receded, making the land more hospitable.
By the 8th century BC, Celts migrated to Western Europe, eventually reaching Ireland discovering they were not its original inhabitants. Mythological narratives from the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions) recount the Celts being preceded by the Milesians, regarded as the authentic forebears of the Irish people.
The Milesians are thought to descend from the Tuatha de Danaan, a highly advanced, red-haired people. These beings are depicted variably as demonic entities aiding humans through magic or as men of extraordinary skill. The Christian era saw a reinterpretation of the Tuatha de Danaan as ancient Celtic gods being humanized. Before the Tuatha de Danaan were the Fomorians, an even older pantheon, sometimes described as original deities or the island's initial settlers.
According to lore, the Fomorians descended from the first arrivals in Ireland, led by Cessair, daughter of Bith, a son of Noah, who was instructed to flee to the world's edge to escape the forthcoming flood. Of their three ships, only one, carrying Cessair and forty-nine others, survived to reach Ireland.
Thus, the origins of Cessair as detailed in the Lebor Gabála Érenn remain unspecified. Could these mythic narratives hint at a real event from around 13,000 years ago? Might these figures represent the remnants of Atlantis?
If so, it's conceivable that Ireland's earliest settlers brought with them the gene for red hair, passing this trait through generations until it mingled with that of the Celts, Ireland's later inhabitants. Could a similar scenario have unfolded among the Canary Islands' populace?
Is it plausible that Macaronesia's islands were also reached by survivors bearing the red hair gene? Remarkably, in the mythologies of South American peoples, there exist tales of the Sons of Viracocha, red-haired progeny of the deity credited with founding pre-Columbian civilizations.
However, this is a tale for another article …
