Fino’ gualåfon was a style of language developed and used by young bachelors in ancient CHamoru society. The term fino’ gualåfon translates as follows: “fino’” is language and “gualåfon” is the full phase of the moon, or specifically, full moon language or language of the full moon.
Fino’ Gualåfon: Moonlight Talk Read Post »
Ancient Chamorros were a matrilineal society, where family connections were traced through the mother’s clan. Land ownership was through women, and was distributed through these close family clans. The eldest of these women was the maga’håga.
In ancient Chamorro/CHamoru society men were depicted as creators and as having superhuman strength. People used these concepts to attempt to make sense of the complex mysteries of creation and nature.
Mythological Depictions of Men Read Post »
When Chamorro/CHamoru males reached puberty during ancient times, they were sent to live at the Guma’ Uritao, a house for bachelors. The bachelors would live at the Guma’ Uritao of their mother’s family. There were one or two Guma’ Uritao in every village.
I mangguma’ uritao, men’s houses, were houses for young CHamoru men in the Mariana Islands from ancient times until the late 1600s (‘I’ means ‘the’; ‘man’ makes the term plural). CHamoru youth were expected to model and actively learn the skills of being men and women from their elders.
