Land, lineage, traditions, and legacies
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 »
The legend of Puntan Påtgon (Child’s Point) is a folktale about a powerful man who becomes envious of his child’s superior strength:
Folktale: Puntan Påtgon Read Post »
Proverbs are popular sayings, phrases of wisdom, or simply a piece of advice. Proverbs express a people’s basic beliefs and values. CHamoru proverbs are often based on core values and practices of respect, generosity and honesty.
On the night before a wedding in ancient Guam, the two families met to present the chenchule’ (ceremonial gifts) to the mother of the groom. They brought edible roots (yam and taro), breadfruit, bananas, rice, fish, salt and betel nut.
Dowry Presentation: Marriage Rituals Read Post »
When a young man and woman were attracted to each other during ancient times on Guam, the man would let his mother know when he wanted to propose marriage. If his mother had already died he would tell his grandmother or another near older female relative who would act as mediator.
Magutos i Finihu: Marriage Rituals Read Post »
In ancient times in the Mariana Islands, three or four days before a wedding the relatives on both sides worked together to beat and clean the rice, which they then ground and mixed with young coconut (månha) into a dish called laulau. On the day before the marriage the female relatives prepared breadfruit, roots, and fish, while the men gathered wood and constructed a temporary shelter for the ceremony.
Mamaisen Saina: Marriage Rituals Read Post »
The snake first entered Guam, the CHamoru language and CHamoru consciousness hundreds of years before it physically arrived.
The hilitai or monitor lizard (Varanus tsukamotoi) was introduced to the island before European contact in the 1500’s. It is black or dark green with yellow or white spots covering its body.
Hilitai: Monitor Lizard Read Post »
Modern-day Guam is a predominantly Catholic society. Some beliefs have passed through generations preserving the practices of the Lenten Season, one of which is of a mythological boar – the babuen kuresma – that will bite or harm children for infractions committed during the observance of Lent that lasts for forty days.
Babuen Kuresma: Lenten Boar Read Post »
