Page 376 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

376 from Italy to the Canary Islands

“Mareta”. Near Guanapay Castle.

adding any handles. Since the Guanches did not have ovens, they would
cook their ceramic objects by placing them in a hole dug in the ground,
covering the hole with dry leaves, and lighting a fire. Before doing that,
they would decorate them by painting parallel horizontal or vertical lines
on them; they would use red to paint with the palm of the hand, as well
as red and black to create geometric shapes, mainly stars. The decorations
show different shapes from island to island.
“Pintaderas” were a special kind of pottery that could be made either
with red or orange clay or with wood. They had a square, rectangular, cir-
cular, triangular, or oval shape.
The Guanches were monotheistic, but did not have a specific external
form for representing their divinity, which went by different names depend-
ing on the islands: Aborac, Achaman, Acoran, Ataman, Archguayerxeran.
Their collective imaginary had demons who lived in volcanoes (guyota).
Religious ceremonies were performed by priests (faicans and harimagua-
das) in sacred places such as mountains or special rocks. The priests were