Benchijigua: Echoes of the Gomero Whistled Language

The place name Benchijigua derives from the Berber phrase *wa n tehegg^wagt (“the one with the red earth”), accurately describing the geomorphology of a valley located at the headwaters of the Barranco de Santiago. During the European incursions, La Gomera was divided into four districts or “bandos” arranged in quadrants: Mulagua, Agana, Orone, and Hipalan. In this last district, guarded by the Gomeran captain Pedro Halhagal, lay the enclave that gives our ship its name.

La Gomera withstood the onslaught of the European conquerors for more than eighty years. The first attempt at conquest was led in 1403 by the Norman Gadifer La Salle, a partner of Jean de Bethencourt. After capturing four Gomerans during a nighttime raid, he was repelled the following day while attempting to fetch water. Seventeen years later, Maciot de Bethencourt -Jean’s nephew- succeeded him in the attempt, acting as governor for the Count of Niebla. Despite his efforts, the Norman managed only to establish alliances with the southern factions: Orone and Hipalan..

This balance was broken in 1424, when the Portuguese Crown decided to intervene in the Canarian conflict, taking advantage of the disputes between the Andalusian families of Niebla and Las Casas over control of the islands. With Maciot’s collaboration, the Portuguese launched an expedition of 12 caravels and 1,500 men under the command of Fernando de Castro. After an initial skirmish, the people of La Gomera surrounded the invaders in the impregnable Fortress of Argodey (Chipude). With no chance of escape, the Portuguese secured peace in exchange for clothing and weapons. As a result of this encounter, a chapel was built in Tazo dedicated to Santa María de la Palma, the precursor to the current Santa Lucía Hermitage and the first center of evangelization on the island.

More than 60 sets of sacrificial pyres or altars have been identified on La Gomera. On these stone structures, the ancient inhabitants of La Gomera burned seeds, fruits, and, in particular, domestic animals such as goats and sheep. Studies indicate that only the parts with the least meat value were offered, primarily heads and limbs.

Given their location on elevated and visually interconnected sites, it is believed that a tithe was offered at these altars to Orahan, the supreme deity who dwelled in the heavens. From these strategic enclaves, the ravine basins were also controlled, where the indigenous population and its resources were concentrated. For all these reasons, it has been suggested that these structures functioned as true organizational landmarks of the territory. In the Hipalan sector, a pyre stood out at the summit of Roque Agando, from which the entire Benchijigua Valley was visually dominated.

In the Benchijigua Valley, the echoes of the whistle still resonate that secret language with which the people of La Gomera have managed to overcome their island’s rugged terrain. Using a system consisting of just two vowels and four consonants, the whistlers of La Gomera are able to translate speech into whistles that can be heard several kilometers away. Considered a direct legacy of the indigenous peoples, its use as a tool for surveillance and military coordination could explain why La Gomera remained unconquered until 1488. On November 20 of that year, the resistance came to an end following the assassination of Lord Hernán Peraza “el Mozo” at the hands of the Gomero Pedro Hautacuperche, which prompted the immediate intervention of Governor Pedro de Vera to definitively subdue the island.