A whistled language in La Gomera, is an article that fits in with our daily articles about Tenerife, although this happens in La Gomera.
An exception proves the rule, and today we take a peek at our neighbors on La Gomera. Due to the mysterious appeal of the island, quite a few tourists plan a day trip within their stay on Tenerife to cross over to the nearest sister island, which is part of the western Canary province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In 2014, there were 18,000 Gomeros living on the island, half of whom resided in the capital, San Sebastián. Hermigua comes in second with about 1,900 inhabitants. The average population density is 45 inhabitants per km², spread over six municipalities: Alajeró, Agulo, Hermigua, San Sebastián, Valle Gran Rey, and Vallehermoso. The island is volcanic and has a round shape with a diameter of about 24 km. The highest peak is Garajonay, standing at 1,487 meters. La Gomera is known as a hiking island and houses a laurel rainforest, called laurisilva.
Language avant la lettre
We go back in time to the original inhabitants, the Guanches. They lived in extremely inhospitable areas where hundreds of gorges and ravines formed part of the landscape. Moving across this rugged terrain was almost impossible, and communicating with neighbors across the barranco was out of the question. Yet, the population had a means of communication avant la lettre: the whistle language or el silbo. They found a way to combine whistled sounds and tones, and in this way, a ‘language’ was developed that is only used by a few population groups in the world.
Cultural heritage
When the first European conquerors reached the Canary Islands in the 15th century, they were amazed by the whistled tones used by the inhabitants of this island to communicate over long distances. This whistle language has survived to this day, even though it was on the verge of disappearing in the mid-20th century, along with the exceptional cultural value of this unique communication system. Therefore, el silbo, a whistled language, was declared by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Practice makes perfect
Although it may seem impossible, in the video below, you can see for yourself how this language is capable of expressing an unlimited number of messages by mimicking syllables based on the sound characteristics of a language. In this case, the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands. In principle, this could be applied in any other language. Do you dare to try? Then prepare yourself well, as it takes a lot of practice and effort to make yourself understood.
The silbo gomero was also used as a secret code language during invasions by various foreign powers. However, the messages conveyed by whistling usually pertained to daily life or exceptional events. One downside, everyone can listen in, so private messages are unfortunately not possible.
Unique to La Gomera
It is generally believed that this communication system was used on different islands in the past, but today, this communication is only used on La Gomera. It has become so touristically and culturally important that the next generations are being prepared for it. El silbo is taught in schools and is part of the educational curriculum. In this way, the whistle language is saved from extinction.
When you participate in an organized day trip to La Gomera, there is always a demonstration moment provided at the restaurant where the group has lunch. If you want to understand a conversation in this language or even practice the language yourself, La Gomera is the place to learn this remarkable ancestral and typically Canarian tradition.
Demonstration of a whistled language silbo Gomero on La Gomera
Unknown © Photography
A whistled language in La Gomera ©
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