Majorcans in the Canary Islands
Years before Catalans, Castilians or Portuguese, the Majorcans were already in the Canary Islands. One of the activities that took place was the prey of natives to sell them as slaves.
From the exploration and settlement (translation) of Majorcan religious and commercial bases in the Canary Islands , there is written record of this since 1339, probably this fact goes back to previous years, but as companies carried out by individuals do not keep written data, or They have not yet been found.
The historian Francisco Sevillano Colom, describes in a work of his, as in 1342 Jaime III of Mallorca, sends a flotilla of galleys towards the Canary Islands in mission of discovery and conquest.
""The organization of the four expeditions reported, of 1342, indicates that they were not going to the adventure, but to certain islands and with a specific objective, we see that they left with the idea of discovering and conquering islands, forts or castles in the name of his king, the King of Mallorca. " "
THE MEDIEVAL TRIPS FROM MALLORCA TO THE CANARY ISLANDS . (Yearbook of Atlantic Studies).
A year after this the Kingdom of Mallorca is usurped by Pedro IV of Aragon, and he seems not to have much interest in the Canary Islands. Although in 1366, the Majorcan knight Joan de Mora, is sent by the Crown of Aragon to the Canary Islands to expel an enemy of the Crown.
Today we can find testimony of the Majorcan presence in the Canary Islands in the fig trees taken there by the Majorcans, or in the Canarian bulldogs, related to our Majorcan bulldogs, "cans de bou".
Canarian bulldog. wiki
Canarian bulldog descends from the Majorcan bulldogs (cans de bou), which were taken in the fourteenth century by Majorcan adventurers and religious. Already in the sixteenth century (1526), shortly after the Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands, reference is made to the damage caused by these dogs in cattle..
Probably the footprint left by the Balearics in the Canary Islands is much more extensive, we think that there was Majorcan presence tested since 1339 and that this presence probably goes back many years. Taking into account the stay of religious Balearic for more than 40 years and the fondness of these for the cultivation of the vine and the production of wine, it should not be surprising that the Canary Island Malvasia , was taken by these monks from Mallorca. And very probably Majorcan donkeys were taken to the Canary Islands, as a means of transport and cargo, that the current Canarian donkeys descend from Majorcan donkeys is another issue that we should not rule out.
Ibizan hound. portaldemascotas.com
Is very possible that these dogs was brought by the Phoenicians to Ibiza more than 3,000 years ago, and from there to the other Balearic Islands.
It is assumed that the Canary Islands were repopulated, mainly, by Andalusians. But it is very curious that the Canarian women's regional dress does not resemble those of Andalusia or Castile, and yet it has great resemblance to that of Majorca and Menorca, at least those of Tenerife and Lanzarote.
At least 60 years before Jean de Bethencourt, the Majorcans were already in the Canary Islands. It is documented that they took native Canaries to Majorca where they were evangelized and learned the language of Majorca. Years later they were taken back to the Canary Islands to help evangelize the islands. Could these native Canaries, back to their homeland, have adopted and preserved Majorca's own clothing?
We could imagine the impact that these native Canaries could have on the women of the islands, seeing their countrymen back to their land and dressed in these clothes much more sophisticated than the original native clothing.
It would be interesting to investigate whether Majorcan words and forms of expression persist in the popular speech of the Canary Islands.
It is very possible that the mark left by the Balearic Islands in the Canary Islands is much deeper than we know.
According to ancient Canarian historians, to the Melenara beach, in Gran Canaria, Two Majorcan expedition ships arrived, which were captured by the Canarian aboriginals.
"The captive Majorcans found humanity and good will in the Canarian; and they dealt with them so wisely, who lived together with them almost as if they were natives of the Canary Islands, more than friends from abroad. They had land and cattle and women, with whom they married and had children."
It seems that Mallorcan blood has been present in the Canary Islands for almost 7 centuries.
As I have repeated at some point in this work, in Majorca we have planted a 'Catalan' University, more concerned with defending the interests of Catalonia than in defending the interests of the Balearic Islands.
Let's not expect our UIB to investigate this issue.
In 1352 an evangelizing expedition was sent with several Majorcan and Menorcan friars, accompanied by Canarian natives converted to Christianity, captured years before. A short time later Pope Clement VI created the Bishopric of Telde, on the island of Gran Canaria, where the image of San Nicolás de Tolentino was found, taken to the island by these Balearic friars. The first bishop will be the Majorcan Fray Bernat Font.
This Balearic settlement will remain until 1393, when a slave expedition of Andalusians and Basques, makes the natives turn against the religious, blaming them for the capture of their companions, and assassinate them.
The Majorcans built several hermitages in Gran Canaria. Sometimes they took advantage of natural caves, which they conditioned to exercise their apostolic work. Like the hermitage of Santa Águeda in Arguineguín or the hermitage of Santa Catalina in Las Palmas.
The Balearic missionaries toured the other islands carrying their message. Proof of this is the Virgen de la Candelaria, carried by the friars to Tenerife, and which bears a strong resemblance to our Virgen de Lluch (spanish). Both are black virgins, and Catalanism has wanted to find a relationship between them and the Virgin of Montserrat, but they have nothing to do with it. And none of the three was originally black, the dark complexion of the Catalan virgin is due to the reaction of the varnish (translation) to the heat of the candles.
Virgen de Lluch.
todocoleccion.net
The current image is not the original.
The original image was
found in the 13th century,
of supposed Paleo-Christian origin.
The Child would have a bird in his hands and not the book he has now. And the Virgin would carry a flower in her right hand.
It would be a Romanesque virgin similar to that of
Lloseta or Sant Llorens. They are part of those that are known as "Mare de Deu trobada".
The current virgin is a Gothic image of the fourteenth century.
If we enlarge the image, we can see painted on the clothes, some stars like the Virgin of the Canary Islands, and the hair of the Virgin and Child is also blond.
And if we remove the additions of the head in the Virgin and Child, you can appreciate the resemblance even more.
Virgen de la Candelaria.
La opinión
This would be a copy of the original image of the Virgin, and is located in Adeje. You can see the resemblance to our Virgin of Lluch.
The current Virgen de la Candelaria is a nineteenth-century image, different from the original one.
In the clothes of the Virgin, there are some
mysterious, phrases written , whose meaning is still unknown.
What if it were Majorcan romance? ,
Arabic hardly uses vowels, and Baleares had 300 years of Al-Andalus.
The first sentence could be
ETIEPESEPMERI
Eres TI(tu) Eres PEr SEmPre MERI.
The third sentence.
EAFM IPNINI FMEAREI
Eres lA FeMe IP(con) NIN FeMe Eres lA REIna. "FM = woman."
For a philologist it can be fun, for an obtuse Catalanist it is blasphemy,
insinuate "Majorcan romance"!
This is the explanation (translation) of a Canary researcher.
I like mine better.
Virgen de Montserrat.
Wikipedia
Although the three virgins are considered within the catalog of black virgins. None of the three would originally have this color.
Catalanism wanted to relate the three virgins, but it is clear that the latter has nothing to do with the other two.
However, it is similar to the original image of the Virgin of Lluch, of Romanesque origin. And that they are part of the "Mares de Deu trobades".
