The Guanches Believed Teide Peak Housed the Devil in the Canary Islands.
The Guanches, the indigenous people of the Canary Islands, believed that the devil lived in the peak of Teide, the highest point in Spain, and held it sacred. They originally inhabited the Canary Islands and arrived there some time in the first millennium BC. They spoke the Guanche language, which died out in the 17th century, and many believe it had a relation to Berber languages. Continental civilizations didn’t influence the Guanches, allowing them to cultivate their unique culture.
Mount Teide, on the island of Tenerife, stands as the fourth-tallest volcano in the world and the tallest point in Spain. The Guanches believed that the Teide’s peak served as the gateway to hell with the devil residing within. They also thought their god Guayota lived inside the mountain, imprisoned by the supreme god Achaman. The Guanches rooted their mythology and religion in nature, worshiping the sun, the moon, and the rain.
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