Herders of goats and sheep and growers of barley round the volcano Teide, living in caves and huts, mummifying their dead.
All land belonged to the chiefs, who let it out. Their political map in 1200 is unknown: the famous nine kingdoms (Anaga, Taoro, Adeje and the rest) belong to the fifteenth century.
Who holds it
- Name
- Not known for 1200
- Title
- Chiefs (mencey); the nine menceyatos of the conquest era are later
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
en.wikipedia (Guanches): nine menceyatos at the conquest, said to come from the division of the island among the sons of Tinerfe, who had ruled it whole; the tradition is undated and generally put late, so it cannot be assumed for 1200.
What it holds
Their own ground.
How things stand that morning
Free; no outside contact.
Wealth
Goats, sheep, barley.
Military
Island warriors.
Customs and assemblies
Chiefs (mencey) with a council (tagoror) that met to judge and decide; priests.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Archaeology (the Cueva de los Guanches) and fifteenth-century accounts.
On the map: Drawn as a dashed outline; the people's real limits were pastures, wells and villages, not lines.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.