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• Some colors are said to repel taotaomo’na while others are said to attract them, depending on the particular spirit involved.
***Salt is thought to weaken taotaomo’na
• They are able to take different human, animal and material forms when they interact with the living.
• One famous taotaomo’na is the Utak or Itak which is a large white-tailed bird with a shrill call, which is heard throughout the village each time an unmarried girl becomes pregnant.
• Taotaomo’na also appears as a human, sometimes taking in appearance of familiar people in relations to a person. They sometimes may also appear headless or without a face.
• They usually have an alluring smell/fragrant.
• As of today, Chamorros think of them as mananiti or aniti. (troublesome and sometimes evil).
• This definition is heavily influenced by Spanish Catholicism and does not view taotaomo’na as the spirits of Chamorro ancientors, except as pagan, evil spirits of their ancient uncivilized past.
• In this version taotaomo’na are not gracious, giving or helpful, but are instead notorious for hurting people and playing tricks on the living.
¬ Duendes – They are most well-known for luring unsuspecting children into the jungle by taking the shape of a chichirika (a red fantailed bird), singing songs to them, or by offering them gifts or treats.
***Taotaomo’na would often haunt or be associated with certain areas or objects, such as the halomtano’, latte sites, and trongkonnunu (banyan trees).
***Can cause a person to become terribly ill, put you in a trance, and have unexplainable bruises.
***Lamlamtaotao are taotaomo’na who are able to shape and change the weather to incite fear in the living.
• The following is said to ask permission to pass:
Guella yan Guello, dispensa ham lao Kao sina ham manmaloffan yan manmanbisita gi tano miyu sa’ yanggen un bisita I tano’ma mi faloffan-ha’ sin un famaisin.
Translation:
Grandmother and grandfather, excuse us. May we walk through and visit your land and when you come to our land we will welcome you to do the same.
• The following is said to before relieving yourself in the jungle:
Guello yan Guella kao siña u usa i kemon guini ya agin matu hamyu gi tano-hu sinen isa lokkue.
Translation:
Grandmother and Grandfather may I use the restroom here? When you come to my land you may do the same.
• Ancestors whom chamorros could no longer connect with
• Could not be easily contacted but instead had to be connected primarily through makanas (spirit counselor/medicine men)
• Makanas are able to find out the offenses they made.
• Makanas started being referred to as suruhanus/suruhanas, service of healing the sick.
• Taotaomo’nasare to be spoken with great respect, having to ask for permission in order to pass.
• They were needed to defend against any evil or malevolent spirits that inhabited the jungles and caves, as well as any violence the ante of rival clans might cause.
• Chamorros would call to for aid in times of life-threatening danger or crisis.
(They would cry out to their favored spirits by name imploring that “if they have ever loved their family, then they would help right now!”)
***They would be honored and thanked for their role in keeping the family safe, prosperous and strong.
•Ceremonies were held to celebrate their spirits and show their respect to them by making offerings of food and artifacts, as well as competitions of physical and mental skill in their honor.
• How to keep favor: maintain one’s kinship ties and obligations and ensure harmonious relations amongst members of a clan.
• How to displease an ancestral spirit and cause them to withdraw their protection from the family: not meeting obligations and behaving without shame.
• In this definition, spirits played a huge role in the daily life of Chamorros offering assistance and protection with all sorts of daily tasks.
***They were treated as members of the family and were referred to by name or through terms of endearment.
• They were thought to dwell on the tåno’ (land) of their descendants or inhabit ancestral skulls or maranan uchan which Chamorros kept in baskets in the rafters of their guma’saga’(homes).These skulls would be offered nenkanno’ (food) and gimen (drink) at meals and offered the best catch after men returned from fishing.
• They are ancestral spirits that inhabited the earth along with the living.
• Ancient Chamorros believed the world around them was full of spirits who provided both daily protection and assistance, but also created dangers and problems.
• Guma’ siha (houses) were built, families were raised, and tinanom siha (crops) were harvested and planted through harmonious cooperation between Chamorros and the anti (spirits) of their ancestors.
• The connection between Chamorros and these spirits has changed over time, due to cultural changes that came about from Spanish colonization and Christianization.
*** Taotaomo’na can be defined in three different ways: Our elders and family, those who came before, and those who are evil and cruel.
(Each definition depending upon the amount of familiarity or distance between these spirits and living Chamorros.)