Religion/Culture in the Canary Islands

[Orlando]

The culture and religion in the canary Islands was never arab/muslim

It is supposed that the culture was related to the berber, and as the other berber povinces in the game are Arab, I think it is no problem to keep it like that, but to have Muslim as religion is totally wrong! The islam never reached the islands, when the castillians, french and portuguese reched the islands the religion was politeist (sp?), so it should be changed to pagan.

I dont' remember if they were included in any arab kindom or duchy right now, but if it is so, they should be placed out of them too, as they were never part of them, the first foreigners to control them were the conquerors in the XV century.

O

 

[Orlando]

More about Canarias.

When the conquerors arrived to the islands, the natives fought them with stones and wooden lances with stone tips, and no armor at all, so I think that all the improvements and advances should be deleted from that province.

The spread 846-848 and 160-848 should be deleted, so Canarias stays backwards as much as possible. In fact that province should have a penalty to research, but I don't think it will be implemented, as it will be too much attention paid to only one provice

My point here is: think of the Canary Islands (before the conquest) as a backwards place in africa, with no tech, divided in many chiefdoms and with almost no contact with foreigners (some very scarce trade of dyes and marauders taking slaves)

Also, the terrain is considered as plains, while the Canary Islands are volcanic islands, with the highest mountain of Spain in them (Teide), so the province should change accordingly.

O

 

[Grosshaus]

The religion can be changed, but the rest is not possible. Could you post a link to a source about the religion to convince the developers?

 

[Orlando]

Well, the best links are in spanish, of course But I have found this ones:

[...] The natives lived a Stone Age existence of shepherding and very rudimentary agriculture. They buried their dead and, in the case of chieftains, mummified the, much like the ancient Egyptians. In Tenerife, Bencome, the mencey or leader of the tribe, fiercely resisted the conquistadors with his flint exes and slings, while in Gran Canaria the ruling guanarteme. Semidán, welcomed the European strangers and established truces.

from http://www.spaintour.com/canarias.htm
more at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/canary_islands/history.htm


And from the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanches)

About weapons and clothes:

Almost all the Guanches used to wear garments of goat-skins, and others of vegetable fibres, which have been found in the tombs of Grand Canary. They had a taste for ornaments, necklaces of wood, bone and shells, worked in different designs. Beads of baked earth, cylindrical and of all shapes, with smooth or polished surfaces, mostly black and red in colour, were chiefly in use. They painted their bodies; the pintaderas, baked clay objects like seals in shape, have been explained by Dr Verneau as having been used solely for painting the body in various colours. They manufactured rough pottery, mostly without decorations, or ornamented by means of the finger-nail. The Guanches’ weapons were those of the ancient races of south Europe. The polished battle-axe was more used in Grand Canary, while stone and obsidian, roughly cut, were commoner in Teneriffe. They had, besides, the lance, the club, sometimes studded with pebbles, and the javelin, and they seem to have known the shield.

They lived in natural or artificial caves in their mountains. In districts where cave-dwellings were impossible, they built small round houses and, according to the Spaniards, they even practised rude fortification.

And about Religion:

Little is known of the religion of the Guanches. They appear to have been a distinctly religious race. There was a general belief in a supreme being, called Acoran, in Grand Canary, Achihuran in Teneriffe, Eraoranhan in Hierro, and Abora in Palma. The women of Hierro worshipped a goddess called Moneiba. According to tradition the male and female gods lived in mountains whence they descended to hear the prayers of the people. In other islands the natives venerated the sun, moon, earth and stars. A belief in an evil spirit was general. The demon of Teneriffe was called Guayota and lived in the peak of Teide volcano, which was the hell called Echeyde.

In times of drought the Guanches drove their flocks to consecrated grounds, where the lambs were separated from their mothers in the belief that their plaintive bleatings would melt the heart of the Great Spirit. During the religious feasts all war and even personal quarrels were stayed.

With this data I think it is impossible to consider Canarias as Muslim, and also to have the same tech than them (It should be lower than the european, but I don't think it is possible ). Well, I would like to see the other changes done too (the terrain to mountains, as you had in EU2, and no tech spreading to the islands), but if it is not possible... At least if you change the tech and religion it will be more accurate

O

 

[Cat Lord]

This is a copy from the thread in the bug forum, and is a very good basis for a mod in the Canary islands, thanks to the work done by Orlando.

Enjoy !

Cat