Archeological studies have revealed that during the Latte Period ancient CHamorus retrieved bones from deceased bodies after tissue had deteriorated, and used the bones for use as tools or weapons.
Ancient religious philosophy. Animism is the belief that everything in nature – living and non-living – contains a spirit or soul. In ancient CHamoru society, the CHamorus held animism as a religious philosophy that supported the concept of the interconnectedness between people and nature.
Kepuha (also spelled Quipuha) was a maga’låhi from Hagåtña, whose role in welcoming Spanish missionaries to Guam makes him a controversial figure in the island’s history. Kepuha was the first CHamoru to be baptized after he gave Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores the authority and land to start a Catholic mission in Hagåtña.
The idea of the world being divided into different realms, as was common in the Chamorro/CHamoru view after Christianity was introduced, is one promoted or at least influenced by Spanish missionaries in the 17th century to aid in their conversion of the CHamoru people to Catholicism.
Ancient Chamorros/CHamorus, as well as CHamorus today, practice ancestral worship, or the veneration and respectful treatment of relatives who have died in hopes that they may gain protection or bring you good fortune.
Puntan and Fu’una are the Chamorro/CHamoru creation gods. Puntan, a male, and Fu’una, a female, are brother and sister. The account of their creation of the world constitutes one of the most important oral histories of the CHamoru people.
Taotaomo’na, the people of before, refers to ancestral spirits that inhabited the earth along with the living. Ancient Chamorros/CHamorus believed the world around them was full of spirits who provided both daily protection and assistance in their tasks, but also created dangers and problems.
