I was speaking with my neighbor who is from Guam...she was telling stories about Dwindies and Tontamoanies...I'm sure I've spelled that wrong...anyone got any good stories about the little people and the spirits? She and her whole family believe in this stuff throughly. Even the one fromer JW family member does...interesting stuff. Ever hear of this?
Those from Guam
by Yerusalyim 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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seedy3
Yerusalyim, Buenos, i Hafa afai,
I think I'm about the only one on the board that lives on the island of Guam.There are many stories about the Taotaomonas, and Dwendes. Taotaomona is literally translated as Ancient people, they are the spirits of the first people that lived here on the island and live in the jungles around Guam, some can be very visious and others can be very friendly. The local folk here are quite afraid of them, I hear all the time about people that did something to tick a Taotaomona off and they retalite in some manner, such as make you sick, or cripple a finger or hand. You then have to go to a Sirujana (witchdoctor) to have them help you out, usually it's a matter of making a gift of food and taking it back to where it happened, sometimes it's an apology to then Taotaomona, given again back where the incident happened. If you take an ancient artifact, it would be a matter of returning it and apologizing. Dwendes are the little people, they are more like the irish lepracons, but these although pretty much harmless to adults, it is said they take little children, to play and then raise them. I have yet ot see one or know of any direct contact with them by anyone I know, just legend stories. The Taotaomonas however I have seen and spoken with, They are generally tall. naked (clothing was not worn here prior to the spanish coming here about 400 years ago) and dark complected. They seem to concentrate around certain part of the island more then others, but generally you can find them anywhere. Their general hang outs are ancient village sites, special trees called Banyon trees, (this is a local version of the Strangling Fig tree) or large rock out croppings. When going into the jungle it is custom here to ask permission, if you take a leak in the jungle again you must ask permission (don't expect an answer from them, just ask LOL), otherwise risk pissing them off. Even during construction projects if there is one of the banyon trees in the way a local will not touch it. One of the Hotels in Tumon (the main tourist area of Guam) has a bar in it called "The Tree Bar" because it has a banyon tree there, that no one would cutdown so they built the bar around it.
Here is a link to a government website that lists many of the legends of Guam, The taotaomonas are one of the legends listed, I forget if the Dwendes are. Scroll down about 1/4 of the way and there are 2 links called legends part 1 and legends part 2. http://ns.gov.gu
Seedy
Edited to to put the website I mentioned LOL
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Double Edge
Very fascinating... learn something new everyday.... THANKS Seedy.
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ApagaLaLuz
What a coincedence...... my parents actually learned "the truth" while my dad, a service man, were station on Guam. They tell stories about food and money being left under trees so that the trees didnt take the children. It did such a number on my sister that my dad finally had all the trees on the property removed so that she could sleep properly.
p.s. Guam is also where they picked up their Beetlenut habit that was ended after the society banned smoking
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seedy3
Hey chevy, double,
I have tried bettlenut, it sucks LOL, it gives me cotton mouth really bad and tastes like crap, however I have a friend that chews it with lime and some sort of leaf with a cig broken into it, it's not so bad that way but it turns your mouth all red and stains your teeth really bad.
There's about 600+ JW's on the island, I know I have met a few exJW's but they didn't know I was an ex, they were friends of a friend, so I know there are many here. The JW's don't really know I exist here, so I have fun with them when they come by to knock on my door, usually they leave with their tails tucked between their legs, and promise to return with answers, but never do.
Seedy
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Poztate
Hey Seedy3,
Do you know David Pfister?? I think he is still in area.I believe he is a long time missionary and could be running the place now.
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seedy3
Hi Poztate,
I've never heard of him, I looked in the phonebook and they only list one Pfister here and she lives on the Airforce base, so I doubt it has anything to do with him.
Seedy
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ApagaLaLuz
Seedy, that's great. What a small world. When my parent's were there, teh congregation was only about 15 people. The kingdom hall was a covering with open walls and they would have a hose with water that ran over the sides to keep them cool. They have pictures of them on sitting on the mats during the meeting. My mom was baptized on the island
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Yerusalyim
Seedy,
Thanks for your input. Do you believe in the Dwendies? I found this part of the story the most interesting. One of the guys I was talking to the other night said he had an encounter with them as a kid, and was beat up by them because he didn't want to play.
The Totamonies (spelled wrong again), sound very familiar to other legends I've heard. I was told that they sometimes possess rocks that then can't be moved unless permission is asked (i.e. bulldozers break down, etc). Another legend I found fasinating about the T's is that the older folks seem to have friends who are T's and the T's assist them in various ways such as helping them carry a load that would normally take three strong young men ( a log or stone).
I hear families also have Watchers that protect the female members of the family.
Man, I find all this stuff fascinating. THANKS!
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seedy3
Yerusalym,
I have really not made up my mind about the Deundes, I hear stories about them, and there is a lot of fear of parents for their young children because of them. Many Catholic parents will not take their children out at night, until they have been Christened in the church, but as I mentioned I have not seen them nor have I heard anyone I know that has, they only have related stories of others they know, sort of a friend of a friend story.
The taotaomunas, do at times befriend people, not necessarally just elderly, my 14 yo son had one as a protector, my wife chewed him out one time and woke up late that night to see the form of a man standing in our bedroom doorway, that looked like the description that he gave us for his taotaomuna. She took that sighting as a message that the spirit didn't agree with her actions during the day in dealing with my son. I also have a woman that works for me that has one that follows her almost everywhere. Some of the spirits can seem to move around freely from village to village, but most seem to only travel with in the village areas, and if you leave the village they cannot follow.
Yes large rock out croppings is also another place that they are said to inhabit, during road construction if a huge rock has to be moved, many locals will not touch it and have to get someone else to do it. There are some roads that are rerouted around the banyon trees or rock outcrops to avoid disturbing them out of respect of the taotaomunas. It's strange to see a small road split to avoid a tree.
Seedy