Editing Teide (section)

== Name and legends ==
Before the [[Canary Islands#Castilian conquest|1496 Spanish colonization]] of Tenerife, the native [[Guanches]] referred to a powerful figure living in the volcano, which carries light, power and the sun. ''El Pico del Teide'' is the modern Spanish name.<ref name="elsevier.com">{{Cite book|title=The Geology of the Canary Islands - 1st Edition|url=https://www.elsevier.com/books/the-geology-of-the-canary-islands/troll/978-0-12-809663-5|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.elsevier.com|date=May 26, 2016 |isbn=978-0-12-809663-5 |archive-date=October 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015012533/https://www.elsevier.com/books/the-geology-of-the-canary-islands/troll/978-0-12-809663-5|url-status=live |last1=Troll |first1=Valentin R. |last2=Carracedo |first2=Juan Carlos |publisher=Elsevier Science }}</ref>

Teide was a [[sacred mountains|sacred mountain]] for the aboriginal [[Guanches]], so it was considered a mythological mountain, as [[Mount Olympus]] was to the ancient [[Greeks]]. When going on to Teide during an [[eruption]], it was customary for the Guanches to light bonfires to scare [[Guayota]]. Guayota is often represented as a black dog, accompanied by his host of demons ([[Tibicena]]s).

The Guanches also believed that Teide held up the sky. Many hiding places found in the mountains contain the remains of stone tools and pottery. These have been interpreted as being ritual deposits to counter the influence of [[evil]] spirits, like those made by the [[Kabyle people|Berbers of Kabylie]]. The Guanches believed the mountain to be the place that housed the forces of evil and the most evil figure, Guayota.<ref name="Sheehan, William 1816"/>

Guayota shares features similar to other powerful deities inhabiting volcanoes, such as the goddess [[Pele (deity)|Pele]] of [[Hawaiian mythology]], who lives in the volcano [[Kīlauea]] and is regarded by the [[native Hawaiians]] as responsible for the eruptions of the volcano.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_NpMxAQAAMAAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_NpMxAQAAMAAJ/page/n161 458]|quote=guayota y pele.|title=Ethnografia y anales de la conquista de las Islas Canarias|publisher=Imp., Litogr. y Librería Isleña|access-date=January 5, 2016|last1=Berthelot|first1=Sabin|year=1819}}</ref> The same was true for the ancient Greeks and Romans, who believed that [[Vulcano]] and [[Mount Etna]] were chimneys of the foundry of the fire god [[Hephaestus]] ([[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]] in Latin).

In 1492, when [[Christopher Columbus]] arrived at the island of Tenerife, his crew claimed to see flames coming from the highest mountain of the island (Teide).<ref>{{cite web |title=El Teide, mucho más que un volcán |url=https://www.vipealo.com/blog/el-teide-mucho-mas-que-un-volcan/ |website=Vipealo |date=November 20, 2020 |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124084354/https://www.vipealo.com/blog/el-teide-mucho-mas-que-un-volcan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>