Garoe, The Water Tree

The Garoé was a sacred tree of the bimbaches, the oldest inhabitants of El Hierro in the Canary Islands and was one of its symbols.

Due to its location, where trade winds occur, water from the clouds condenses on the branches of the trees and then rain is poured around the island. This phenomenon takes place in all the Canary Islands. Legend has it that the Garoé was a large laurel tree that ensured the life of the bimbaches, providing them with water in sufficient quantities for their survival. The bimbaches then filled containers with water and transported it to cities throughout the island.

One of the legends says that the water coming from the tree was taken to a hole from which the bimbaches could provide water. It was in this way that they managed to repel the Castilian or Spanish invasion for a certain period of time.

The original tree fell in a storm in 1610. In 1957, another Laurel was planted in the same location as the Garoé. It has been growing and is currently surrounded by mosses. Clouds continue to pass through the summits of the island and, during foggy days, produce the observable phenomenon of horizontal rain. As with all legends, the Garoé has been left in the herrena consciousness as a sacred tree capable of providing water to the island.

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Tagged as: water, trees, garoe, natural resources, traditions

Authors: Val

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