A FEW years back, the reality TV show “Destination Truth” came to Guam to investigate “taotaomo’na” or, as they called them, Guam zombies. The episode they produced was so terrible, it would be almost a travesty to spend any more ink describing it. One thing the show did highlight however was the importance of taotaomo’na to Guam today. It is something that everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, knows something about, and more and more people take seriously the idea that there are natural, ancient spirits who should be respected and who can be offended.

As in my last column for Chamorro Month of 2012, I thought I’d define for you some basic terms necessary for understanding taotaomo’na.

Most on Guam are familiar with the term itself. It refers to spirits, sometimes anonymous, sometimes of ancient Chamorros or of the deceased. It literally can be translated to “the people of before.” Although some now use this word in the sense that others say “first nations” or “first people,” the term is not ancient in origin. It is a term that Chamorros created after the Spanish colonized the islands, to refer to their ancestors who existed before Catholicism.

Aniti: This is one of the terms Chamorros used to refer to their ancestors prior to Catholicism. In contemporary Chamorro this word sometimes translates to “devil” or “demon,” but in ancient times, this was the word that you would use to refer to the spirits of your ancestors. Chamorros had extremely close relationships to their ancestors as their religion was one of “ancestral veneration.” When the Spanish arrived, they naturally attacked this and sought to forcibly disconnect the religious connection between Chamorros and their ancestors, and encourage them to venerate a Catholic God and saints instead. Part of this was the literal demonizing of the words that Chamorros used for their ancestors. The plural form of this is manganiti.

De’on: Taotaomo’na can interact with the living in many ways. They are most infamous for playing tricks on the living if they wander into the wrong area or if they are caught misbehaving. Making noise in the jungle, disrespecting artifacts or using the bathroom without permission around a site frequented by taotaomo’na can result in you getting “touched” by a taotaomo’na. They are most known for being able to “de’on” or punch you. Such a thing can result in a serious mark or wound, but could also cause a certain part of your body to swell up. In addition to de’on, taotaomo’na can also åkka’ (bite), hulos (pet), pacha’ (touch), and even chiku (kiss).

Gaiga’chong: This is a word that can refer to your buddy, your friend, your confidant or the love of your life. In certain contexts, the term is heavily associated with people who befriend taotaomo’na, and live their lives intimately linked to one, or several of them. The prefix gai- in Chamorro means “to have something” and so gaiga’chong means “to have a partner.” Gaiga’chong people are always a little bit different. They may keep to themselves and appear to be aloof, strange or nothing special. They may also be exceptional, and excel at everything they do, sometimes appearing to be superhuman, super intelligent or even psychic. They get their exceptional abilities from the taotaomo’na, who can whisper to them secrets or help them to the point where they appear to be incredibly strong or adept. Being in a relationship with someone who was gaiga’chong could be difficult, especially if that person was often ekgo’ (jealous). Jealous gaiga’chong lovers were often known to have their taotaomo’na helpers spy on their significant other, reporting their every move to make sure they were being faithful.

Asiga: Taotaomo’na are rumored to dislike several basic things, which can be used to ward them off if you are concerned about them pestering you. The list of things can change based on who you are talking to and what their experiences have been. Some say salåpe’ (money). Others say certain colors. Most will say taotaomo’na do not like religious objects such as crosses. One interesting taotaomo’na repellent is asiga (salt). Although there are plenty of stories of taotaomo’na in the ocean or on beaches where salt is plentiful in the air and the ground, most Chamorros will tell you they don’t really like it, and it can weaken their abilities. In pre-World War II Guam, the U.S. Navy told a story about a Chamorro working for them who could not be defeated in wrestling. Another Chamorro whispered to a sailor who was about to challenge him that he was gaiga’chong and so you had to sprinkle salt around the ring in order to weaken him. The sailors did so, and this supposedly prevented the taotaomo’na from entering the arena, and as a result the Chamorro was beaten.