See the whistling island of La Gomera
On the small island of La Gomera, one of the eight which form the Canary Islands, a once-threatened language is now enjoying a revival.
Silbo Gomero, the only whistled language in the world which still exists, has been a compulsory subject on the island since 1999 and an optional subject in the rest of the archipelago.
Now, almost all of the island’s 22,000 residents can understand it, and it has since been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
The language uses six condensed sounds - two representing the five spoken vowels in Spanish, and the other four representing 22 consonants which are lengthened or shortened to mimic Spanish words.
Since whistles can be heard further than shouts, Silbo Gomero was created to communicate over long distances because they can be heard for kilometres.
There are several different whistling methods used on the island and experienced whistlers can often tell who is whistling by their “accent” alone.
But, to save confusion most whistlers introduce themselves and call out the name of their intended recipient.
The most traditional method is captured in José Darías’ Whistling Tree sculpture at Mirador de Igualero, a viewpoint overlooking a ravine where the language was most frequently used.
Eugenio Darias, a 70-year-old retired Silbo Gomero teacher, pioneered the Silbo Gomero programme and remembers when many more of the inhabitants would use the language to communicate across the island’s deep ravines.
“It was difficult terrain to work on - nobody wanted to climb up and down the ravines to pass on a message,” Darias explained. “Because of this, so many whistling conversations were happening at the same time, and we would have to wait our turn. It was like traffic!
“However - during the 1960s and ‘70s, most agricultural land was abandoned and many of the workers left the island,” he continued.
“As Silbo Gomero was mostly used between local livestock holders, when they left the island, the whistling left with them too.”
Additionally, modern technology and improved roads and paths on La Gomera took away the practicality and necessity of Silbo Gomero.
But, Darias stepped in to ensure it would be used and understood by future generations.
It can even be heard in areas where there is no phone service.
“I know of two goat herders who still whistle to each other,” Darias said. “They are nephews who live on the south side of the island. Their livestock moves around in an area with no mobile network, and that’s why it’s necessary for them to use it.”
When asked if he would use Silbo Gomero if his phone ran out of battery, Darias made his stance clear.
“Of course!” he said. “After all, we’d still communicate that way if phones didn’t exist.”
Images: Hello Canary Islands, lagomeratravel / Instagram