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Pictographic narrative in Gadao's Cave at mouth of Inarajan Bay Guam |
Long ago, there was a man, with great strength and fearless, who
was called Gadao. He was the Chief of Inarajan.
{Antes na tiempo, guaha un taotao, sen metgot yan taima'anao na
mafa'nana'an gui', Gadao. Guiya i maga'lahen Inalahan}.
One day, Gadao and his friends all went fishing in Umatac. They caught
plenty of fish and as they were heading back toward shore, they saw a
huge shark heading directly towards them.
{Un diha, maniha yan i mangga'chong-na mameska gi ya Humatak. Sen meggai
kinine'-niha ya annai esta para guatu siha halom gi tano' ma li'e' un sen
dangkolo na Halu'u na humananao guatu gi ya siha}.
Gadao, being strong and fearless, picked up his spear and threw it with such
thrust that the spear went through the shark, killing it instantly.
{Si Gadao ni' minataknga, ha hatsa i fisga-na ya ha daggao ni' diruru ya
madotgan ha' ya sen matai ha' i halu'u engsigidas}.
Having heard about his great feat, the Chiefs throughout the entire island
decided that Gadao be the High Chief of Guam. Although not all the chiefs
agreed to this.
{Ma hungok este na estoria ni' pumalu na manmaga'lahi gi entereru i isla ya
mandanna' para u ma disidi kao para guiya etmas takhilo' na ma'gas gi ya
Guahan. Ti todu mangonfotme nu i hafa bida-na}.
The Chiefs all gathered and decided that in order for him to be High Chief,
he would have to accomplish three other major feats.
{Mandanna' todu i manmaga'lahen i sengsong ya kumu para guiya i etmas
takhilo' na ma'gas, pues ha nisista ha kumple tres na ginagao-niha}.
The first would be to swim the entire island 25 times without stopping.
The second would be to crack a coconut into pieces with his bare hands.
Lastly, to level the tallest mountain on Guam.
{I fine'nana na u para nangu i entereru i isla, bentesinko biahi sin pumara.
I mina'dos na para u ipe' un niyok ni' kannai-na gi meggai pidasu. Yan
para u pannas papa' i etmas takhilo' na sabana Guahan}.
This part of Legend was contributed by Fino' Chamorro Column prepared by the Department of Education's Chamorro Studies and Special Projects Division. The following completion of the legend was contributed by Dr. Lawrence Cunningham from the book "Ancient Chamorro Society" 1992 page 114
In the middle of the rainy season he began. Gadao easily swam around the island 25 times in one hour. He rested one day and then grabbed a big coconut tree. He shook the tree so hard that coconuts flew for miles around. He shook it so hard that it broke up into ten pieces. After a few weeks he decided to level the mountain. First he uprooted a big tree. Then he broke off a huge limb. He used this as a digging stick and shovel. He tackled the mountain. After two days he had dug down to a rock about half the size of Mt. Lamlam. He broke up the rock with the huge limb and threw the stones south to Umatac. The mountains around Umatac village were formed in this way.
Finally, he asked his sons to carry one rock to Agana Bay. He wanted them to block the harbor against foreign invasion. The boys were told to be home before daylight. The boys carried the rock to the sea, but only got to the point on the reef between Piti and Asan. When the boys saw the morning star, they though it was dawn. Not wanting to be late, they dropped the rock. It can still be seen on the reef, where they left it. Today people call it Camel Rock, but in Chamorro it is called Gapang, meaning "unfinished task." The morning star is called "Dinague Laolao (Fooled by the Twinkling Star)."