The original inhabitants of the Canaries are called “Guanches”. The word, “Guanche” means “man from Tenerife” and comes from the language of the original inhabitants, which has now been almost completely lost. The Guanches were herdsmen and fishermen, who mainly ate meat and fish and tilled very little land. They had already learned the art of making fire as early as 820 BC and, although they were a relatively primitive people, possessed a very highly developed moral code.