“Taotaomo’na are ghosts who live in thick woods and their food is mushrooms. They say that if you touch anything belonging to the taotaomo’na, it will cause you sickness and no medicine can cure it. They come out from the hill at midnight to go to the sea to take their bath.
In 1919, a young CHamoru woman named Julia Martinez attending the Guam Normal School (for the training of teachers) wrote this about the beliefs of CHamorus at the time about taotaomo’na, or the spirits of their ancestors.
“Taotaomo’na are ghosts who live in thick woods and their food is mushrooms. They say that if you touch anything belonging to the taotaomo’na, it will cause you sickness and no medicine can cure it. They come out from the hill at midnight to go to the sea to take their bath.
When a man is married and jealous, he gets a taotaomo’na companion to tell him what his wife at home is doing. But to get a taotaomo’na companion, this man will have to turn his back on his religion. The man becomes very strong because the ghost is helping him and he can get anything he wants except money. When the man is finished with his taotaomo’na, he must give it to a relative or he will get sick and die.”
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Chewing on Static https://www.guammuseumfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Chewing-on-Static-INSTAGRAM_4K_H265.mov The next exhibit opening October 24, 2026 at the Guam Museum Cafe Gallery. In her first solo show, Julia Birn presents
Celebrate 100 Years. Bid for the Next 100. Guam Museum Centennial Silent Auction Celebrate a century of history, culture, and community while helping preserve it
Celebrate 100 Years of the Guam Museum: An Evening to Celebrate and Preserve Our Stories https://www.guammuseumfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Guam-Museum-Doc-Teaser_WITH-AD_YOUTUBE_4K_H265.mov Our stories connect us to our ancestors, our island,
