Long before the waves shaped the islands and before humankind walked upon the shores of Guam, there was only the great sea and the whispering sky. The earth was still forming, soft and new, and the spirits of creation watched from the heavens above. Among them was Fu’una, the sister of Puntan, who together had shaped the world. When her brother’s body became the land, sky, and stars, Fu’una’s spirit remained to breathe life into his creation.
As the waves rolled toward the southern coast, Fu’una descended to a sacred place near Umatac Bay. There, rising from the water like a sentinel between worlds, stood Fouha Rock. The rock was vast and ancient, its surface glistening with salt and sea mist, glowing under the morning sun. It was upon this sacred stone that Fu’una would perform her final act of creation.
Fu’una walked along the edge of the rock and looked out to the endless ocean. The sea shimmered like a mirror of her own heart. She felt both sorrow and love, for her brother Puntan’s spirit now lived within the earth, and she longed to reunite with him. Kneeling on the rock, she whispered words that carried the memory of the heavens and the pulse of the sea.
She said, “From the heart of my brother, the world has taken form. From my spirit, let life arise to fill it.”
She placed her hands upon the rock, and from her palms flowed light. The waves stilled, and the wind grew silent. A great stillness spread across the bay. Then, from the warmth of the rock, shapes began to form first like shadows, then like living beings. These were the first people of Guam, born from the union of Fu’una’s spirit and the stone of the earth.
The people awoke to the sound of the ocean and the scent of salt and wind. They stood in awe of the world around them, feeling the pulse of life within their hearts. Fu’una spoke to them gently, teaching them about their origins. She said, “You are born of the land and the sea. You carry within you the breath of my brother and the spirit of my love. Remember this place, for it is your beginning.”
With her final breath, Fu’una transformed into pure light and entered the rock itself. From that moment, Fouha Rock became a living monument the bridge between spirit and flesh, between creation and remembrance. It is said that her essence remains within the stone, watching over her children, the Chamorro people.
Generations passed, and the descendants of those first beings spread across the island. They built villages, fished the seas, and tended the land. Yet always they returned to Fouha Rock to honor their beginnings. Elders told the young that to forget this place was to forget who they were. The rock was not just stone; it was a cradle of life and the resting heart of their divine mother.
In every chant and every story, Fu’una’s name was spoken with reverence. Her act of creation was not merely the birth of humankind but the beginning of the connection between people and place. Every tree, every reef, and every wind carried her blessing. The people learned to see the island as sacred, for within its soil lived the spirit of their ancestors.
Even as time changed and the world grew, the sacredness of Fouha Rock endured. The Chamorro continued to visit it to give offerings, to sing, and to speak prayers of gratitude. The waves that crashed against its sides were said to be Fu’una’s eternal breath, renewing life with each tide.
Travelers who came to Guam in later centuries heard of the mysterious rock at Umatac Bay and the ancient tale tied to it. Some tried to measure it, to study it, or to explain it with science, but to the Chamorro, it needed no explanation. It was not just a landmark but a living ancestor.
Even now, when the sun sets behind the bay and paints the sea in gold and crimson, Fouha Rock stands tall and silent. Locals say that if you sit quietly near the water’s edge, you can hear Fu’una’s voice in the wind, soft and kind, reminding all who listen that humanity is bound forever to the earth that gave it life.
Her story endures not only as a tale of creation but as a lesson of belonging. To be human, the Chamorro say, is to be of the land and sea. To honor life is to honor the place from which it began.
Moral Lesson
The story of Fouha Rock teaches that humanity and nature are one. To honor our origins is to protect and cherish the world that sustains us.
Knowledge Check
1. Who is Fu’una in Chamorro mythology?
Fu’una is the sister of Puntan and the creator who brought the first people of Guam to life.
2. Where did Fu’una give life to humankind?
She created the first people at Fouha Rock near Umatac Bay.
3. What did Fu’una’s act of creation symbolize?
It symbolized the unity between the divine, the natural world, and human life.
4. Why is Fouha Rock sacred to the Chamorro people?
It is believed to be the birthplace of humanity and the resting place of Fu’una’s spirit.
5. What lesson does the story of Fouha Rock teach?
It teaches respect for the land and remembrance of ancestral origins.
6. Where does this story originate?
It originates from the Chamorro people of Guam in the Mariana Islands.
Source: CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories by Teresita Lourdes Perez (2019), University of Guam Press.
Cultural Origin: Chamorro (Guam, Mariana Islands)
