Taotao Mona (also commonly written as taotaomona or taotaomo'na, from Chamoru taotao, "person/people" and mo'na "precede", loosely translated as "people before history" or "ancient people") are spirits of ancient inhabitants believed to haunt the mountains and wild places of the Mariana Islands, which include Luta, Saipan, Tinian and Guam, in Micronesia. Belief in Taotao Mona is present throughout these islands.
With the Spanish conquest of Guam in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the resultant destruction of the old way of life of the native Chamorros, went also the practice of ancestor veneration. Scholars believe that the concept of the tricky Taotao Mona were created by the Chamorros in response to Spanish subjugation. Taotao Mona are believed to inhabit any secluded natural place on the island—particularly in the south of the island—and despite the modernity of most Chamorros, there is still a healthy respect for them. It is thought that if they are offended, they can cause bad influences in a particular location or towards a particular person.
The Taotao Mona were investigated in a segment of the Syfy television show Destination Truth entitled "Guam Zombies," where they were (incorrectly) said to appear as zombie-like; however, the Taotao Mona are not zombies, but ancestral spirits that are said to live within the trees. The trees themselves are said to have moving roots that change direction every night. Locals and "traditional" Chamorros claim that one must pray to the Taotao Mona before entering any forest or if one takes fruit or wood from it. The majority of the Taotao Mona are described as being headless and malicious if their land is not respected. They have been known to pinch, bruise, or kidnap children.