Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Every ceremony is invariably accompanied by the slaughter of a zebu, more than one if
the family is wealthy or influential in the community. The blood and the horns are valuable
offerings, and the meat is shared by those attending.
The complex set of beliefs of the Malagasy has been constructed through the assimila-
tion of diverse influences. The funeral rites of many tribes, for example, have Austronesian
roots, while the status of cattle is thought to have African roots; belief in
vintana
, on the
other hand, is thought to originate from Islamic cosmology.
FAMADIHANA
On the crest of a hill, a grove of pine trees whispers gently. In the shade, trestle
tables are spread with sticky sweetmeats and bowls of steaming rice. A band
plays a rollicking, upbeat tune as the stone door of a family tomb is opened. Old
ladies wait at the entrance, faces dignified under their straw hats. Middle-aged
men indulge in lethal homemade rum, dancing jerkily to the rhythms of the
band.
One by one the corpses are brought out of the tomb, wrapped in straw mats
and danced above the heads of a joyful throng. The bodies are rewrapped in
pristine white burial
lambas
(scarves), sprayed with perfume and meticulously
labelled by name with felt-tip pens. Everyone wants to touch the ancestors and
talk to them. A period of quiet follows, with family members holding the bodies
on their laps in silent communication, weeping but happy at the same time. The
air is charged with emotion. Then the bodies are danced one more time around
the tomb, a few traditional verses are read out and the stone is sealed with mud
for another seven years.
Famadihana
ceremonies take place between July and September in the
hauts
plateaux
(highlands) region from Antananarivo south to Ambositra. These days
it's generally OK to attend one, as long as your visit is arranged through a hotel
or local tour company. On no account should you visit without an invitation and
never take photos unless specific permission has been granted.
Family Life & Home
If you see a young Malagasy man wearing a comb in his hair, he's ad-
vertising his search for a wife.
The family is the central tenet of Malagasy life, and includes not only distant cousins but
also departed ancestors. Even urban, modern Malagasies, who reject the belief that ancest-
