Vazimba & Menehune

[Daniel Leuck]

I'm interested in any information people have about the legends of the Vazimba. From what I've heard and read, they are a legendary race of dwarf-like people that were the original inhabitants of Madagascar. This Wikipedia article states that some Malagasy royalty claimed to have Vazimba blood.

There is a striking similarity between the legends of the Vazimba and legends of the Hawaiian Menehune. According to their respective legends, both were miniature humans that were the original inhabitants of their island, lived in deep forests and had contact with humans, including interbreeding.

[♥Dany♥]

"Traditionists" historians describing the history of Madagascar and its populations, put at the origins a Vazimba period ("faha-vazimba") which, in the highlands, was followed by the Andriana period (Andriana= Noble, Prince). But the latter having threated of death penalty for whom engaged in praise of dead princes, the history of Vazimba as such as, ipso facto, condemned to depreciation and forgetting, often has survived as myths and legends. Vazimba's myths are beautiful but I would rather prefer this one.which is more historical.

In 1610, Andrianjaka, the son of King Ralambo, seized the Vazimba's city, ANALAMANGA ("Blue Hill") and did it the capital of its states. This prince had contributed to the extension of Imerina's kingdom.
He was successful in capturing the Vazimba's city because they did have as spears hardened clays that were weak against iron weapons and first rifles that the Prince had bought from foreigner vendors doing business within the island.

Most Analamanga's Vazimba went to the superiority facing forces, and to win the hearts of his new subjects, Andrianjaka gave honors to the most significant families, in particular, that of Andriampirokana known as Antehiroka clan.

He granted the Antehiroka's families privilege to inaugurate what the King did, and began to set up the circumcision of kings' young son . These honors have been passed on to theirs descendants. However he exiled,as a precaution for his city, influential figures as Andriambodilova, son of Andriampirokana.

The new king did not contented himself to honor the living,: he also did to the dead the greatest honors and then, began the Vazimba's spirits cult.. The tomb of Andriampirokana in Antananarivo, and shortly after that of Andriambodilova, Ambohimanarina (husband of the famous ondine Ranoro who lives in the Sacred Lake of Andranoro, Ambohibao) and that of Andriantsimandafikarivo to Ambohitriniarivo became pilgrimage places.

All the kings who succeeded in Antananarivo gave to the spirits of these early Vazimba Kings the same cult as their own ancestors, and offered to sacrifice a "volavita" zebu (red and white) for getting their blessings. The Vazimba's cult lasted a few centuries, but when King Andrianampoinimerina reigned in the late eighteenth century, he found that these Vazimba were too remote in time, and lead the cult to closest royal ancestors.

"I remember my ancestors," he said to his people, "because I am the Master of the Earth. I am the descendant of the twelve kings my predecessors, and those who do not respect my Ancestors will be put to death ".

This worship to the royal spirit ancestors based on the twelve Holy Hills was the subject of a new tradition observed from Andrianampoinimerina's reign, tradition having to be respected during the Royal Bath festival (called " fandroana ", the new moon of Malagasy New Year). Its twelve official wives had to attend to each sacred hill to preside at the ceremonies of zebu sacrifice, meat distribution, prayers, by invoking the name of the 12 sacred hills beginning with Ampandrana, Imerimanjaka, Alasora, Ambohitrabiby, Antananarivo, Ambohimanga, Ambohidratrimo, Ilafy, Namehana and other sacred hills.

The Andafiavaratra commoners (descendants of Andriantsilavonandriana and Rainiharo) had Vazimba blood in their veins, and the land on which is built Andafiavaratra, the Prime Minister's Palace belonged to Andriampirokana.

At this royal ancestor worship also has been added the idols royalty cult, and it was this form of religion that Andrianampoinimerina's successors inherited until the Christianity adoption as state religion, in 1869, by Queen Ranavalona II and Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony, Commander- in-Chief and her husband..The commoner Rainilaiarivony, Andriampirokana's descendant had also Vazimba blood in his veins.

[Daniel Leuck]

Thank you for your detailed response. I couldn't find anywhere near this amount of information from my usual sources. You seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of history, music, theology and culture. I hope we are fortunate enough to meet you in person someday.