This transcript is of the audio recording of the Madagascan creation myth.
Speaker:
At the beginning of time, there was Zanahary, the Supreme Being, who created the earth. There was nothing on it at first; it was empty and desolate. Suddenly, Ratovantany, the self-created one, took root in the ground and shot up out of the earth like a plant.
This took Zanahary by surprise, so, being curious, he came down from the sky to take a closer look at this new god of the earth.
When he found him, he was delighted to see that Ratovantany was making clay statues of animals and humans and was laying them out to dry in the sun. Ratovantany was very sad, however, as he was unable to bring his images to life. Feeling sorry for him, Zanahary offered to help by breathing life into them. When he saw how beautiful these new living creatures were, he begged Ratovantany to allow him to take them back up heaven with him.
Ratovantany loved his creatures, too, and refused to let his creation go. Eventually, they came to an agreement that, as Zanahary breathed life into humans, he would also take the life back when the creation died. Their bodies, however, were always to remain on earth with Ratovantany.
This is why, when people die in Madagascar, their bodies are always placed in the ground to be looked after by Ratovantany, while their souls soar up to heaven to be joined with Zanahary, the Supreme Being.
