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Every seven years, the Malagasy people excavate the corpses of their ancestors to feast, dance, and celebrate together.
The tradition of dancing with corpses, known as the Famadihana ceremony or the 'bone changing' ceremony, is one of the significant cultural events for the Malagasy people in Africa. On this day, relatives dig up the remains of their ancestors, and everyone comes together to eat, drink, and dance throughout the day.
This custom is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia and spread to Madagascar about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. When someone passes away, their body is usually tightly wrapped in the finest silk cloth and placed in a small compartment built within the tomb. The tombs here often feature robust architecture, with compartments constructed underground using smooth stones. Different regions in Madagascar have various ways of decorating tombs.
In the southwest, tombs are constructed with stone and embellished with wooden statues carved in the likeness of people and animals. Wealthy families may enclose their tombs with walls, painting modern objects like airplanes, cars, and personal belongings on them... In the Morondava River area on the west coast, some even decorate tombs with carvings depicting intimate activities.
The locals believe that these tombs represent the perfect connection between the living and the dead. Therefore, the tombs are meticulously built and cared for. The cost of constructing and maintaining tombs is even higher than that of houses for the living.
During the ceremony day, descendants visit the tomb to pay respects to the deceased, clear away dirt and stones, then bring out the corpses or individual bones, wrap them in new silk. The old silk pieces are given to women in the family, who may swallow them or place them under their sleeping mats, hoping for luck and assistance in life.
After bringing out the remains, the whole family shares food and drinks, then embraces the deceased or raises the corpses high and dances together. According to tradition, before sunset, they bid farewell to their loved ones once more by placing the bodies back into the tomb.
Madagascans believe that on this ceremonial day, the deceased return to be with their families, sharing joy in the feast and feeling revived. They consider this ritual an expression of familial love, a time for both the living and the dead to reunite.
The deceased play a significant role in the daily lives of the living, so they need to be cared for. Descendants here believe that by taking good care of the deceased, their own lives will also be blessed with goodness, luck, protection, and more.
The Catholic Church and Islam in Madagascar have tried to prohibit this tradition, but without success. Today, the Catholic Church in Madagascar allows this tradition to continue, considering it a beautiful cultural tradition rather than just religious rituals.
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Source: Mytour Travel Guide – According to Vnexpress
MytourJanuary 2, 2014
