The Ibonia is an

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

that has been told in various forms across the island of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

for at least several hundred years. The Ibonia predates the introduction of the

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...

in Madagascar in the early part of the 19th century and as such has long been part of the poetic and storytelling oral traditions of the island. The first known transcription of the story was recorded in the 1870s and rapidly gained canonical status in the

African literature African literature is literature from Africa, either oral ("orature") or written in African and Afro-Asiatic languages. Examples of pre-colonial African literature can be traced back to at least the fourth century AD. The best-known is the '' ...

tradition, being reprinted in numerous collections across Europe.

Plot

The tale begins with the conception and birth of Ibonia (Iboniamasiboniamanoro or "he of the clear and captivating glance") who demands to be betrothed to Joy-Giving girl while still in the womb of his mother, Beautiful-Rich. Before they can be married, however, Joy-Giving girl is taken away by Trouble-Stone man. Before setting off to win her back, he engages in a verbal duel with Great Echo and beats him. Great Echo in return offers Ibonia advice on how to pass a series of tests that will confront him on his quest to regain his wife. Ibonia visits his parents before setting off on the quest and his mother spurs him to prove himself by successfully fighting a series of powerful animal and human adversaries. She then attempts to dissuade him from his quest by presenting him with other wives, which he refuses. Ibonia displays his wit and physical prowess to overcome the challenges he encounters, including dressing himself in an Old Man's skin to get closer to Stone Man and Joy-Giving girl until his unprecedented talent for playing the valiha (a traditional bamboo

tube zither The tube zither is a stringed musical instrument in which a tube functions both as an instrument's neck and its soundbox. As the neck, it holds strings taut and allows them to vibrate. As a soundbox or it modifies the sound and transfers it to ...

) and

fanorona Fanorona () is a strategy board game for two players. The game is indigenous to Madagascar. Rules Fanorona has three standard versions: Fanoron-Telo, Fanoron-Dimy, and Fanoron-Tsivy. The difference between these variants is the size of board pla ...

(a traditional game played with stones on a board) gives him away. Ibonia wins his confrontation with Stone Man and escapes with Joy-Giving Girl. The two remain married for about ten years before the relationship is ended by Ibonia's peaceful death.

Variations

Three similar versions of the story as described above were collected by folklorists in the 1870s. However, six distinct versions in total have been recorded by folklorists and the variation from the base story increases with the distance from the Central Highlands. Among the

Tanala The Tanala are a Malagasy ethnic group that inhabit a forested inland region of south-east Madagascar near Manakara. Their name means "people of the forest." Tanala people identify with one of two sub-groups: the southern Ikongo group, who mana ...

and the

Antakarana The Antankarana (or ''Antakarana'') are an ethnic group of Madagascar inhabiting the northern tip of Madagascar, around Antsiranana. Their name means "the people of the ''tsingy''," the limestone rock formations that distinguish their traditiona ...

, for example, major plot features, such as the fate of the Stone Man or the character of the Joy-Giving Girl, can vary significantly.

References

Ibonia (full text).
University of Virginia. Accessed on November 15, 2010.

Plot

Variations

References

Further reading