Most of these language act as significant religious and ethnic identity markers.
Oriental languages are taught at schools, and the ethnic background of a student predominately influence his choice of oriental language.
Literature
While ''kreol morisien'' (
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole or Morisien (formerly Morisyen) ( mfe, kreol morisien, links=no ) is a French-based creole language spoken in Mauritius. English words are included in the standardized version of the language. In addition, the slaves and in ...
) is the most spoken language on in Mauritius, most of the literature is written in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, although many authors write in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri (;[Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries](_blank)
, Oxford U ...
, and Morisien (
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole or Morisien (formerly Morisyen) ( mfe, kreol morisien, links=no ) is a French-based creole language spoken in Mauritius. English words are included in the standardized version of the language. In addition, the slaves and in ...
), and others such as
Abhimanyu Unnuth in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
. Mauritius's renowned playwright
Dev Virahsawmy
Dev Virahsawmy (born 1942 in Quartier-Militaire, Mauritius), is a politician, playwright, poet and advocate of the Mauritian Creole language. Though he writes easily in both French and English, Virahsawmy is most renowned for his efforts to popula ...
writes exclusively in Morisyen.
Important authors include
Malcolm de Chazal
Malcolm de Chazal (12 September 1902 – 1 October 1981) was a Mauritian writer, painter, and visionary, known especially for his ''Sens-Plastique'', a work consisting of several thousand aphorisms and pensées.
Early life and education
Chazal ...
,
Ananda Devi
Ananda Devi Nirsimloo-Anenden, also known as Ananda Devi, (born March 23, 1957) is a Mauritian writer.
Biography
Ananda Devi Nirsimloo was born the village of Trois-Boutiques, Grand Port District, Mauritius. Her father Balgopal and her mother Sar ...
, Raymond Chasle,
Loys Masson
''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet ("w:fr:ballet-pantomime, ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ball ...
,
Marcel Cabon
Marcel Cabon (born, ''Jacques Marsèle'') (February 29, 1912 at Curepipe – January 31, 1972) was a writer, journalist, and poet.
Life
Marcel Cabon grew up in the village of Petite Rivière Noire on the west side of the island of Mauritius. At ...
, and
Edouard Maunick.
Lindsey Collen has been able to carve out a meeting of imaginaries in the unique social setup of this multi-faceted country. Other younger writers like Shenaz Patel,
Amal Sewtohul Amal may refer to:
* Amal (given name)
* Åmål, a small town in Sweden
* Amal Movement, a Lebanese political party
** Amal Militia, Amal Movement's defunct militia
* Amal language of Papua New Guinea
* ''Amal'' (film), 2007, directed by Richie ...
, Natacha Appanah, Alain Gordon-Gentil and Carl de Souza explore the issues of ethnicity, superstition and politics in the novel. Poet and critic
Khal Torabully
Khal Torabully is a Mauritian poet. Born in Mauritius in 1956, in the capital city Port Louis, his father was a Trinidadian sailor and his mother was a descendant of migrants from India and Malaya.
Work
Khal Torabully left for Lyon in 1976, t ...
has put forward the concept of "coolitude," a poetics that results from the blend of Indian and Mauritian cultural diversity. Other poets include Hassam Wachill, Edouard Maunick, Sedley Assone, Yusuf Kadel and Umar Timol.
The island plays host to the covetable Le Prince Maurice Prize, a literary award celebrating and recognizing 'writers of the heart'. The award is designed to highlight the literary love story in all its forms rather than for pure Romantic Fiction. In keeping with the island's literary culture the prize alternates on a yearly basis between English-speaking and French-speaking writers.
Legends and Folklore stories
Many people in Mauritius, in particular those living in rural areas, believe in witchcraft and paranormal activities; this is very likely to be the combination of African, Malagasy, Indian, Chinese and European folk traditions.
Calèche de Lallmatie
Calèche de Lallmatie (lit. "
Chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
of Lallmatie" in English) is a Mauritian legend around the village of
Lallmatie
Lallmatie is a village in Mauritius—located on the west side of Flacq District—it occupied a latitude around -20.1897222 and a longitude around 57.6611111. It has a density of 793.5/km2 (2,055/sq mi) and a total population of around 11,910 inha ...
which says that two women dressed in white riding two white horses were seen at night, closed to midnight.
The legend appeared some years prior to the appearance of ''Touni Mniwi'' phenomenon.
Lougarou
Lougarou (lit. "
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
" in English; from the French term "Loup garou") is a notorious figure which appears in Mauritian Folklore, which is mostly used to scare children; its appearance may result from the combination of French and African folklore stories. The Lougarou appears at full moon and brings troubles to the local population. Protection against the Lougarou is believed to be given if a person consults a ''longanis'' (i.e. a local sorcerer) or a ''treter'' (i.e. witch doctor).
Touni Minwi
The legend of ''Touni Minwi'' (lit. "Naked at Midnight") appeared in 1994 following the
cyclone Hollanda; the cyclone had led to the destruction of many houses and electricity shortage.
Touni Minwi was supposedly a form of Lougarou,
who would visit women in their home at night.
This led to hysteria among the local population; many witnesses would affirmed having seen frightful manifestations at night time, including apparition of Lougarou; the Touni Minwi phenomenon led to a large mobilization of people in the capital,
Port Louis
Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's ec ...
, and in the village of
Lallmatie
Lallmatie is a village in Mauritius—located on the west side of Flacq District—it occupied a latitude around -20.1897222 and a longitude around 57.6611111. It has a density of 793.5/km2 (2,055/sq mi) and a total population of around 11,910 inha ...
.
Mountain-related legends or folk stories
Le Morne Brabant and the Maroons
According to the legend, the maroons decided to jump to their death from
Le Morne Brabant
Le Morne Brabant is a peninsula at the extreme southwestern tip of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on the western side of the island. It is highlighted by an eponymous basaltic monolith with a summit above sea level. The summit covers an are ...
when they misunderstood the presence of a group of soldiers who were supposed to inform them that they were emancipated following the Slavery Abolition Act passed by the British.
Fearing to be recaptured and be returned to their former masters, they decided to suicide.
Pieter Both and the Milkman
The mountain
Pieter Both
Pieter Both (1568 – 6 March 1615) was the first Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.
Not much is known of his early years. In 1599, Both was already an admiral in the New, or Brabant Company. In that year, he traveled to the East Indie ...
is one of the most emblematic places in Mauritius; it is characterized by a rock which looks like human head on its top. According to a famous local legend, a milkman from the village of Crève Coeur (which is also located at the foot of the mountain) used to sell milk in the surrounding villages. One day the milkman decided to take a shortcut through the Pieter Both to reach the next village, when walking, he felt tired and decided to rest. When he woke up, he saw fairies dance and singing; the fairies told him not to tell anyone about what they saw or he would be turned into stone. The milkman however could not prevent himself and told the story to his friends. When the milkman returned to Pieter Both, the fairies knew that he did not keep the secret and turned him into stone. The head of milkman is the top of the mountain. The rock which is perched on the tip of the Pieter Both is therefore believed to be the milkman.
Landmarks, Architecture, and monuments of Significance
World Heritage Site
Aapravasi Ghat
The
Aapravasi Ghat
The Immigration Depot ( hi, आप्रवासी घाट, ISO: ''Āpravāsī Ghāta'') is a building complex located in Port Louis on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, the first British colony to receive indentured, or contracted, labou ...
is found on the bay of Trou Fanfaron in Port Lous; it is the place where modern indentured labour diaspora started. In 1834 following the slave emancipation, the British used Mauritius as their first site to experiment the use of 'free labour' to replace the use slaves. The Aapravasi Ghat is the remnants of an immigration depot built in 1849 to receive the influx of indentured labourers coming from India, Eastern Africa, Madagascar, China and Southeast Asia to work on the Sugar plantation. The Aapravasi Ghat site is owned by the Ministry of Arts and Culture. The property is protected as National Heritage under the National Heritage Fund Act 2003 and the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund Act 2001. It was listed in the World Heritage list in 2006.
Le Morne Cultural Landscape
Le Morne Brabant
Le Morne Brabant is a peninsula at the extreme southwestern tip of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on the western side of the island. It is highlighted by an eponymous basaltic monolith with a summit above sea level. The summit covers an are ...
is found in the southwest of Mauritius; it used to shelter escaped slaves, called maroons, throughout the 18th to 19th centuries. The Mauritian oral traditions associated with the maroons, have made Le Morne turned into a symbolism of the slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice.
It was listed in the World Heritage list in 2008.
The ''International Slave Route Monument'' located at the foot of Le Morne Brabant was established in 2009 due to its association with a historical and legendary place, called the 'Valley of Bones'. According to the legend, the maroons decided to jump to their death from the Morne Brabant when they misunderstood the presence of a group of soldiers who were supposed to inform them that they were emancipated following the Slavery Abolition Act passed by the British.
Fearing to be recaptured and be returned to their former masters, they decided to suicide.
Chinese Cultural Landmarks
Chinatown of Mauritius, Port Louis
The
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
of Mauritius is situated in
Port Louis
Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's ec ...
. The Chinatown emerged in a city which is marked by strong racial segregation of the 18th century.
A small Chinatown was already forming in Port Louis in the mid-1780s and in the mid-1840s, Port Louis market was dominated by the Chinese traders. The Chinatown was also divided by the Cantonese and the Hakka who showed hostility towards each other.
Port Louis Chinatown was originally developed around the shops of Fujianese and Cantonese immigrants in the north of Royal road and was further expanded in the 20th century.
The Cantonese established their own neighbourhood at Royal road and extended along Arsenal road to La Rampe road; they opened shops, restaurants, Kwongs (societies) and religious associations, which includes the ''Chan Cha'' (founded prior to 1874).
Between the 1910s and 1920s, Hakka commerce started to extend the limits of the Old China Town along Royal Road; Hakka business would later expand to the South of Royal road.
In the 1940s, there was an influx of Chinese immigrants who arrived in Mauritius to open more businesses, and decided to settle around the Royal road in the heart of Port Louis, developing what is currently known as the Mauritian Chinatown further.
The Chinatown also houses the ''Heritage Court'', which is the headquarters of the Namshun Society (also known as the Nam Shun Fooy Kwoon (南顺会馆)).
The Namshun Society were initiated by early Cantonese migrants from
Nanhai Nanhai () may refer to:
*''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea, one of the Four Seas
*Nanhai Commandery, the former Chinese administration over Liangguang
*''Nanhai'', the Chinese name for the South China Sea Islands
*The '' Nanhai I ...
and
Shunde
Shunde District, also known as Shuntak, is a district of the city of Foshan, Guangdong province, located in the Pearl River Delta. It had a population of 2,464,784 as of the 2010 census. Once a traditional agricultural county, it has become one ...
(who became known as "Nam Shun" (南顺) in Mauritius) since 1859 when the early migrants form an informal association of mutual help; it was officially registered on the 26th June 1894.
The founding father of the Namshun society was Affan Tank Wen.
In 2018, New Chinatown Foundation was established with the common goal of reviving the Chinatown, as well as restoring and preserving the cultural heritage.
Chinese Pagodas
Chinese Pagodas throughout Mauritius are important sites for Sino-Mauritians as these are where traditional ceremonies and festivals take place.
It was a common practice for Chinese migrants to donate money to the pagodas which they frequently go to.
Cantonese clan groupings also set up their own Pagodas.
Cantonese pagodas included Chan Cha Pagoda (found at Arsenal road), Tiong Fa Pagoda (found on La Rampe road), Fok Diak Pagoda (found at Rémy Ollier road and built in 1846), and Sweet-Hang Pagoda (found on David road).
Nam Shun Fooy Kwoon has pagodas which are located next to the Champs de Mars in Port Louis, consisting of the Kwang Tee (
Guan Di
Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on m ...
) Pagoda (first built in1895, a new building was inaugurated in November 1980) where a shrine for the dead (jiu sin sun wai) for the Cantonese community is found to allow the soul of the deceased to rest at the Kwang Tee Pagoda and the Tin Hao (
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...
) Pagoda; they also have an altar for the God of Good Fortune,
Choy Sun
Caishen () is the mythological figure worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (, Wade–Giles: ''Chao Kung-ming''; also known a ...
.
= Kwan Tee Pagoda, Port Louis
=
The Kwan Tee Pagoda (or
Guan Di
Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on m ...
Pagoda) is located at Les Salines, Port Louis; it is the oldest pagoda in the Southern Hemisphere and in Mauritius. Its location and construction follows the Chinese principles of spirituality by facing the sea and being against the mountains.
It was built in 1842 by Hahime Choisanne and his followers.
The Society Cohan Tai Biou (which existed since 1819 and was founded by Log Choisanne) is responsible for the administration of the Kwan Tee Pagoda.
Guan Di is an important deity for Sino-Mauritians, especially for people who have businesses.
The cult of Guan Di is associated with the god of wealth; Guan Di is also the god of war and the righteous and the benefactor.
Inside the pagoda, there is the altar of
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...
, who is a protector of sailors, and
Guan Yin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...
.
There is also an ancestor cult altar, with the oldest tablet dating around 1841.
Following Chinese tradition, religious services is typically conducted one week after death at the Pagoda and the ancestral tablet of the deceased with his name written in
Chinese characters
Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...
will be deposited behind the altar.
On
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
, descendants of the deceased can practice the ancestral rites before the Ancestral tablets as a sign of respect.
The Kwan Tee Pagoda is also listed in National Heritage list since 2016.
Music and Dance of Mauritius
Music found in Mauritius have the sounds and rhythm of Western, Eastern, and African civilization which results from the preserved legacy transmitted by the ancestors of the Mauritians to their descendants.
Traditional dances and musics was introduced by Indian and Chinese migrants to Mauritius.
The most well-known
Traditional Chinese dance in Mauritius is the
Dragon dance
Dragon dance () is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance, it is most often seen during festive celebrations. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who manipulate a long flexible ...
and the
Lion dance F
Lion dance () is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New ...
.
Western music and dance are also well represented in Mauritius, where rap, hip-hop, Jazz, and waltz (along with all types of ballroom dancing) can be found.
There is also a strong following of the
Oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
dating from 1960s and 1970s, e.g.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
,
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
, Engleberld Emperding, are part of the National musical heritage.
Some sounds and rhythms from various ethnic background have also merged to form unique forms of rhythm and sounds.
The most typical folkloric dance is the
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
which is of African origin; the Sega was originally danced and sang by slaves before being adopted by all Mauritians.
The
Seggae
Seggae is a fusion genre of sega, the traditional music of the Mascarene Islands, and reggae. It was originally created in Mauritius by Kaya (Mauritian musician) and eventually became popular in Mascarene Islands. Seggae is one of the most popular ...
(a form of music which results from the mixture of the Sega and the
Reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
) emerged in the 1980s reflecting the mixed-cultural aspect of Mauritius.
National Symbols
Sport
Due to lack of funding and a local culture that values academic achievement over any other form of activity, Mauritius' national sports teams have been very unsuccessful at a competitive level. However recently,
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
has rapidly increased in popularity in the small island nation.
Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is also popular. Both national teams have very low world rankings for their particular sports.
At the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
, Mauritius had won its first Olympic medal. Bruno Julie a boxer has won the bronze medal.
However, Mauritius is quite competitive at the regional level (inter-Ile) in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius collected some golds, silver and bronze medals in the Jeux des Iles de l'Océan Indien (JIOI). The second and the fifth edition were hosted by Mauritius in 1985 and 2003 respectively. Mauritius also organised the JIOI in 2019 where the Mauritian athletes dominated the games and won numerous gold medals and the competition.
As in countries like
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is hugely popular among males, especially England's
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. The most followed clubs are
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
,
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (inclu ...
Owing to their recent successes,
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
have gained significant support.
The national sport, however, remains
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
, which is part and parcel of the island's cultural heritage. Horse racing in Mauritius dates back to 1812, when the
Champ de Mars Racecourse
The Champ de Mars Racecourse (french: Hippodrome du Champ de Mars) is a thoroughbred horse race track in Port Louis, Mauritius. The Racecourse was inaugurated on 25 June 1812, by The Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) which was founded earlier in the same ...
was inaugurated, making it the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere. Races are widely followed, both in terms of attendance at the Champ de Mars and television audiences. Mauritians of all ages like to discuss races, share tips and place bets.
At an amateur and recreational level there is a growing culture of participation in sport, with Trail Running, Cycling, Mountain Biking and Water Sports becoming increasingly accessible and popular.
[http://www.active.mu ]
See also
*
Drugs in Mauritius
*
Flag of Mauritius
The national flag of Mauritius, also known as the Four Bands and ''Les Quatre Bandes'' ( French for "the four bands"), was adopted upon independence, March 12, 1968. It consists of four horizontal bands of equal width, coloured (from top to bott ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Mauritius Society of AuthorsMauritius Restaurants Guide biographies, bibliographies, excerpts and links.
Islam in MauritiusLocal network of churchesTrianon Conference Centre, MauritiusFree recipes of Mauritius*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Of Mauritius