The Vazimba (Malagasy ), according to popular belief, were the first inhabitants of
Madagascar. While beliefs about the physical appearance of the Vazimba reflect regional variation, they are generally described as smaller in stature than the average person, leading some scientists to speculate that they may have been a
pygmy people (and therefore a separate
Malagasy ethnic group) who migrated from the islands that constitute modern-day Indonesia and settled in Madagascar over the course of the period between 350 BCE–500 CE. Scientific evidence confirms the first arrival and subsequent increase of human settlers on the island during this period, but the pygmy theory has not been proven.
Stories about the Vazimba form a significant element in the cultural history and collective identity of the
Malagasy people
The Malagasy (french: Malgache) are an Austronesian-speaking African ethnic group native to the island country of Madagascar. Traditionally, the population have been divided by subgroups (tribes or ethnicities). Examples include "Highlander" ...
, ranging from the historical to the supernatural, inspiring diverse beliefs and practices across the island. They have analogs in some other Austronesian cultures, including the
Menehune
Menehune are a mythological race of dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition who are said to live in the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, hidden and far away from human settlements.
The Menehune are described as superb craft ...
s in
Hawaii.
History
First settlers of Madagascar
The facts surrounding the initial settling of Madagascar by oceanic explorers from the region of modern-day
Indonesia, including the precise timing and nature of this colonization, remain a subject of ongoing debate and study. It has been theorized that there may have been successive waves of early settlement in Madagascar. According to this theory, the waves originated from the same region of southeast
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, spoke the same language and shared the same culture. When the second wave arrived, they found the island sparsely populated by descendants of the first wave whose culture and way of life had evolved from the first settlers way of life, reflecting centuries of adaptation to local surroundings in total isolation from outside threats. According to popular belief, the Vazimba did not possess knowledge of
metallurgy or rice farming and used weapons made of clay. After Bantu-speaking settlers from East Africa migrated to the island and brought their culture of
zebu cattle herding with them, the Vazimba were said to have herded their zebu without eating them for meat. If the multi-wave settlement theory is correct, the indigenous (first-wave) population that the more technologically advanced second-wave settlers would have encountered upon arrival in Madagascar would provide the historic basis for stories of the primitive nature of the Vazimba societies they are said to have encountered there.
["Vazimba: Mythe ou Realité?"](_blank)
Razafimahazo, S. ''Revue de l’Océan Indien.'' Accessed on November 8, 2010.
Archaeological research and oral histories have provided some indication of how these early inhabitants of the highlands might have lived.
[Kent, Raymond K. ''Early Kingdoms in Madagascar: 1500–1700.'' Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.] Upon their arrival in those ancient tropical highland forests, the Vazimba practiced ''tavy'' (swidden, slash-and-burn agriculture) to clear the land for cultivating bananas, tubers,
ginger and
other staples. They gathered honey, fruits and edible seeds and hunted small game in the forests. As their population increased, villages were established and ruled by chiefs and later kings. Rulers are believed to have reddened their hair using a local mushroom; the association of the color red with royalty is found in many parts of Madagascar to this day.
Oral history classifies the Vazimba according to the parts of the island where they are believed to have settled.
["Origine Confuse des Vazimba du Betsiriry."](_blank)
Ravalitera, P. ''Journal Express.'' Accessed on November 11, 2010. The ''vazimba andrano'' ("Vazimba of the Water") settled along rivers and lakes. The ''vazimba antety'' ("Vazimba of the Soil") were believed to be the most numerous and were reportedly clustered around the valley of Betsiriry in the central Highlands. The ''vazimba antsingy'' ("Vazimba of the
Tsingy
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant r ...
") lived in the caves around the limestone formations (tsingy) of Bemaraha in western Madagascar and were believed to scavenge fruit and other forest products to live.
Historic rise and decline
The first period of Malagasy oral history is known as the Vazimba period (''faha vazimba''), beginning with the initial population of the island by the Vazimba and their establishment of kingdoms – often ruled by Queens – in the central Highlands region of Madagascar. According to some accounts,
[Callet, F. ''Tantara ny andriana eto Madagascar.'' Académie Malgache, 1908.] the first Vazimba sovereign of the central highlands was named
Andriandravindravina. The second period in the oral history of the Highlands begins with the conquest of the Vazimba Highland kingdoms by
Merina sovereigns in what would come to be known as
Imerina in their honor.
Andriamanelo (1540–1575) – who was himself half-Vazimba through his antecedents Queen
Rangita
Queen Rangita (died 1530), also known as Rangitamanjakatrimovavy, was a Vazimba sovereign who ruled at Merimanjaka in the central highlands of Madagascar after her father, King Andrianmpandramanenitra (Rafandramanenitra). She was succeeded upon he ...
and Queen
Rafohy – is credited (along with his successors,
Ralambo and
Andrianjaka
Andrianjaka reigned over the Kingdom of Imerina in the central highlands region of Madagascar from around 1612 to 1630. Despite being the younger of King Ralambo's two sons, Andrianjaka succeeded to the throne on the basis of his strength of char ...
) with successfully forcing the Vazimba out of the Highlands and into the western part of the island.
It is commonly believed that the last of the Vazimba were annihilated during the reign of
Andrianjaka
Andrianjaka reigned over the Kingdom of Imerina in the central highlands region of Madagascar from around 1612 to 1630. Despite being the younger of King Ralambo's two sons, Andrianjaka succeeded to the throne on the basis of his strength of char ...
(1610–1630). However, dismissing the stories of distinctive Vazimba physical appearance, Jean-Pierre Domenichini has theorized that the term ''Vazimba'' may have been more of a statement of cultural than ethnic difference and that many who had been considered Vazimba in this period did not die out, but instead may have simply chosen to become assimilated into the vanquishing Merina culture.
"Antehiroka et Royauté Vazimba."
Domenichini, J.P. ''Express de Madagascar.'' Accessed on November 5, 2010. The oral history of many Merina and Betsileo families speaks of intermarriage between Merina and Vazimba ancestors, and some Malagasy speculate that the hunter-gatherer Mikea
The Mikea are a group of Malagasy-speaking horticulturalists and foragers who are often described as the lowland hunter-gatherers of Madagascar. They inhabit the Mikea Forest, a patch of mixed spiny forest and dry deciduous forest along t ...
peoples and the Vezo
The Vezo is the term the semi-nomadic coastal people of southern Madagascar use to refer to people that have become accustomed to live from sea fishing. The Vezo speak a dialect of the Malagasy language, which is a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian ...
fishing tribe, both concentrated along the coastline of western and southern Madagascar, may be descended from Vazimba.
In the popular imagination
There are many legends and stories in Malagasy oral history relating to important Vazimba figures. For instance, oral history tells of a Vazimba woman named Ramboamana and a Vazimba man named Ramboabesofy, known as ''tompon-tany'' (masters of the land) – the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar, who settled in the region of Ankavandra
Ankavandra is a town and commune ( mg, kaominina) in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Miandrivazo, which is a part of Menabe Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 11,000 in 2001 commune census.
Ankava ...
. The couple had two sons named Rangoromana and Zafihisoky whom legend credits as the first to bring zebu to the island.
Some Merina trace their genealogy back to a man named Ndrenavoavo or his sister Pelamana who, according to oral history, were the very first non-Vazimba people (i.e. second-wave settlers) to arrive in Madagascar. They are believed to be buried in a forest near Tsirendresaka. It is said that their tomb was venerated by all the Vazimba of Betsiriry, and in return, the people of Tsirendresaka observe a '' fady'' (taboo) that forbids the killing of zebu, in homage to the Vazimba and their tradition of herding cattle without consuming them.
In Madagascar today, popular belief maintains that the Vazimba may not have been human at all, but rather a sort of monster or often malevolent spirit
In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crem ...
that haunts natural sites such as rivers, boulders or gorges. Oral history maintains that it was customary among Vazimba to submerge their dead in designated bogs or other waters and these areas are held sacred, sometimes becoming sites of pilgrimage and sacrifice. The Vazimba are often envisioned as being smaller than the average person, either quite pale or very dark. The more monstrous descriptions of Vazimba speak of an unnaturally elongated face with large lips concealing fang-like teeth. Among the many beliefs related to the Vazimba, it is said they cannot stand to touch any object that has made contact with salt, and it is forbidden to bring garlic or pork into an area believed to contain a Vazimba tomb.
See also
*Mikea
The Mikea are a group of Malagasy-speaking horticulturalists and foragers who are often described as the lowland hunter-gatherers of Madagascar. They inhabit the Mikea Forest, a patch of mixed spiny forest and dry deciduous forest along t ...
*Beosi
The Beosi are short-statured hunter-gatherers of the central highlands of Madagascar. They are distinct from the Mikea hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists of the lowlands.
Language
The Boesi speak a dialect of the Malagasy language, which or ...
*Little people (mythology)
Little people have been part of the folklore of many cultures in human history, including Ireland, Greece, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Flores Island, Indonesia, and Native Americans.
Native American folklore
The Nati ...
* Kalanoro
Notes
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History of Madagascar
Ethnic groups in Madagascar
Malagasy mythology
Ancient African people
African folklore
Indigenous peoples of Southern Africa
Indigenous peoples of East Africa
Unclassified languages of Africa