Zanahary is the
personified sky of
Malagasy mythology and folklore. He (usually male, but sometimes considered genderless) is considered a creator god, having collaborated with the earth god
Ratovantany
Ratovantany, also known as Andriantompo, is a self-creating Malagasy deity associated with the earth. He is most prominently featured in the Malagasy creation myths, where he makes a deal with the sky god Zanahary
Zanahary is the personified s ...
to create humanity; upon death, the soul migrates to the firmament, while the body returns to the earth. For this reason, Zanahary is closely associated with the soul in the indigenous theology as well as ancestor worship. He is a
national god
A national god is a Tutelary deity, guardian divinity whose special concern is the safety and well-being of an ethnic group (''nation''), and of that group's leaders. This is contrasted with other guardian figures such as family gods responsible ...
of the
Merina
The Merina people (also known as the Imerina, Antimerina, or Hova) are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar.[Merina ...]
people, and frequently henceforth appealed to by Malagasy nationalist groups; most notably
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I (born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina (also called Ramavo); 1778 – 16 August 1861), also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I and the “Mad Monarch of Madagascar” was sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After pos ...
promoted the worship of this god over
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
.
The
Bara people
The Bara people are a Malagasy ethnic group living in the southern part of the central plateaus of Madagascar, in the Toliara Province, concentrated around their historic capital at Ihosy. The Bara are the largest of the island's zebu-herding ...
and
Betsimisaraka people
The Betsimisaraka ("the many inseparables") are the second largest ethnic group in Madagascar after the Merina and make up approximately fifteen percent of the Malagasy people. They occupy a large stretch of the eastern coastal region of Madagas ...
possess a myth in which the role of Zanahary is taken by the
personified sun, which accepts souls after death; however Zanahary is typically assumed to be devoid of solar characteristics. Similarly there is an "earth Zanahary" in contrast to the sky.
[Arthur Cotterell, A Dictionary of World Mythology, Oxford University Press, 17/04/1986]
References
Creator gods
{{Africa-myth-stub
Malagasy mythology
Sky and weather gods
Tutelary deities