The Rite of Fitampoha - Proceedings

	Trumpet players Photo: J. Loader
	Fitampoha
	• Overview • Proceedings

Contents

• The Ritual Ceremony in Belo
• The Ritual Ceremony in Ampasy

The Ritual Ceremony in Belo

First Day

Fitampoha typically starts in the afternoon of the expected date, which always correspond to a Thursday. All guests sit on a mat next to the south-west side of the Zomba in the royal yard, while women sing a kind of monotone chorus known as kolondoy. This is a custom of celebrating the tromba or bilo--possessed people--during fitampoha.

At the same time, a few men from the Marotsiraty-Makoa clan beat a kind of one meter high drum called hazolahy. Other men blow the maromogny, and some royal descendants shoot guns. All in order to entertain the public.

2- The Opening of the Zomba

The zomba door can only be opened by someone in the prince's family. When it is opened, the prince, the relics' keeper, and the lohavotsy enter inside. Then one of them kneels down, prays to the royal ancestors for blessing and forgiveness, and makes a vow.

3- The Possessed or Sazoky

The royal ancestors manifest themselves through people known as Sazoky who are dominated by a powerful occult. This allows them to show to the living their supernatural powers.

Second Day

The Takitaky ceremony starts Friday morning. Takitaky refers to an offering or offertory materialized by a sacrifice of an ox whose color has been specially chosen. Oxen are slaughtered preceded with invocation of the ancestors, and their meat are distributed to the guests.

After that, everyone gets ready for the procession to Ampasy, a place close to the Tsiribihina river.

2- The Relics Carriers or Mpibaby

Special people called mpibaby carry the relics alongside the procession to Ampasy. The status of mpibaby is granted upon the following conditions:

- the carrier has to be descendant from one of the following castes or personalities: Andrambe, Tafimbesakoa, Mifora, Andrivola, Miavotsiarivo, Sikily, Betanimena, Tsibitiky, Manonahy, and Befitaky,

- the carrier's father must be already dead, because if he were alive he would undertake the role of mpibaby, and

- the carrier must not be infirm.

3- The Procession

The defunct kings' order of seniority has to be respected during the procession. That is, someone who carries Andriamisara's relics must go first, followed by Andriamandresy's and so forth until Andriamihoatsiarivo.

A man called fanalolahy, descendant of the feudal time warriors, carries a gun known as sagaie at the head of the procession. All mpibaby go after him followed by carriers of sacred objects.

The procession goes through the Kindroma river, and continues until Ampasy, where several tents have been set up just for the ceremony.

The Ritual Ceremony in Ampasy

When the procession arrives, the Dady is hung onto a piece of wood called mijoha since it is forbidden to put it directly on the ground. Furthermore, to assure the protection of the Dady as well as the sacred objects, they have to be placed in a permanently guarded house or tent during the ceremony.

The Ampasy ceremony, which is more animated than the one in Belo, lasts for more than a week. Women continue singing, and what's more there exist many social events such as dancing, and morengy--a Malagasy traditional wrestling.

The Day Before the Bath

The Day of Bath

After one of the officials deliver a kabary in response to the representative, all carriers step forward, slowly and deliberately taking the relics into the sacred river.

When the water level is under their neck, they proceed to the actual bath, that is the act of washing the relics carefully with vegetable soaps called fihositry (see overview).

Then, everybody comes back to the public place and the relics are hung up to dry on the mijoha before being placed again in the guarded house.

End of the Ceremony

At this moment, the king declares that everybody should now return to Belo. But before actually coming back, one more ox is slaughtered and, as a sign of protection, its meat is distributed among the public.

Going back to Belo

Once the procession arrives in Belo, the relics are placed again in the sacred house. Finally, to actually end the ceremony, all carriers along with the possesed are sprayed with fresh water to wish them long life.

See also: The Rite of Fitampoha - Overview