FITSANGANAN’NY MATY

Reincarnation is another important aspect of Antakarana beliefs. The best known example of this belief is described in a story. The present day lake, Antanavo was formerly the site of a village where the villagers where renowned for their unfriendly welcome to passing strangers.

One particularly hot dry day they refused to give a drink to a stranger in need. This stronger was of the Zafitsimahito clan, a native of south east Madagascar However, on woman did take pity on the stranger and gave him some water in return for this unexpected gesture the stranger advised the woman to quickly leave the village with all her family because although water was then in short supply, he warned that it would soon arrive in abundance. A short time later the whole village was engulfed by a terrible flood and all the-inhabitants killed except for the woman and her family.

 These villagers have been reincarnated as crocodiles and it is these crocodiles that make the lake famous to day. A certain rite is regularly performed to appease to honor and to thank the invisible powers of the sacred lake and zebus are sacrificed and fed to the crocodiles.

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