The Mysteries Surrounding Death Among the Betsimisaraka
 in Light of the Christian Tradition

Father Josef Niesyto, dr hab.

The Malagasy people believe that the voyage from the world of the living to the realm of the dead is a tremendously important event. Family members, neighbours, clansmen and tribesmen participate in the funerary rituals and rites, respecting the conditions that enable the late departed to join the Ancestors. The „art of dying” addressed in the following, refers mainly to the traditional way of dealing with death at the family level.

Because of outside „civilizing cultural influences”, the native lifestyle is changing quickly. This is especially noticeable in urban centers where the gradual departure from tradition is ongoing. However, it is important to emphasize that the majority of the Betsimisaraka who inhabit the eastern tropical forests are very respectful of ancestral traditions. This wealth of customs, beliefs and prayers is practiced mostly by the older generation. It is the source of knowledge inherited from the Ancestors with regard to how one should prepare for death and how the dying should be treated.

Among the island’s tribes, death is considered a phenomenon with biological and social implications (as it is in secularized, industrial societies). Death is simultaneously natural and supernatural, physical and spiritual, personal and universal. This multi-faceted approach to death complicates the lives of the living, as individuals and members of a community, through the involvement it entails. Death engages spiritual forces. These forces involve themselves in the lives of the living through signs announcing the approach of death.

The departure of a family, village or clan member to his „eternal resting place” should be celebrated with dignity, and in accordance, as much as possible, with the traditional customs inherited from the Ancestors. What comes into play here is the understanding that life after death is eternal and involves joining the Ancestors and residing with them.

The rites and customs surrounding the approach of a person’s death are in keeping with traditional beliefs and are meant to prepare that person to cross the „threshold”. In Christian communities, traditional customs co-exist side by side with Church customs. They constitute a sort of protection for the living against the power of evil, and this protection is activated at the moment the deceased crosses over into the „beyond”.

For the Malagasy people, dying is a transition, the first phase of which is separation. Each human society exists within a defined cultural framework. This construct fosters a precise view of the world, a hierarchical set of values which shape the behaviour of the society in question in situations that are particular to its reality and condition.

This obviously has an influence on a society’s perception of death. Members of the Betsimisaraka tribe treat death and dying with all the deference inherited from the Ancestors. But their reaction in the face of death is in harmony with both traditional and Christian beliefs. „Knowledge” surrounding the death phenomenon is carefully passed down from generation to generation.

Ethnographic Madagascan literature, in its treatment of death related customs and beliefs, concentrates mainly on folk culture and stresses the fact that Christian influence is barely present.

However, according to an in-depth study, it would appear that treatment of death and its attendant customs is not possible without the introduction of some Christian values. Research into Malagasy funerary practices clearly demonstrates that Christian beliefs play an important role in the matter of death and its observance.

To the Malagasy people, death and the customs associated with it are of paramount importance.

The above which deals with death among the Betsimisaraka shows that both the dying and the entire community play a very important role in the Malagasy „art of dying”. This happens in accordance with Christian customs and those inherited from the Fomba, the ancestral tradition. To the Malagasy, dying (and all of the activities associated with death and dying) is essentially a religious act. And this most important happening is based on the belief in Zanahary, the one God, and the conviction that there is an eternal life after death. This religious act is social in character and highly ritualized. For the older generation, the need to abide by the practices inherited from the ancestors is a „sine qua non” condition if one is to die „a good death” and enjoy access to „eternal happiness”. Christians, especially in Catholic communities, stress the importance of the sacraments of reconciliation, the anointing of the sick and the viaticum (the Christian Eucharist given to a person in danger of dying). Reconciliation with one’s fellow men is very important as well, as vital as the settlements of matters over inheritance. Significant also is the community’s ritual celebration in prayer and accompaniment of the dying person on his or her final journey to the land of the dead.

The impending death of an individual in a Malagasy environment involves the entire community. Community life dictates that all are spontaneously engaged in order to help the dying person. In this way, the village affirms and validates its deep bond with the person who must not be allowed to experience end of the life alone. A religious presence is important to a person who is about to die. But that of a family, of friends and acquaintances is crucial. Their participation eases the „transition” and represents a willingness to forgive and be forgiven. In this situation, community leaders play an invaluable role. Their involvement ensures that tribal tradition will be respected. Prayers are recited and songs performed in keeping with oral tradition.

The traditional understanding is that death is completed on a spiritual plane. The death of the body is secondary. For that very reason, death in Malagasy society is endowed with a cosmic dimension. It engages not only the living and the ancestors, but also the forces of nature and that of the domesticated animals. Nor should abstraction be made of the fact that death is foretold by intuition and in dreams.

The older generation, deeply religious Catholics for whom grace and forgiveness are paramount, believe that the main goal in life is the attainment of happiness through the admission into the group of Ancestors who reside with Zanahary, the one God, thereby securing eternal peace of the soul. One must do everything he can to avoid „return visits” from the world of the dead over some unresolved matters. Family members, friends and representatives of the community are not alone in helping the dying person „transition” from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Deceased relatives and friend are also involved. For the person who believes in eternal life, the moment of transition is understandably a source of fear and anxiety. For the Christian, it is a crucial and momentous occasion in light of its giving access to either salvation or damnation that is sure to follow.

In Madagascar, there is no archetype, with regard to dying, for both the Christians and those practising traditional beliefs and customs. A sort of syncretism is created by a mingling of indigenous and Christian elements. An examination of beliefs, customs and traditional funerary practices demonstrates that hope for eternal happiness, through a unity with God, is the nexus that unifies the dying person and the witnesses.

For believers, this coming together is a sure way of overcoming the trauma of death. The Malagasy „art of dying” which is, to a great extent, the legacy of a non-Christian tradition, is also concomitantly responsible for the „art of living”. Essentially, the „art of living” requires a lifestyle that will guarantee burial in the family tomb and the subsequent unification with Zanahary, the One and Only God.

There is a gradually increasing number of persons who die in hospital. This reality is brought about by the popularization of hospitalization for the sick. This in turn creates technological isolation. This seclusion of the dying person from his or her immediate environment and the resulting medicinal treatment and supervision result in the unavoidable medical control of the dying. These conditions significantly reduce, and at times, completely eliminate the personal and religious dimensions of dying.

The „art of dying”, addressed in this chapter, is experiencing a gradual decline in keeping with the changing socio-cultural environment. This is most noticeable in urban settings. Far from the big cities, in centers where the civilizing influence of progress is not as evident, the „art of dying” has survived and is being preserved.

Evangelization in Madagascar, dating back to the 17th century (and especially active in the 19th century) contributed in large measure to the simultaneous practice of both Christian customs and the local indigenous rituals, at one and the same time. It is very important to note that, at no time at the beginning of the evangelical process, did the missionaries attempt to accommodate local customs to their Christian beliefs. Nor was there any attempt to eliminate them altogether.

There is no record of any conflict ever occurring between the Christians and indigenous communities. The primary goal of missionary work was the establishment and strengthening of new Catholic communities. But the resulting syncretism over the passage of time of Christian and native elements came about as the result of an insufficient number of missionaries working among the Betsimisaraka.