Ambohidrabiby Favorites

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Favorite thing: With those voafotsy tea trees, fragrant shrubs whose names I don’t know, ferns, pinewoods, eucalyptus, some wild fruit trees, one could guess it would have been a scenery of lush greenery if it wasn’t winter time. Some leaves were green but the grass was dry. That was in September, the time of the year a serious water shortage threaten usually turns into reality.

Of the many hills I hiked, Ambohidrabiby seems to be the most affected by this water shortage. Talking with one local there, I confided my surprise to find a village which hasn’t changed much from ancient times here. In a sense, it’s a good thing. Still, I had to explain how came Ambohidrabiby village, despite its importance in Merina history & its renoun, seemed to be so “small”, so “underdeveloped”… if not to mean so “poor”. Was explained that exodus was accountable for this situation. Over the decades, the big noble families had reportedly lost contact with their city. This resulted in the loss of interest & lack of incentives to develop the area. Even the peasants have trouble finding water for their cultivation. Not influent enough to be heard, they were once given a pump for the whole city. But even with a pump, it still suffers from the low water level in the round in winter. Also, in other hills like Mangabe, Amboatany, there are valleys on some flanks that naturally collect water & could comprehend vegetable patches, ricefield patches… In Ambohidrabiby, I noticed two schools (which isn’t a bad thing), a church and old houses. Some are getting refurbished. Any hope for some revitalizing change here ?

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Favorite thing: Serenity

Views

Following the signs to the cave, I went out of the compound, skirting the moats.
Here are some of views I had from there... Then, it already comforted my assumption that one got to really wander around in Ambohidrabiby, get out of the historical place that is the sacred & medieval compound. In fact, most of my time spent in the area was to walk up and down the hill. North face, Western face, Eastern face… whatever. I felt like a green pea in a tin that get shaken, going up, going down in all senses… Did that without even noticing how time flied.

Mind you, I first climbed the hill and got past the Ralambo gate. Entered the village and headed to the compound, had a little stroll there. Sitting on a bench near the amaryllis flowers as that morning, I was there early enough to see schoolkids (older than those who greeted me earlier) gathering in front of the museum before it was time to join their classroom at a school nearby. Either playing, either chatting, either gossiping abut this big lady with a camera looking at the stone tombs… When the kids were gone, it was serenity all over the place. Could sit there alone soaking up the ambience. Was only afterwards, that I left the compound to follow the Manendy trail by skirting the moats. Then, at a point, had to walk in the moats to reach the grotto… Didn’t enter the cave though, walking there alone was a bit freightening. One of rare moments I didn’t feel safe.

Along the hike, breathtaking views, memorable sights.

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Favorite thing: For a site this size, the Ambohidrabiby village is surprisingly well-indicated. Signs to lead you to main points of interest. I saw what to be seen within the compound when I noticed from this sign-pole there were still some other stuffs to see. Amongst them, Fatsakan’Andriana, (a Sacred Well, used for worshipping rituals), the moats… The moats included this portion which Manendy folks, ancient inhabitants, took to flee away when chased by King Ralambo. Intriguing enough to attract me & the perspective of walking out of the compound to see the village, the flanks, the moats enthralled me.
I chose to walk to the Manendy cave.

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Favorite thing: Ambohidrabiby Rova (or rather, what remains of it), for it containing the tombs of ancient Kings, is a sacred place, full of symbols.

The zebu head is a symbol seen in quite every sacred & historical place in Imerina area. Zebu used to be a prized animal here & used for sacrifice. Its meat used to be considered as the tastier. Zebu meat is the meat of premium choice for Fandroana (Royal Baths) rituals; when welcoming the traditional Malagasy New Year: a big yearly celebration that could span for weeks… where lords used to care for their subjects (the inhabitants of areas they used to rule), feed them with zebus whilst the King himself used to order for some special zebu (volavita) to be slayered. He’ll help a serving himself with his piece of choice (usually the fat vodihena, the rear) then will distribute some to his family, “colleagues”.

For a long time, King Ralambo was reported to be the one who introduced zebus in Imerina. In fact, he was not the first to have introduced them, rather the first to have actually domesticated zebus and eaten zebu meat. I saw this zebu head on the ground whilst this usually is hanged either on the roof of a “sacred house”, on a rod. On the ground ? Have never seen this ? Anyway, zebu seems to occupy a certain place here.

continued in Fondest Memory...

Fondest memory: Another symbol & an element important in worshipping an ancestor: a Stone in his name. Sacred, of course. This one on the second picture is in honor of Rabiby & his spouse (as the founder & first King of Ambohidrabiby). Notice the star and the moon carved in the stone. It is to indicate that the ancestor worshipped used to be an astrolog. Btw, not every ancestor has a sacred stone, mostly Kings, the close entourage and their colleagues (counsellors, top officiers, their astrologs). See the black stain on the stone ? It’s due to the candles lit before it. Also, at its base, it is possible to take with you some of the sacred earth (if you believe in its power, that is).

Picture 2, Jean Laborde's oven.. Jean Laborde was a kind of engineer (an aventurer & jack-of-all-trade shipwrecked in the 1840s) who helped many of the 19th cent Kings & Queens to plan works & executed them himself (w/ the help of a few Europeans & thousands of locals). Reported to have introduced some technology in weapon making, in industrial domains (produced iron, steel, muskets, gunpowder, light cannons, metal-working lathes, watermills, glass, machine-spun cotton, spinning machinery...). Not a popular person because sent by Napoléon 3rd to establish French influence on the island... but was in acquaintancy with the Kings & Queens. The same Ranavalona I who countered European influence (incl. Christianism) was so grateful she gave him distinctions. Very little she knew about the turns of history when she asked him to create the country's engineering & industrial complex.
Anyway, I don’t see what this big iron should do here, nowadays. Difficult to ignore it! It’s the first big thing you see while entering the compound. Laborde’s tools & personal belongings are of some commercial value. Still, I think they should be removed from those sacred sites they don’t belong to & be gathered in one place where they could be seen.

Fondest memory: ... Once in a while, a debate uses to rise within our family circle. We noticed that the more a village had of descendants of ancient slaves, the less polite the village kids were. Is it due to the fact that their forebears used to be raised without any education at all & that transmission of family values could be affected by this ? Still, once, I was reported a conversation with an adult villagewoman of ancient slave origins. Seems kids in those homes are told to never greet adults with "Manao ahoana, Tompoko", equivalent to "Good morning, Madam" or "Good morning, Sir". Seems due to the translation of this "Tompoko", that literally means "Lord (of the manor)" or "Squire" or "Dame" as it is invariably used for both genders. They'd still see some "master-slave relationship" in "Tompoko". It's however the standard phrase to use when greeting people one is not familiar with. Plus, kids are usually required to greet adults with "Manao ahoana, Tompoko" whilst here, they'd be probably asked to not greet at all, let alone do it like any Malagasy kid would do.

In Ambohidrabiby, those kids could deal with some "turn-of-the-era" changes. Indeed, some of the Ambohidrabiby schoolkids who'd be of noblemen origins could have greeted me with any old-fashioned noblemen greeting whilst those of slave origins (like those numerous in my village) could have done it the "Malaza way". Instead, the Ambohidrabiby option seems to have bet on the modern-day greeting. "Manao ahoana, Tompoko" is the academically admitted for formal greeting in Standard Malagasy. It's supposed to be neutral, as would be "Good morning, Madam" or "Good morning, Sir". No indication of class, no indication of region of origin, no indication of cast. But still polite, still pleasant. In the same time, the Malagasy tradition of greeting is still kept, as it should be in little towns and villages (except for most of Malaza kids, that is ;-).

Favorite thing: General Tip 1: Medieval city flair kept... (amaryllis)

My first daytrip to Ambohidrabiby was the first of a series of "hilltrips". The latter consist of walking, wandering in an area to climb hills. For those, I used to choose historical hills as ancient kingdoms used to have their fortified centers on hills. Ambohimanga hill is the first that comes to mind, for this. Perfect exercise-wise and some history. To vary destination, I chose Ambohidrabiby as I used to climb & visit the UNESCO-listed Ambohimanga in the past (then, that was cheating as my MD used to forbid the hills until the days preceeding this Ambohidrabiby hilltrip).

Ambohidrabiby is a medieval town that was reportedly founded in 16th cent. by an Arabman bearing the name of Habib (astrolog). Was he Arab or Jewish, seems to be a debate about it. Anyway, his Malagasy name, Rabiby, was given to the city as it is named after him: "The city of Rabiby". Seems he was the one who imposed the name, it was named Ankotrokotroka in the past. Rabiby's daughter married a prince who came from Alasora, Prince Ralambo, who became King of Ambohidrabiby, succeeding his stepfather. Both kings used to be considered as the Men of the place. During King Ralambo reign (1575-1610), Ambohidrabiby was the second capital of his kingdom, the first being Alasora. Ambohidrabiby ranks high among sacred hills in Imerina as it belongs to the 12 main sacred hills of Imerina, meaning it played a keyrole in the history of the ancient Merina kingdom. In fact, King Ralambo was the first to instaure some dynasty order within the Merina nobility system. Noblemen from Alasora, Andriantompokoindrindra (his eldest son's descendants), Zanadralambo (lit. "Children of Ralambo", descendants of Ralambo's other children) used to be amongst first Merina dynasties & they rank high within the nobility system.

Fondest memory: - Strolling in this village (cannot help it, rather than "city", "village" is the word that springs into mind), I was feeling weird reading plaques with big names of Kings & stating how modest the area was. Truth is, Ambohidrabiby heydays dated back to the 18th cent, at latest. I guess they ended when King Andrianampoinimerina of Ambohimanga merged the two neigbours (his hill & Ambohidrabiby) into the Kingdom of Ambohimanga, the to-be First king of Imerina reigning from 1788 till 1810. Buildings there were reported to have been burnt by settlers (European powers). It used to be a Rova (royal fort: a palace, tombs of Kings & spouses, speech place, market place & cattle enclosure walls in some cases). What remains are old stone tombs and moats... and a museum, where I learnt about the history of the area.

Another fond memory: The warm welcome of polite school children I crossed while climbing the hill upon my stepping out of the bus at the foot of the hill. The kids were heading to their school. I went past to it some minutes earlier."Manao ahoana, Tompoko ô!" they screamed. To which I eagerly replied "Manao ahoana ô!". Whenever I think back of my first daytrip to Ambohidrabiby, the sight of those polite kids usually spring into mind. I'd suspect the education received from schools in a noblemen & ancient royal city had to do with it. In fact, I compare Malaza (my village) kids to the "new blood" of other villages. In Malaza, schoolkids are not polite at all, rarely greet adults people. Whenever they do, it's in a very rude way. No "Good morning, Madam" or "Good morning, Sir". Instead, "Hi" in an unfriendly tone like if they were obliged to say it. You'd even want to ignore them, sometimes. Plus, Malaza kids use to be so unpolite they would yell on adults, laugh at them & give nicks. Comparatively, kids in Isahafa, a neighbouring village, use to be more polite than those we have "home". :-)

... to be continued in next tip as "Fondest memory"