The fady or taboos

The fady or taboos is known as a thing, an act, a food or other prohibited, the fady is inseparable from the Malagasy culture. It is the custom that still governs the lives of Malagasy and that they grant an imposing and dominant place in their lives. The fady, as they call them, manifests itself in different forms and especially in different origins.

The origins and some examples of fady:

Sooner or later, all visitors who come on holiday to Madagascar will hear about the fady and must respect it, so before coming here, they might as well know more. The fady are transmitted with stories and legends that can reinforce the origin of the rule. For example, lemurs are not edible for many Malagasy since an old legend tells that the spirits of the ancestors live on them with these lemurs. Another well-known fady is also the prohibition to point a finger at graves since they are sacred. Instead, in many places, you will be asked to use your clenched fist to show such places.

Otherwise, the origins of the fady is also the conquest of the island dominated by the Merina. Some rivers are prohibited at merina for war reasons. So the fady has stories that are passed down from generation to generation. Often, each clan has its fady according to their own history.

The characteristics of fady
Imposing, the fady is considered as a kind of poison or spell that applies to the one who does not respect. Out of fear and belief, it is important for every Malagasy to respect it. It also happens that the fady applies to an entire village and if ever a single member does not respect it, the others suffer with that person the consequences of their actions. For these reasons, the Malagasy people are very attentive to it.