302 HOUSEHOLD WORSHIP. 



whole of the charms and sdmpy throughout the central 

 province of Imerina were also destroyed. In almost every 

 village a heap of curious and worthless looking objects which 

 had long been regarded with reverence were collected together, 

 and, to the horror of many of their worshippers, met with the 

 same fate as the principal gods. 



In the other parts of Madagascar the idolatry of the people 

 seems never to have reached the development it had attained 

 among the Hovas ; it was, and indeed still is, more of a 

 household, and occasionally, a tribal, worship of charms, and 

 every man was j^riest in his own house. Speaking of the 

 people in the south-west of the island, Drury (1702-17 17) 

 says : " There are no people here who pretend to be 

 greater favourites of the Supreme Being than other men, 

 and to have a particular commission to interpret and declare 

 His will. No one here yet has been so presumptuous as to 

 attempt this ; and if any one should be so hardy, he would 

 meet with but few to credit him. Every man here, the poor 

 man as well as the rich lord, is a priest for himself and his 

 family, and expects the demons should answer his requests 

 in his dreams." In another part of his narrative he describes 

 this household worship, which consisted of placing the family 

 idol or bly {bdy in Hova and other dialects) upon a forked 

 stick, burning a fragrant gum under it, and invoking the 

 Supreme Being and some inferior divinities. 



A native account of the Sihanaka tribe relates that an 

 old man of the district said : " We had no religion except 

 making offerings (sbrona) and sacrifices {fanalamhoady), 

 while our country was still separate from the Hovas ; but 

 when the country was conquered by Eadama I., then were 

 lirst brought here the idols called Itsimahalahy and Eama- 

 havaly. But notwithstanding that," said he, " we regarded 

 their worship only as Government service which must be 

 performed, for we did not see the meaning of it; for the 

 only idol (or charm) we Sihanaka made use of was a charm 

 for preserving cattle, and that we did not worship, but it was 

 taken by the herdsmen into the pastures with them." * 



Sacrifices. — Sacrifices were offered by the Hovas, and are 



* Antananarivo Annual, No. iii. p. 66. 



