ALTARS. 305 



allow his blood to be shed as an offering to sanctify the new 

 royal house. His offer was accepted, the corner-post was 

 raised, and he was fastened to the top, and prepared himself 

 to die. But the King gave private instructions that his ear 

 only should be cut, and that at the same time a quantity of 

 water dyed with a red bark shoidd be sprinkled over the post, 

 so that the people thought that Eatrimofoloalina was really 

 killed. But he was soon brought down again, his bonds cut, 

 and then the King in the fulness of his gratitude offered him 

 anything he should chose : oxen, fighting bulls, an estate, 

 money, or to be made a prince. He chose, however, some- 

 thing different, and the King agreed that to the latest genera- 

 tion the descendants of the man who had offered his life for 

 his sovereign's benefit, should never be put to death for any 

 offence, or be placed in irons, or punished for any theft of the 

 sovereign's property. From that time, therefore, the clan 

 descended from Eatrimofoloalina has been known by the 

 name of Tsimatimanota, i.e., " ISTot killed (although) trans- 

 gressing." 



Altars, and Sacred Stones and Places. — Although the 

 Malagasy have no temples they have sacred places, where 

 certain sacrifices are offered, and which may be considered 

 as a kind of altar. Of these, the headstones of their tombs, 

 rude undressed slabs of blue granite or basalt, are the most 

 prominent, being, as already mentioned, anointed with the 

 blood and fat of the animals killed both at funerals and on 

 other occasions, especially at the New Year's festival. In 

 numerous places, other stones may be seen anointed in a 

 similar way. Some of these are in the bed of streams, being 

 thus honoured to propitiate the spirits supposed to dwell in 

 the water or around it. Other stones are anointed by women 

 who wish to obtain children. 



Among the forest tribes (Tanala), Mr. Brockway describes 

 the following kind of altar as seen by him : — " One outside 

 the forest was a perfect altar, upon which no tool had ever 

 been lifted, and was about two and a half feet high. Three 

 stones (the tripod) were firmly fixed in the ground, and a large 

 flat one covered these ; the whole finding a back-piece in a 



