32+ ADOPTION OF CHILDREN. 



Malagasy usages (Deut. xxv. 5, 6) ; and there are special 

 phrases to denote such marriages. This is closely connected 

 with the strong family and clannish feelings of the Malagasy, 

 in accordance "with which people very seldom marry out of 

 their own tribe and family, so that property may be kept 

 together; just as by the Jewish law all land was to be 

 retained in the possession of the same tribe and family 

 originally holding it. (See Numb, xxxvi. 7, " The inheritance 

 of the children of Israel shall not remove from tribe to tribe ; 

 for every one shall keep to himself the inheritance of the 

 tribe of his fathers.") 



As, however, large families are very uncommon amongst 

 the Malagasy, and a considerable number of women are 

 childless, adoption is far more common among them than it 

 is with "Western nations, and, therefore, many passages in 

 the Epistles, such as " the adoption of sons," " the spirit of 

 adoption," &c., have a greater force to the people of Mada- 

 gascar than they have to us. And further, as there is much 

 less extreme poverty among the Malagasy than in our over- 

 crowded Western civilisation, children are most easily 

 supported, and are ardently longed for, often with the pas- 

 sionate earnestness shown by Hannah the mother of Samuel 

 (i Sam. i. 10-16). (For further particulars on this subject, 

 see chapters on Curious Customs, and on Eelationships.) 



Benedictions, Ciirscs, and Salutations. — From what has just 

 been stated, it naturally follows that to have children is 

 looked upon as one of the greatest of all blessings ; and the 

 benediction upon a bride in the patriarchal times, " Be thou 

 the mother of thousands " (Gen. xxiv. 60), finds its parallel 

 in the Malagasy blessing, Marda fara aman-dimby, "May thy 

 heirs and descendants be multiplied." 



In Malagasy benedictions and salutations the Divine 

 Name is most frequently invoked, as it is indeed by all 

 Eastern peoples ; but it would be an utter mistake to 

 suppose that this frequent use of sacred words is any 

 evidence of deep rehgious feeling. On the contrary, now 

 that our Christian people are beginning to appreciate the 

 obUgations imposed by the Third Commandment, we always 

 consider that a man is rather more of a heathen than others 



