TAN ALA CIRCUMCISION. ■ 221 



" Be a man to overcome ! May you obtain ! Be strong with 

 the gun ! Be strong with the spear ! Eeach old age ! " &c. 



After the children's wounds are healed, the sovereign visits 

 the six ancient towns to give thanks at each of them ; oxen 

 being killed, and dancing and festivities kept up at each place. 



It will be seen from these particulars that the ceremonies 

 here described have reference chiefly to the children of the 

 royal family. Those observed at the circumcision of children 

 of the nobles and of the people generally are, however, very 

 much the same as those for children of royal blood, and need 

 not be further particularised. It will be remarked how very 

 important the ceremony is considered, from the numerous and 

 minute observances which have grown up around it in the 

 course of the centuries during which it has been celebrated 

 by the Malagasy. 



A word or two may be added as to some particulars in 

 which the practices of the other tribes in the island with re- 

 gard to circumcision differ from those of the Hovas. 



Among the southern Tan&la or forest people, if the child 

 of a reigning prince, or the child of his relations, should com- 

 mit any impropriety during the ceremony, the child by that 

 act loses caste ; and it is henceforth no prince, but is called 

 a " child of the knife " (zanak' ctntsy). 



" In former times, on the circumcision of a young prince, 

 the people had to be assembled, and a clever spearman was 

 appointed to carry the child to the place of circumcision ; and 

 there was another spearman who hid himself somewhere 

 about, and when the one carrying the child just emerged from 

 the house, this one hurled a spear at him who was carrying 

 the child. If he was struck and yet the child was unhurt, 

 the child lost caste and was no longer a prince. If the man 

 and the child were both struck, and both killed, nothing was 

 thought further about it. Should both the man and the 

 child escape unhurt, it was a proof that the child was a 

 prince." " Just before the time of circumcision the mother 

 of the child had to fast from several things. Should she be 

 guilty of disregarding any of the tabooed things or acts, she 

 made her child lose caste. The diviners (dmliasy) perform 



