TATAO. 589 



although scarcely a year passes without one or two being 

 drowned, yet no inducement is sufficiently strong to over- 

 come their superstitious dread of allowing a canoe to ho 

 used." * 



Mention has been made in the chapter on Malagasy Nanus 

 of much that is curious in connection with them, but there 

 are two or three facts that may be perhaps more appropriately 

 considered as illustrations of folk-lore. For instance, it is 

 often difficult to get persons to tell you their name ; if asked, 

 their attendants or slaves will reply for them ; indeed in some 

 places it is fady for a person to pronounce his own name. 

 Mr. Grainge says, " Chatting with an old Sakalava while the 

 men were packing up, we happened to ask him his name, 

 whereupon he politely requested us to ask one of his servants 

 standing by. On expressing our astonishment that he should 

 have forgotten this, he told us that it was fady for one of his 

 tribe to pronounce his own name. We found this was per- 

 fectly true in that district." t 



There is a custom called Tatao, which consists in placing 

 on the head a portion of the rice, honey, and meat eaten 

 at the New Year's feast. But it is also employed on other 

 occasions ; thus, when crossing a stream which is dangerous 

 either from the strength of the current or the number of 

 crocodiles in it, those who have passed in safety take a hand- 

 ful of the water and put it on their heads, apparently as a sign 

 of thanksgiving. This practice seems to be a relic of some 

 ancient form of worship. Among the Betsileo the word 

 tatao is applied to heaps of stone and rubbish, called by the 

 Hovas fanataovana (see next chapter). 



Sickness and Death. — It will be readily supposed that 

 amongst the Malagasy there are many strange observances 

 and beliefs connected with death. Some of these have been 

 already described in the chapters on their Burial Customs, and 

 on their Language, but there are others more strictly belong- 

 ing to the present subject. 



At the death of a sovereign there are a number of things 

 which become fady, and must not be done for a specified 



* Antananarivo Annual, No. iv. p. 77. + Ibid. No. i. p. 24. 



T 



