414 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
nences enjoined on the villagers, but of which decency 
forbids the detail. They also bless the bullocks killed at 
the annual feast, which are led by the head people to the 
idols. They have their fady , or antipathies, like other 
idols. 
Ramanandroany, “ the governor of the past part of the 
day.”—It is pretended of this idol, that whoever tramples 
upon (i.e. insults) him, becomes blind, and his knees become 
swollen. But his principal boast is, to inflict punishment 
on an unknown thief. An application is made to him after 
the following manner :— 
The owner of the thing stolen takes a remnant of it 
to the idol, and says, “ As to whoever stole our property, 
O Ramanandroany, kill him by day, destroy him by night, 
and strangle him; let there be none amongst men like 
him; let him not be able to increase in riches, not even a 
farthing, but let him pick up his livelihood as a hen pecks 
rice-grains; let his eyes be blinded, and his knees swollen, 
O Mananandroany.” It is supposed these curses fall on the 
thief. Slaves, also, are taken by their masters to this idol, 
and a curse is pronounced upon them if they should waste 
their master’s property, or run away, &c. 
Rafotribe.—The name of this idol is the common appel¬ 
lation of respect given to elderly people. He is said to 
have been brought from Andringitra, a village considerably 
east of the capital. From thence he was conveyed to 
Angavo, a village about thirty-five miles east of Tana¬ 
narive. The tradition of his discovery was given by a 
native as follows:— 
“ A man, whose son was ill, was seeking a charm or 
medicine to cure the child; when, at Andavakampo, he saw 
the son of a nobleman, who said to him, 4 Go thou home, 
put a fence round thy house, and fetch up a bard to sing.’ 
