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child fits into an astrological framework under the supervision of the ancestors. Once the time of birth or origin and the time of an action are established, the appropriate vintana, which will explain past, present, and future occurrences, can be learned. |
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For each individual there are auspicious and inauspicious lunar months, days, and hours. Arabic astrology has them written in the zodiacal calendar and on home decorations. As noted by Jacques Dez (1984:74; see also 1983), the adjustment of the Arabic system to the Malagasy system establishes a correspondence between the traditional agricultural months (volana) and the astrological months (vintana). But the adaptations do not stop there. The Malagasy have spatialized the temporal scheme represented by the vintana, assigning the major aspects of destiny (reny vintana) to the four corners of the house and its minor aspects (zana-bintana) to the walls (Dahle 1877a; Délivré 1974:148; Vig 1977:1). One can follow the aspects of destiny as they revolve around the earth or around a house (fig. 1). The rectangular Malagasy house is always oriented with the long sides running north-south. This orientation has both cosmic and social significance, and this double significance extends to tombs, cattle pens, and even villages, whose design also is generally rectangular. |
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How did such a transfer take place? Many links are missing in the chain of representations of the vintana over the centuries. It is easy to understand how there could have been a synthesis of the monthly calendars, but why was the vintana system imposed on Malagasy buildings? Among the Arabs, the zodiac is inscribed within a circle (Al-Biruni 1964). But in India the zodiac is represented in a rectangular form. As Indian influence is well documented in Malagasy cultural history, we may imagine that this Indian rectangle was directly associated with the rectangular shape of Malagasy houses and tombs, which shelter the individual from birth to death and afterward. Therefore, it appears that just as the Islamic astrological model meshed with the Malagasy lunar calendar, so the Indian representation of the zodiac found correspondence with Malagasy building forms. |
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The year starts with Alamahady (Arabic terms for the months are still used in Madagascar). This first month is always represented by the northeast corner. The other eleven months follow Alamahady clockwise in fixed order. Of the cardinal points, the northeast is considered the most favorable, and that corner is dedicated to ancestors, sacred offerings, and prayers. Important people are honored there also.
13 The other eleven vintana have their own powers, and each consists of two or three zana-bintana, which also have their representations around the house (fig. 2). |
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Each month contains two or three kitsary, or astrological "houses," of good or bad omen. These kitsary elements also refer to days. While the localization of the months is stable, the days rotate clockwise as necessary. In figure 2, for example, the meaningful event occurred on a day in the first part of Adaoro. To find out the astrological value of that day, one counts off twenty-eight days (or kitsary), moving clockwise from the day of the event (number one) and reaching the last part of Alahamady, which has a given value. If the value of this kitsary |
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