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a house or a tomb. The Malagasy also have specific days to repudiate a contract, wash new clothes, remove their hairs, warp a cloth, or set up the bed of the mother of a newborn child. The manuscript at the Musée de l'Homme even includes predictions about different smells of unknown origin and about flies getting under someone's clothes (A. and G. Grandidier 1917:620). |
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Rajaonarimanana found these same predictions, together with many others, in the unpublished manuscript 10 of the Malagasy Academy.
16 The predictions are multiple, since they deal with events as different as animals visiting humans, atmospheric phenomena, and shivering. Yet they all have the same specificity; their significance varies according to the time when these events happen. By themselves they are neither good nor bad, and they may lead to opposite predictions if they happen at auspicious or inauspicious times. |
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This extract from manuscript 10 enumerates the probable events predicted by "the fly that gets under your robe when you are around people": |
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In Alamahaly, something good will happen.
In Asoro, something good will happen.
In Alizaoza, a disease is on its way but it won't last.
In Asaratan, you will get a new robe.
In Alahasady, something nasty will be said behind your back.
In Asombola, you will meet someone.
In Alimiza, the escaped prisoner will come back.
In Alakarabo, you will meet someone.
In Alakaosy, someone will come and visit you.
In Adalovy, there will be a separation. |
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Thus, from an apparently insignificant occurrence, happy or unhappy events are predicted according to the astrological month of the occurrence. When a rat has chewed on a piece of clothing predictions are given for each half day in the week; but predictions vary according to the number of holes made by the rat. Here then one finds the notion of odd versus even, a distinction which is so essential in the sikidy geomancy. |
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The exploration of vintana by traditional astrological methods is not always possible. Such is the case, for example, when the consulting person does not know his date of birth. It may also happen that the ombiasy consulted will prefer to use the sikidy technique. Sikidy was described by Flacourt in the seventeenth century: |
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The Omptsiquili methods are generally used by Negroes and Anacandries; this is what is called Geomancy; the drawings are similar to those found in geomantic books, except that here they predict on a small wooden board, covered with sand, on which they draw with their fingers, while observing the day, the time, the month, the Planet, the sign representing the time when they make predictions, at which they are very good. However they rarely find the truth, and some of them, adding their own intuition to their prediction, are sometimes accurate, and are therefore admired and held in esteem by everybody. The ill ask for their advice in order to get better; some others ask them questions about their work; many of them |
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