RATOVOANTANY
allyGod
Ratovoantany, more often written Ratovantany and sometimes named Andriantompo, is the earth deity in Malagasy mythology. According to the creation myth, this being born of the soil itself shapes the first humans in clay or mud. He then concludes a pact with the celestial god Zanahary, also called Andriananahary: the sky god breathes in life and will gather the souls of the departed, while Ratovoantany will take back the bodies, which return to the earth to decompose there. This division between sky and earth grounds the Malagasy conception of death and the cult of the ancestors. Although the myth is widespread over a large part of the island, Ratovoantany did not know, unlike Zanahary, a developed cult of his own.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Founding presence. RATOVOANTANY stands at the root of the world and sustains the weave since before the beginning. Bound to the Malagasy pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of creation, embodiment of the power of Ratovoantany
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ratovoantany?
He is the earth deity in Malagasy mythology. Born of the soil, he models the first human beings in clay.
What pact binds him to the sky god?
With Zanahary, also called Andriananahary, he shares humanity: the celestial god gives life and gathers the souls, while Ratovoantany takes back the bodies, returned to the earth.
Was he the object of an important cult?
No. Despite the wide diffusion of the creation myth, he did not develop a cult of his own comparable to that of the celestial god Zanahary.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Wikipedia, article Ratovantany et article Malagasy mythology
- Charles Renel, Ancêtres et dieux : anciennes religions de Madagascar (1920)
- Alfred Grandidier et Guillaume Grandidier, Ethnographie de Madagascar, tome III : les croyances et la vie religieuse à Madagascar (1917)