The Vazimba
In Madagascar's highlands, people tell of the Vazimba, the island's first inhabitants, whose spirits still live in springs and lakes.
What was reported
In the traditions of Madagascar's central highlands, the Vazimba were the first people to live on the island, before the ancestors of today's Malagasy arrived. They are often described as small and living close to water.
Their spirits are believed to dwell in springs, rivers, lakes and rocks, and places associated with them are treated with care. Offerings are made there, and certain things, such as pork, are forbidden nearby.
Explanations offered
Historians debate who the Vazimba were: perhaps early settlers who lived in the highlands before later migrations, remembered in oral tradition. Others see them mainly as spiritual figures. Their sites remain important in Malagasy culture.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Lake Itasy and the central highlands, Madagascar
- Witnesses
- Malagasy tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.