The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-29
DARK MADAGAscAR.
Strange Cnstonis and s-upsrstNens-
4 xioturssqus Dance.

"s n ~ AAS19AaA
OF madagascar, says;
One OF the most curious customs
practiced by the Sakalayas il 4 Kind Of
;no,n+oE,n ~ 49, Iii. 81,
80 wy
manga 70 lnduce q spirit OF ey1l,
which they believe possesses every one
who is i'll. to leave the hodv N which n
bas antora5 n 49, - rh:a.a
- 0iA.o - sins sp.tis
n.ais .ornls are gone tnrough noe the
direction Of q sorcerer. In all Sakala-
va towns there il q place arranged for
the DRIVING ont "a al, an,.;4a .1.t
.s$ =
lorm aoous seven ieet Q n and three
feet broad is supported about twenty
five feet in the;air by u straight up-and-
down ladder constrncted Il ona "a +bo
poles. Two mora n~ernead;cnIar noIas
stand at either end Of the platform and
about twelve feet fromtit.
At the tops of these last two poles
charms are tied, and on the ground
leaning against them. two w~oodenadoIs
are placed. When q spirit Is to DO
driven out, wood is brought to this
place and arrangements are made for
building fires round the circle inclosinp
the scaffolding and idols. Oxen and
bullocks are also brought and secured
near scafolding, the number depending
uponT the rank Of the sick person, Az
night approaches Tie invalid is brought
out, arranged in full dress, and hoistad
upon the platform. The cattle are then
killed and their blood smeared over the
bodies OF the people collected about the
place. AS the sun goes down the fires
are lighted, and drums andbamboos are
beaten. A.circle is then formed around
the sc%affolding and idols, and the peo-
pie, shouting and screaming, begin to
circle around in Q kind of dance, first
slowly, then faster and faster, until they
are nearly crazy. At the same time
spears are thrown high in the air and
the idols are struck at again and again
in order to force the gods to act.
All have on their dress
and the sorcerer. under whose direct;on
the affair Is being condncted. lsnaIlv
wears q very HIGH hat. porreously trim
med and decked with leaves and flowers.
As the dance continues the screaming
suddenly stops, and women and eiris
begin to sing in a monotonous refrain.
After the general dance the people fail
back out Of the ring. and q womanaso 81
rank, throwing off nearly all her cloth.
ing, steps within the circle OF FIRE ana
begins to dance, keeping time with fha
drums and bamboos. which make :
terrible din. This performance is otter
repeated several times before the sick
person Is given up. Union ona ncca.
sion in order to keen in the rood oracea
of the people. your correapondent was
obliged to take part in this dance. An
invalid who does not ret any better after
repeated attempts 10 drive ont the evil
spirit. is often treated in q most bar
barous manner poison Is either admin-
istered or a smear driven throreh the
breast. This last cure from misery Il
usually resorted to ~ the request Of
the invalid.
! The SakaIavas have another peculiar
and picturesque dance which takes
place by Notwithstanding mon the
nights Of the full moon. Drums are
beaten, banaboos and horns are blown.
and the whole village IA turned out.
All the men then form in an open
space. which serves as ! kind 81 parade
ground. The music continues and the
OhQG6 OGGlQS. the men III eJ06lc aEGa00a
representing the various movements
assumed in battle. There is the attack,
the conflict, the pursuit and the yic-
tory. All are shown by q kind Of act
ing. Their spears, which are very
long and bright, glisten in the noon
light as they are repeatedly hurled up
in the air and caught agar In d eland.
while a colored scarf Of some kind ii
waving in the other. To me the per-
Torrance was strange and exciting and.
undoubtedly. it is very inspiring to the
savage Sakalayas. Later ii the even
ing the women and children Join in the
dance, and singing and chanting be-
gins. Upon these war-dance nights q
large amount of native rum is consumed.
and sometimes several people are
killed. This dancing, singing and
spreeing always lasts throughout the
whole night.
In this land. where snnarst;t;nn
treachery and murder predominate. 4
Is not TRANCE that fnneralsnre conshant.
" OCCURRING, and thatthe stranrest and
most revolving performances ara in
dulped In mon these occasions5 Tha
first funeral which Witnessed vas fhat
Of man 81 no partienlar rank or nos.
ton. AS The corpsa was beino carr;ed
along IL was followed nv q ral,bIasof
mourners. who were ali acreaminr or
yelling. Atinteryals along The road Cha
corpse was placed on The ground and Z
series Of athletic Games wara com.
menced. in which smear exercise wastha
most prominent. When the place 81
burial was reached the CORPSE WAS
ii, SEtaSfa3S2 1850. FTZIH, ANNT0-