Symbol of royalty, zebu of Madagascar is a sacred animal. Sign of wealth and opulence, he made history and life of the Malagasy. From birth to death, zebu accompanies the daily life of the population.

the zebu : symbol of power and wealth

A zebu breeder will tell : comfort is not more important than the number of zebu. It's a question of tradition and culture. A person with 100 zebu heads is considered richer than that which has luxurious car and house. If you go to the south of the Big Island, you will notice that the fortune of a man by his account cattle, but also by its women. In the ritual of marriage, offer a zebu "mazavaloha" as brand endows the family affluence. Even death, a tomb with zebu heads is a sign of wealth from that underground.

The zebu and Malagasy rituals

As we have already mentioned, zebu is a sacred animal. All the circumstances of the life of a Malagasy revolve around this animal. Wedding, funeral, circumcisions, births ... Everything always ends up sacrificing one or more zebu. So, the killed and sacrificed beast will serve great meals for diners. And usually, the guests are the whole community. In the southern region of the island, zebu is a true worship. A man is not a man until he has beheaded a zebu head. and there, there is no inheritance issue. The zebu plays an important role in the turnaround of the dead or "famadihana", an ancestral ritual for Malagasy during which the dead bones are returned and draped by new shrouds. Sacrifice a zebu is customary to ensure that the ancestors of the living.

the zebu : indispensable in the daily lives of Malagasy

The zebu serves as help for people who live in the countryside. It is a tool to plow rice fields, working crop fields, but it is also a means of transport, especially for villagers. Simply having two zebu and cart and now, men, merchandise, all ships through the animal. This is invaluable especially in inaccessible areas of the island. To finish, Zebu is the main ingredient of the typical Malagasy cuisine : in "romazava" or skewers.