Andrianerinerina
Encyclopedia
According to one of several competing origin myths of the Merina
people of Imerina in the central Highlands of Madagascar
, Andrianerinerina is the incarnation of the son of God (Zanahary) from which the line of Merina rulers is said to have descended.
According to the legend, the son of Zanahary descended to Earth at a location named Nerinerina - source of the sovereign's Earthly name - to play with the Vazimba
, the reportedly primitive original inhabitants of Madagascar. The Vazimba were specifically warned not to cook Andrianerinerina's sheep because he couldn't consume their flesh, but one was nonetheless butchered and cooked in a stew that was served to him. By unwittingly eating the forbidden mutton, Andrianerinerina was no longer able to return to the heavens to rejoin his father. As a consequence, Zanahary gave the Vazimba a choice: to "untie the threads of their lives" or to accept Andrianerinerina as their lord and master. They chose to accept to serve Andrianerinerina rather than be destroyed by Zanahary, who then sent down one of his daughters as a wife to Andrianerinerina, and the royal line was begun.
Merina
The Merina are an ethnic group from Madagascar. The Merina are concentrated in the Highlands and speak the official dialect of the Malagasy language, which is a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language group derived from the Barito languages, spoken in southern Borneo. Their ancestors, the...
people of Imerina in the central Highlands of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Andrianerinerina is the incarnation of the son of God (Zanahary) from which the line of Merina rulers is said to have descended.
According to the legend, the son of Zanahary descended to Earth at a location named Nerinerina - source of the sovereign's Earthly name - to play with the Vazimba
Vazimba
The Vazimba , according to popular belief, were the first inhabitants of Madagascar. While beliefs about the physical appearance of the Vazimba reflect regional variation, they are generally described as smaller in stature than the average person, leading some scientists to speculate that they may...
, the reportedly primitive original inhabitants of Madagascar. The Vazimba were specifically warned not to cook Andrianerinerina's sheep because he couldn't consume their flesh, but one was nonetheless butchered and cooked in a stew that was served to him. By unwittingly eating the forbidden mutton, Andrianerinerina was no longer able to return to the heavens to rejoin his father. As a consequence, Zanahary gave the Vazimba a choice: to "untie the threads of their lives" or to accept Andrianerinerina as their lord and master. They chose to accept to serve Andrianerinerina rather than be destroyed by Zanahary, who then sent down one of his daughters as a wife to Andrianerinerina, and the royal line was begun.