Motif
Taboo against disturbing tombs
taboo_against_disturbing_tombs
A motif of the Sacred Law and Social Order family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
malagasy
-
Madagascar Before the Conquest: The Island, the Country, and the People ANTANANARIVO FROM THE WEST. SOUTH END OF CITY / CHAPTER L / FROM COAST TO CAPITAL. II / CHAPTER II.; lines 1334-1438 confidence: high
Ancient Vazimba graves are stone heaps scattered in the central province, generally shaded by semi-sacred fano trees whose seeds are used in divination; the author compares possible opening of these graves to opening English barrows and states that disturbing tombs is a heinous offence among the Malagasy.
The passage explicitly says that meddling with any tomb, especially an ancient one, is a heinous offence among the Malagasy.
read in the book →