Hainteny
Encyclopedia
Hainteny is a traditional form of Malagasy
oral literature
and poetry
, involving heavy use of metaphor
. It is associated primarily with the Merina
people of Madagascar
. In its use of metaphor and allusion it resembles another type of poetry, the Malay
pantun
, and Fox suggests "it seems likely the Merina brought with them a Malayo-Polynesian
poetic tradition" to Madagascar. The Ibonia
, an epic poem related for centuries in different versions across Madagascar, reflects the value placed on the linguistic skills celebrated in the hainteny tradition.
Collections of hainteny were first gathered in print form on the orders of Queen Ranavalona I
in the 19th century. The French
writer Jean Paulhan
, who stayed in Madagascar from 1908 to 1910, made an intensive study of the hainteny and published a book of translations in 1913.
Hainteny often incorporates ohabolana (proverbs) and kabary (public discourse). Both of these two oral traditions remain integral parts of Malagasy daily life, where they are pronounced at such events as weddings, funerals, births and famadihana
and constitute an essential component of hiragasy
performances. They may also include angano (folktales and fables), tantara (historical narratives) or ankamantatra (riddles).
Examples:
(1787–1810), nonetheless owes much of its modern form, usage and meaning to standards set at his court. Kabary is a highly stylized form of speech that has formed an important part of Malagasy culture for centuries. One who speaks kabary is known as mpikabary. Skill in this form of ceremonial public speaking—in which ohabolana proverbs play a privileged role—is highly esteemed and one who shows himself to be a tompon'ny kabary (master of kabary) enjoys a higher level of respect and even authority. According to the classic collection of Malagasy folklore "Tantara ny Andriana eto Madagascar" the right to rule could even be determined by one's eloquence and skills in kabary, to the point where tompon'ny kabary and sovereign become interchangeable concepts:
Kabary forms an integral part of numerous important social ceremonies, including marriage, famadihana
, circumcision
and burial. By choosing to use the kabary speech style, a speaker can render any situation more formal and ceremonial, such as can happen when expressing condolences, offering thanks, formally addressing a gathering or giving a political address. To this day, skill in kabary can play a deciding role in the success of a Malagasy politician's career.
Kabary may be delivered by two or more mpikabary at the same occasion, and each one generally was nominated by and represents a portion of the audience present, as during hiragasy
performances. When this happens, kabary speech can take on somewhat competitive overtones as the speakers attempt to demonstrate their superior skills. The mpikabary typically addresses himself to the audience of his opponent, and while direct confrontation is generally frowned upon in polite society in the Highlands of Madagascar, if an opponent mpikabary makes an error in the form of the kabary or misstates an ohabolana, this is commonly pointed out in an indirect or delicate manner as evidence of greater mastery. The use of indirect language such as proverbs is viewed as the more challenging, adult manner of speaking and demonstrates skill, while direct criticism, bluntness, hateful speech or anything that causes loss of face to the audience or a rival speaker is censured and despised as lacking in skill. Kabary is generally the domain of men and not women, because women are believed and expected to speak in a more straight-forward way—including the expression of anger that can cause loss of face to the speaker—while men are expected to preserve face by taking the time to choose their words carefully when speaking to others. Nonetheless, some women may exceptionally engage in kabary (for instance, all queens), although men represent the vast majority of mpikabary.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
oral literature
Oral literature
Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, involving heavy use of metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
. It is associated primarily with the Merina
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 Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In its use of metaphor and allusion it resembles another type of poetry, the Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
pantun
Pantun
The pantun is a Malay poetic form. The pantun originated as a traditional oral form of expression. The first examples to be recorded appear in the 15th century in the Malay Annals and the Hikayat Hang Tuah. The most common theme is love....
, and Fox suggests "it seems likely the Merina brought with them a Malayo-Polynesian
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
poetic tradition" to Madagascar. The Ibonia
Ibonia
The Ibonia is an epic poem that has been told in various forms across the island of Madagascar for at least several hundred years. The Ibonia predates the introduction of the printing press in Madagascar in the early part of the 19th century and as such has long been part of the poetic and...
, an epic poem related for centuries in different versions across Madagascar, reflects the value placed on the linguistic skills celebrated in the hainteny tradition.
Collections of hainteny were first gathered in print form on the orders of Queen Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I , also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I, was a sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861...
in the 19th century. The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer Jean Paulhan
Jean Paulhan
Jean Paulhan was a French writer, literary critic and publisher, director of the literary magazine Nouvelle Revue Française from 1925 to 1940 and from 1946 to 1968. He was a member of the Académie Française...
, who stayed in Madagascar from 1908 to 1910, made an intensive study of the hainteny and published a book of translations in 1913.
Hainteny often incorporates ohabolana (proverbs) and kabary (public discourse). Both of these two oral traditions remain integral parts of Malagasy daily life, where they are pronounced at such events as weddings, funerals, births and famadihana
Famadihana
Famadihana is a funerary tradition of the Malagasy people in Madagascar. Known as the turning of the bones, people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts and rewrap them in fresh cloth, then dance with the corpses around the tomb to live music.The Famadihana custom...
and constitute an essential component of hiragasy
Hiragasy
The hiragasy is a musical tradition in Madagascar and particularly among the Merina ethnic group of the Highland regions around the capital of Antananarivo....
performances. They may also include angano (folktales and fables), tantara (historical narratives) or ankamantatra (riddles).
Ohabolana
"Proverb" offers a weak approximation of the meaning of ohabolana, which constitute no less than concise expressions of the Malagasy philosophical worldview. While the exact number of existing ohabolana is unknown, the largest published collection includes over 6,500 of them relating to all aspects of life and particularly the human condition. Fox has described ohabolana as constituting "a universal philosophy of life that transcends its Malagasy context and merits admiration as one of man's noble attempts to construct a valid moral and philosophical framework for his existence." Ohabolana are not the property of a particular class but are rather at the disposition of anyone who finds a salient application of a particular expression to a given situation. Their form persists unchanged from ancient times even when grammar and syntax of contemporary speech have since evolved because, as Fox notes, altering an ohabolana would constitute disregard for the venerated ancestors who are their originators. Ohabolana are characteristically brief, metaphorical, symmetrical in pattern and syntax.Examples:
Kabary
The tradition of kabary in Madagascar, which predates Merina King AndrianampoinimerinaAndrianampoinimerina
Ruling between 1787–1810, Andrianampoinimerina , born Ramboasalama or Ramboasalamarazaka at Ambohimanga around 1745 , initiated the unification of Madagascar under Merina rule and is considered one of the greatest military and political...
(1787–1810), nonetheless owes much of its modern form, usage and meaning to standards set at his court. Kabary is a highly stylized form of speech that has formed an important part of Malagasy culture for centuries. One who speaks kabary is known as mpikabary. Skill in this form of ceremonial public speaking—in which ohabolana proverbs play a privileged role—is highly esteemed and one who shows himself to be a tompon'ny kabary (master of kabary) enjoys a higher level of respect and even authority. According to the classic collection of Malagasy folklore "Tantara ny Andriana eto Madagascar" the right to rule could even be determined by one's eloquence and skills in kabary, to the point where tompon'ny kabary and sovereign become interchangeable concepts:
Kabary forms an integral part of numerous important social ceremonies, including marriage, famadihana
Famadihana
Famadihana is a funerary tradition of the Malagasy people in Madagascar. Known as the turning of the bones, people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts and rewrap them in fresh cloth, then dance with the corpses around the tomb to live music.The Famadihana custom...
, circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
and burial. By choosing to use the kabary speech style, a speaker can render any situation more formal and ceremonial, such as can happen when expressing condolences, offering thanks, formally addressing a gathering or giving a political address. To this day, skill in kabary can play a deciding role in the success of a Malagasy politician's career.
Kabary may be delivered by two or more mpikabary at the same occasion, and each one generally was nominated by and represents a portion of the audience present, as during hiragasy
Hiragasy
The hiragasy is a musical tradition in Madagascar and particularly among the Merina ethnic group of the Highland regions around the capital of Antananarivo....
performances. When this happens, kabary speech can take on somewhat competitive overtones as the speakers attempt to demonstrate their superior skills. The mpikabary typically addresses himself to the audience of his opponent, and while direct confrontation is generally frowned upon in polite society in the Highlands of Madagascar, if an opponent mpikabary makes an error in the form of the kabary or misstates an ohabolana, this is commonly pointed out in an indirect or delicate manner as evidence of greater mastery. The use of indirect language such as proverbs is viewed as the more challenging, adult manner of speaking and demonstrates skill, while direct criticism, bluntness, hateful speech or anything that causes loss of face to the audience or a rival speaker is censured and despised as lacking in skill. Kabary is generally the domain of men and not women, because women are believed and expected to speak in a more straight-forward way—including the expression of anger that can cause loss of face to the speaker—while men are expected to preserve face by taking the time to choose their words carefully when speaking to others. Nonetheless, some women may exceptionally engage in kabary (for instance, all queens), although men represent the vast majority of mpikabary.