Caves Of Madagascar

Caves Of Madagascar
By: Cave Spelunking

There are 18 different ethnic groups in Madagascar. The common thread that connects all of them is a powerful spiritualism that is both simple and complex. There are groups that practice Islam and groups that hold Christian beliefs, but all of them have a belief system in everyday life that is dominated by reverence for the spirits of their ancestors and other spiritual beings that roam the Earth, both above the ground and below the ground in the extensive cave system.

The people of Madagascar believe that when a person dies, the spirit stays behind. The spirit can "manifest" in any of several metaphysical entities. The most important spirits are the spirits of each person's own ancestors, called "razana." But there are other spirit entities that have almost the same importance. These other spirits are called "tromba" and are said to be the spirits of kings, queens, and children.

Then there are the earth, fire, and water genies to be considered. The razana, the tromba, and the earth, fire, and water genies control the destiny of the living.

Many of these spirits live in or have a connection to the caves that lay beneath Madagascar. The spirits most often found in the caves of Madagascar are those of people who have died in the caves or those who had some direct connection to the caves in life.

The beliefs vary between the different ethnic groups. One group believes that the dead live out their Earthly existence inside the caves, while others believe that the dead live out their Earthly existence among the living.

There have been several attempts to open the caves of Madagascar to the public and gain the financial advantage of tourism. There was even one attempt to electrify a cave, but fortunately, that didn't come to pass. Recently, a five-cave complex was opened near Belopoka.

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
Cave Spelunking.