Human Prudence and Implied Divine Sanctions in Malagasy Proverbial Wisdom1

Some initial definitions and explanations are needed. By 'Malagasy Proverbial Wisdom' is meant chiefly the standard collections of Proverbs (Ohabolona) which were begun by 19th century missionaries and have continued to be reprinted, expanded and adjusted up to the present.2 The most accessible and useful collection remains that of Houlder-Noyer-Sibree; although it lacks some proverbs found elsewhere, its arrangement is clear and the suggested meanings are reliable. It would be a mistake, however, to limit 'Malagasy Proverbial Wisdom' to the collections of Proverbs alone: there is a wide variety of patterned speech common in Madagascar, among all levels of society, and in particular those who have a good command of language enjoy and make great use of 'Hain-teny', ornamented speech, where allusion replaces directness, and the clever play on words, the bon mot, and the unexpected expression are highly valued. Inevitably we need to concentrate on the Proverbs that form a stable base for all Hain-teny, because living speech is less accessible than the written word. Malagasy Proverbial Wisdom is important for students of religion because it is one of the few evidences for social and religious factors in Madagascar before the arrival of Europeans. Malagasy society was illiterate before the mid-19th century, and except for a minute collection of magic texts in Arabic script (the Sorabe), the only written documents before then came from Europeans. Even the well-established kingdom of the central plateau (usually labelled the Imerina kingdom) had no written records, and the history of its founding kings was preserved in kabary, or formal discourses, themselves prime models of Hain-teny and full of allusive ornaments.3 Clearly the Imerina kingdom had established traditions and patterns of thought that helped to act as a social cement,