The ''Ibonia'' is an

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

that has been told in various forms across the island of

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

for at least several hundred years. The ''Ibonia'' predates the introduction of the

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...

in Madagascar in the early part of the 19th century and as such has long been part of the poetic and storytelling oral traditions of the island. The first known transcription of the story was recorded in the 1870s and rapidly gained canonical status in the African literary tradition, being reprinted in numerous collections across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Plot

The tale begins with the conception and birth of Ibonia (Iboniamasiboniamanoro or "he of the clear and captivating glance") who demands to be betrothed to Iampelasoamananoro ("Girl of Grace") while still in the womb of his mother, Beautiful-Rich. Before they can be married, however, Iampelasoamananoro is taken away by Revato ("Stone Man"). Before setting off to win her back, he engages in a verbal duel with Great Echo and beats him. Great Echo in return offers Ibonia advice on how to pass a series of tests that will confront him on his quest to regain his wife. Ibonia visits his parents before setting off on the quest and his mother spurs him to prove himself by successfully fighting a series of powerful animal and human adversaries. She then attempts to dissuade him from his quest by presenting him with other wives, which he refuses. Ibonia displays his wit and physical prowess to overcome the challenges he encounters, including dressing himself in an Old Man's skin to get closer to Stone Man and Joy-Giving girl until his unprecedented talent for playing the

valiha The valiha is a tube zither from Madagascar made from a species of Valiha diffusa, local bamboo; it is considered the "List of national instruments (music), national instrument" of Madagascar. The term is also used to describe a number of re ...

(a traditional bamboo

tube zither The tube zither is a stringed musical instrument in which a tube functions both as an instrument's neck and its soundbox. As the neck, it holds strings taut and allows them to vibrate. As a soundbox, it acoustic resonance, modifies the sound and ...

) and fanorona (a traditional game played with stones on a board) gives him away. Ibonia wins his confrontation with Stone Man and escapes with Joy-Giving Girl. The two remain married for about ten years before the relationship is ended by Ibonia's peaceful death.

Variations

Three similar versions of the story as described above were collected by folklorists in the 1870s. However, six distinct versions in total have been recorded by folklorists and the variation from the base story increases with the distance from the Central Highlands. Among the Tanala and the Antakarana, for example, major plot features, such as the fate of the Stone Man or the character of the Girl of Grace, can vary significantly.

References

Ibonia (full text).
University of Virginia. Accessed on November 15, 2010.

Plot

Variations

References

Further reading