Rafaravavy Rasalama (c. 1810/1812 - 14 August 1837) was a Malagasy Christian martyr, the first from her country. Rasalama was a pupil in one of the village schools which had been created in

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 ...

by the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

in 1824; she was likely one of the first to become a student. Her family later moved to Manjakaray, at which point she joined the community at Ambodin'Andohalo. In May 1831 she was baptized, becoming one of the first Malagasy to take the step; on June 5 of the same year she participated in the Lord's Supper at Ambatonakanga. Christianity was banned on the orders of

Ranavalona I Ranavalona I (born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina; 1778–16 August 1861), also known as Ramavo or Ranavalo-Manjaka I or Ranavalona reniny, was the sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After positioning herself as queen fol ...

in 1835, and Rasalama went into hiding as a result; discovered living in a cave, in July 1837 she was arrested and enslaved. She remained patient despite maltreatment, but when she asserted a refusal to work on Sundays and reasserted her faith she provoked her master's anger. Rebelling against the will of the queen carried a sentence of death. Rasalama spent the night before her execution in irons; the following day she was taken to Ambohipotsy. She sang hymns and prayers on the way to her execution, a walk which has remained well-remembered. Dispatched by

spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...

s, she was left unburied.

Memorials

Today the site of her martyrdom is marked by a memorial church. Rasalama's death impressed her fellow Malagasy deeply, and attracted notice from British Protestants as well. She is remembered with a memorial plaque in Brunswick Chapel in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

Movie

The first movie made by a black African was a 1937

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

short ''Rasalama maritiora (Rasalama)'' by Malagasy film director Philippe Raberojo (Raberono) on the occasion of the centenary of her martyrdom.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasalama, Rafaravavy 1810s births 1837 deaths Converts to Protestantism 19th-century Protestant martyrs Executed Malagasy people Malagasy Protestants