Zanahary and Ratovantany: The Creation of Humanity
In Malagasy mythology, the supreme sky god Zanahary and the earth god Ratovantany collaborated to create humanity. Ratovantany shaped the physical bodies from clay, but they remained lifeless. Zanahary, dwelling in the sky, breathed souls into the clay forms, animating them with divine essence. This division established Malagasy cosmology: upon death, the soul returns to Zanahary in the heavens, while the body returns to Ratovantany in the earth. This myth underpins the deep Malagasy reverence for ancestors (Razana), who are believed to dwell in the sky realm near Zanahary, serving as intermed