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Mircea Eliade – The Antaivandrika
Identifier
001789
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Patterns in Comparative Religion – Mircea Eliade
One tribe in Madagascar are called Antaivandrika, which means literally, the people of the tree vandrika; and their neighbours, the Antaifasy are descended from a banana tree.
'From that banana tree there came out one day a fine little boy, who in a little while became very tall and strong … he had many children and grandchildren, and they were the ancestors of this tribe; they are still sometimes called the children of the banana tree'.
Source Van Gennep Tabou et totemisme a Madagascar Paris 1904