Famadihana Stage 4 Comprehension PDF

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Madagascar Text focus: Information Text Famadihana In Madagascar, death isn’t forever. At least, that’s what many of the people believe. In fact, they...

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Madagascar Text focus: Information Text Famadihana In Madagascar, death isn’t forever. At least, that’s what many of the people believe. In fact, they have a tradition based around this belief called famadihana. It is also known as the turning of the bones. Part of Malagasy lore is the idea that spirits live on in nature. There are legends that the largest species of lemur, the indri, were created when a father and son went missing in the forest. Famadihana takes these beliefs one step further. It is traditional in Madagascar for people to be buried in large family tombs. They are wrapped in shrouds and placed carefully alongside their deceased relatives. Malagasy people believe that the spirits return but become trapped inside these tombs. There, they might become bored, cold or just lonely. Famadihana is a tradition that many believe helps the spirits to enjoy themselves. They believe that the spirit cannot travel to the afterlife until the body has turned to dust. Until that happens, the spirit must be looked after within the tomb. Every few years, the family tombs are opened at the beginning of a large celebration. The bodies of the deceased are removed from the tombs and carefully wrapped in straw mats as part of the ritual. People dance and sing while carrying their bodies over their heads. During the ceremony, bodies are laid out respec ully on the ground. The old shrouds are removed, and the bodies are re-wrapped. Their names are written again onto the shrouds so that they aren’t forgotten. Sometimes, parts of the old shroud are taken by family members as charms to help them overcome something in their lives. It is believed that the spirit of the deceased will travel in the piece of the shroud and look over them. Much like Dia de Muertos in Mexico, famadihana is a time of celebration rather than mourning. It is treated more like a family reunion than a funeral. There is lots of food, music and dancing and people celebrate the lives of the deceased. The celebrations can last up to A ding ro Rea und all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com two days. When it ends, the bodies are returned to the tombs, and they are sealed shut. Famadihana has become less common in recent years. The silk shrouds are extremely expensive, which means that poorer families can’t afford to keep up the tradition. Christian organisations have opposed it for a long time because it doesn’t match with the Christian idea of death. Plague is also a big problem in Madagascar. Laws have been passed to stop people from performing famadihana rituals with family members who have died from this disease. As an important part of Malagasy tradition, famadihana holds an important place in the culture. RETRIEVAL FOCUS 1. What is another name for famadihana? 2. Where is it traditional for Malagasy people to be buried? 3. Which other festival of the dead is referenced in the text? 4. What are the bodies wrapped in when they are removed from the tomb? 5. What is written on the new shrouds? VIPERS QUESTIONS S What is the purpose of famadihana? S Why are fewer people carrying out the ceremony now? V What does “deceased” mean? V What does the word “ritual” tell you about the ceremony? I Why might people want to celebrate with their deceased relatives? all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com