Frank Janssens (Herentals, Belgium – 1968) started studying photography in the 1980’s in Antwerp. Because of his restless character, he soon gave up school and started traveling the world. To pay for his extensive travels, he worked on farms and waited tables. Except for a few tryouts, Frank actually never lived anywhere. Since the beginning of this century, Frank has worked as a tour guide in Africa and the Middle East. While traveling, he is always on the lookout for a story, which he can translate into an article or a picture frame. In recent years he has published a number of travel articles in different Dutch magazines and travel guides, always seasoned with the right pictures.
Introduction
Famadihana (reburial) is a funerary tradition of the Malagasy people in Madagascar. Known as the turning of the bones, people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts and rewrap them in fresh cloth, then dance with the corpses around the tomb to live music.
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Famadihana 1 / Near Antsirabe
Famadihana is a funerary tradition of the Malagasy people in Madagascar. Known as the turning of the bones, people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts and rewrap them in fresh cloth, then dance with the corpses around the tomb to live music. In this picture you can see one wrapped body being carried past the band.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 2 / Near Antsirabe
Big extended families may have lots of deceased ancestors in their tombs. Once every few years they will organize the happening and invite all living members to attend. Some of them will come from abroad to join in.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 3 / Near Antsirabe
Lots of beer, wine and locally brewed spirits will be on offer that day. As it goes with family reunions: widowed uncles might drink too much and start their own show on top of the tomb. This offends nobody. This is a day for celebration, not for sadness.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 4 / Near Antsirabe
Homes on the high plateau tend to be multi-storeyed and are constructed of mud bricks that are plastered with a hard drying mud coat that is then painted. Verandas are often made of elaborate scrolled woodwork. In this picture we see many members of the family crammed together on the balconies and in between the different parts at the parental house.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 5 / Near Antsirabe
Family members will bring gifts such as zebu meat, stews, soups, drinks, sweets and much more. During the celebration everything will be displayed, as if it was a market. People walk from stand to stand and sample the foods and drinks. Here we see a group of relatives enjoying their self-brewed liqueur.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 6 / Near Antsirabe
The ceremonial part of every famadihana starts with the singing of the national anthem. The family elders together with the invited town officials will climb the tomb and start the national anthem after the obligatory speeches.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 7 / Near Antsirabe
Not only family members are invited. Everybody from the valleys and towns in the neighbourhood, mayors, businesspeople and other big men with money are welcome. But also the accidental passerby is invited to stop and join the party.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 8 / Near Antsirabe
Often more than one band can be found on these occasions. Some with copper instruments like trumpets and others with harmonicas, violins and self-made guitars. The music has a certain gipsy (Balkan) sound to it.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 9 / Near Antsirabe
The ceremonial part of every famadihana starts with the singing of the national anthem. The family elders together with the invited town officials will climb the tomb and start the national anthem after the obligatory speeches.
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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Famadihana 10 / Near Antsirabe
The countryside of the Malagasy central highlands where we can find these famadihanas is sculpted with rice terraces and barley fields. In addition to being an important food source, rice is Madagascar's greatest export
Photograph by Frank Janssens / © Frank Janssens. All Rights Reserved.
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