Conceptions of Identity and Tradition in Highland Malagasy Clothing

Abstract

For the Merina and Betsileo peoples of highland Madagascar, one of the most powerful expressions of self—one's humanness, Malagasiness, and Merina- or Betsileo-ness—is indigenous raw silk, landibe (Borocera madagascariensis). Arguably one of the symbols highland Malagasy link most intimately with identity due to its significant ancestral ties and to its corresponding use in extensive ancestral traditions (fomba) and associated taboos (fady), it is therefore also one of the most potentially dangerous and hence controversial symbols. Yet, landibe is now being intentionally selected and manipulated to express identity in two highly disparate contexts—ancestral funerary ceremonies and national and international fashion runways—by two very distinct constituents—those who say they follow “tradition” and those who follow a global world view. The expression of identity is therefore complex, and based on personal and communal constructs of tradition, history, and memory that are all highly individualized yet intertwined.