When we speak of Madagascar's Grand South, the Bara immediately come to mind. This people of nomadic herders is renowned for their culture of African influence, yet one that remains distinctly Malagasy. Zebu theft, zebu rodeo, ringa (wrestling), papango (traditional dance), famadihana (turning of the bones) and savatse (collective circumcision) characterize this exceptional people!

Their land and history

The Bara are said to be descendants of an African of Bantu origin named Rabiby. He is believed to have come on an expedition with a thousand men to the Great Island, landing on the southwestern coast.

Today, their territory is said to be delimited by the Mangoky River to the south, extending northward to Beroroha, passing through Midongy to the east and Sakaraha to the west. They are also present in the Isalo massif and in Horombe.

The Bara are renowned as fierce warriors, feared by all other Malagasy ethnic groups. They hold their freedom dear and defend it at any cost. Having retained their own monarchical system, this people remains highly independent and has never submitted to any other authority in the country.

They are famous for their adornments (neck and head collars, pendants, talismans, African hairstyles, etc.), their weapons (spears, knives, swords and especially rifles) and the passion they devote to their herds, symbols of power, prosperity and great pride!

A culture all their own

The land of the Bara is known for its extreme climate! The Grand South is desert-like. The women who care for households and children must sometimes travel kilometers to find water. Men too walk great distances with their herds in search of new pastures.

The zebu, a venerated animal, is omnipresent in the life and death of the Bara!

Even if some boys attend school, they are initiated from a young age into zebu herding. In their adolescence, tradition dictates that they steal zebus to prove they have become men, that they are courageous and worthy of a woman. Nowadays, this practice has been distorted and perverted, changing the definition of dahalo!

To train, men also wrestle with the zebus in a kind of rodeo! At their death, the Bara sacrifice as many zebus as they can afford. At the entrance to their tomb (in caves), they display the skulls of sacrificed zebus to block the entrance, as the place is sacred!

Another striking feature of Bara culture is the ringa, a form of wrestling, and the papango, a dance mimicking the flight of the hawk, called papango. A man suspended on a pole practices the dance while others dance on the ground.

And like all Malagasy peoples, the Bara practice famadihana (turning of the bones) every five years and circumcision during the savatse. This takes place roughly every seven years, allowing male children to be recognized by their clan and to gain the right to be buried in the family tomb.

The wonders of Bara country

The land of the Bara is not limited to the Grand South desert known for its food insecurity. This people also occupies extraordinarily beautiful territories, including the Andringitra massif, the Makay massif, Isalo National Park, Zombitse Vohibasia, a bird lover's paradise, the Ihorombe plateau, and more.

The fauna and flora at these sites are naturally rich and largely endemic. The southern corridor is moreover the most renowned and appreciated of all Madagascar's tourist routes!