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Since ancient times, the Malagasy people have held
Joro
before any important event in their lives. The main purpose of this
ceremony is to seek protection and blessing from the ancestors so that the deed or event may take place under the best conditions
possible. Each
Joro
was therefore organized to protect both the company and the community.
• Joro Rituals
Based on a date pre-defined by an ombiasy or fortune-teller, a leader will communicate the wishes of a person, family, clan, or
a whole community to the ancestors. Unlike commemorative celebrations, which should be held according to well-established
calendar, there is no specific timeframe for organizing a
Joro
, which may take several different forms. The simplest form would be
a person coming to make a wish at a sacred place bringing with him small gift. When the financial situation permits, a larger
Joro
,
which can bring together hundreds of people, can be organized.
For any important event in Ambatovy’s social life over the course of the construction phase, people have sought the organization of
a
Joro
. In addition to asking protection from the ancestors, it is also an opportunity to request the involvement of all stakeholders
concerned with the future event: officials, different social groups according to their importance and rank in the community, and
Ambatovy staff. Through successive speeches, all entities present express their approval of the proposed project.
In the case of a new construction, the sequence of events for a
Joro
can be summarized as follows:
When a new construction is planned, Ambatovy’s social team informs the leaders of the neighbouring villages.
Meetings are held to set the financial and technical conditions. In general, the community is responsible for everything related to the
rituals of the ceremony, while Ambatovy ensures the financial side of things: the purchase of sacrificial zebus, drinks, and potentially
transport. Thereafter, the
Ombiasy
or fortune-teller is consulted and determines the most fortunate day to organize the
Joro
. The
community will take this into consideration.
When all the guests are gathered on-site, the master of ceremony begins a long speech, explaining to the guests the reason for the
by mentioning their job titles without forgetting each clan represented by their respective leaders. He then mentions the names of
the known primary ancestors, to ask for their blessing. This litany may seem tiresome by its repetitive nature, but any omissions may
result in substantial damage. Therefore, the master of ceremony will make sure not to omit the reason of the
joro
for Ambatovy’s role
in this new construction. When the long presentations are complete, the master of ceremony will sacrifice a zebu, whose head must
always be turned eastward, by asking his assistants to cut the carotid artery of the animal, which is already lying down.
