Madagascar definitely has a unique culture. The island is known for its blended culture due to the various traditions practiced by its different ethnic groups. This uniqueness always makes tourists and even locals amazed by the things that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world.

One of the common customs and traditions perpetrated by all Malagasy people, regardless of their ethnicity, is the umbilical cord burial. It consists in entombing the placenta and umbilical cord of a new-born baby. In the Malagasy culture, the birth of a baby is an important event that deserves ceremonies. However, prior to any celebration, the placenta and umbilical cord of the baby must be beforehand taken home for burial in the grounds of the ancestral home. This ritual acts as a pre-established cultural construct of the human body and personhood of the baby. For Malagasy people, the placenta represents the ancestors, and the ancestors’ beliefs still govern today’s Malagasy culture.

Here is how the tradition goes.

When a baby is born, the father is conferred the umbilical cord and attached placenta. Following the tradition, the father takes them with him to bury under a stone – known as vato razana, which loosely translated means placenta-ancestor stone – at the entrance of the ancestral home or in a clean place around the family house. The stone is placed over the umbilical cord and placenta already wrapped in scraps of cloth that have been used during the birth once the hole has been refilled. When the father proceeds with the burial ritual, he must remain focused and avoid any distraction. In Malagasy beliefs, when the father gets distracted or only turns his head throughout the ritual, it may have a consequence on the baby once adult. Similarly, a new-born baby whose umbilical cord is lost or not buried correctly, he or she may end up being a forgetful grown-up.

How Malagasy society views the custom.

All customs and traditions are important to Malagasy people including the burial practice. Not only is it recognized to protect the child’s future, but it also represents the continuation of family lineage. That is why ancestors established this ritual and insisted that it must be made in the right way. Umbilical cords are buried because burial is believed to anchor the baby to the Earth. Just as the umbilical cord anchors the child and the baby in the womb, entombing it in the soil creates lifelong connection between the baby and the place.

This traditional ritual has not faded away. Until today, the umbilical cord burial is still practiced each time a new-born baby is added to the family.

Sources: “Place, Person and Ancestry among the Temanambondro of Southeast Madagascar”, Philip Thomas, 1996 / The Culture Trip