Possessed and dispossessed youth: Spirit possession of school children in Northwest Madagascar

Abstract

Spirit possession is a common experience shared by many women in northwest Madagascar. In the town of Ambanja, possession by volatile and dangerous Njarinintsy spirits is an affliction which strikes young, adolescent schoolgirls. When Njarinintsy is contrasted with tromba, another well-known class of spirits found in this region, it becomes clear that Njarinintsy possession is a relatively recent phenomenon, and its victims form a discrete and unusual group. These girls are, in essence, young migrants, who have moved alone to town in order to attend school. Close examination of their experiences reveals that these young girls must cope, on their own, with the conflicts and contradictions that plague the shift from rural to town life, and from youth to adulthood. Such problems are further complicated by those associated with educational policy in Madagascar. These children, more than any other members of this community, suffer from the contradictions of a fragmented world. Possession provides them with a means through which to express the chaos inherent in their daily lives.

Youth and Cultural Practice

“…The stress of competition for educational access and the social mobility it promises has been cited as the source both of outbreaks of witchcraft-induced health problems among students in Botswana (Burke 2000) and of disordered and violent behavior caused by spirit possession among schoolgirls in Madagascar (Sharp 1990). However, such stress is also evident in more industrialized societies.…”

Between the Umbrella and the Elephant: Elections, Ethnic Negotiations and the Politics of Spirit Possession in Teshi, Accra

“…The project of the spirit mediums and their spirits -which involved achieving harmony between rival ethno-political groups, between the north and the south, (and metaphorically) between the Umbrella and the Elephant, seemed to have been completed successfully. 27 Sharp (1990) studies the rise of a new category of spirit in Madagascar, the Njarinintsy, which emerged in the 1980s to possess young women of school-going age who faced profound social and academic difficulties in their daily lives. These performances in Teshi, however, were not associated with the emergence of new spirits, but rather saw old spirits take on completely different roles.…”

Traditional Healing in the Contemporary Life of the Antanosy People of Madagascar

“…The botanical knowledge guiding many traditional healing practices has, in the past, and continues to fuel advancements in global pharmacology. Thus the future impacts of losing traditional healing knowledge and medicinal plant species may be global Although a great deal of research has been done on traditional treatment of spirit possession in Madagascar (Sharp 1990), the role of traditional healers in the broader arena of individual and public health remains unclear. We hypothesized that the Antanosy people of southeastern Madagascar would currently be showing diminishing reliance on traditional medicine and healers as western medicine has become increasingly available.…”

“…Belief in spirit possession is common throughout the island, not limited to one ethnic group, economic class, or gender. Sharp (1990) provides a very thorough account of spirit possession among the Sakalava people of northern Madagascar. Among the Antanosy, spirit possession was most common among women although men also had tromba.…”

“…Possession experiences range from good and powerful, to a destructive, dangerous, and frightening illness (Sharp 1990). Possession by the most powerful spirits is honorable; but most people are terrified of being afflicted with bad tromba.…”