Sora Be

en Français

Sora : letter

Be : big

  Vohipeno in winter is the best place on earth to be. Lychee trees are everywhere their roots jot out of the eroded ground and force the passerby to look up and admire the luscious red bounties. Between a laden lychee tree and the shore of the Matitanana river on a mezzanine floor of a shabby wooden house I met Abdul Kareem (42years). In his hands a script which he had inherited from his brother written in an odd language that resembles Arabic – the Sora-Be.

Madinato : the city of

Skar : name of a vazimba leader

Vazimba : aboriginals of Madagascar 

Antalaotra : gens de la mer

   « Madinato Skar was the original name of Madagascar » Abdul Kareem tells me « the Arabs had given it this name on arrival and upon meeting the Vazimba in honour of one of their leaders ». Here in the village of Voasary he is the youngest of those who own Sora-Be scripts, so far he is not camera shy and seems to be happy to share stories he was told growing up. He goes on explaining the origins of the Antemoro tribe in the Matitanana valley « the Antalaotra or Taranaky were from Arab origins, the Anteoune were from African origins and the Ambanabaka were the Vazimba ». 

   All what he knows of his ancestors had been passed on from his brother since his father died when he had 10 years only; his brother died prior fully educating him on the scripts. His stories were many, they melded with the humid vapours of the river and invited the sun to set faster. Our session ended with a promise to introduce me to others who have similar scripts upon my next visit.

   The story of the original Arab settlers who brought the Sorabe to Madagascar is shrouded in mystery and legend, as little is known about the early history of the script. According to some accounts, the first Muslim traders and scholars arrived in Madagascar as early as the 12th century and established trade links with the local population. The scripts represent an important chapter in the country’s history and provide valuable insights into the historical, cultural and religious exchanges that have taken place between Madagascar and the Islamic world. The text is said to provide an insight on the role of Arab and Persian traders and scholars, on the transoceanic slave trade, on the political history of the country and on the daily lives of its peoples, customs, beliefs, traditions, astrological observations, even poetry and love songs. Moreover, the Sora-Be provides a unique perspective on the evolution of the Malagasy language – vocabulary, syntax and grammar. 

Ombiasy : traditional practitioner 

Tsihy : artisanal carpet made from Sisal or Rafia leaves 

Katibo : Sora-Be writer and manuscripts guard

   Next day I moved in to Abdul Kareem’s house since earlier they had offered to share their mezzanine room. On a tsihy under a perforated leaf roof, a meter away from the family bed, between the television set and the stairway I found home. He is an ombiasy by profession and his wife Neena (29 years) manages a poorly stocked grocery store downstairs. The family of five shares one bed. Abdul Kareem hopes one day to pass on what he knows of the Sora-Be to a son, unfortunately, none of his children (three daughters) are eligible to learn the script. The knowledge of the text and their content is considered sacred and is believed to be used for supernatural powers and for mastering the elements. Normally it would not be uttered to strangers (with exceptions), nor to women (considered impure) nor to anyone who was not given the initiation by a Katibo. Traditionally, the scripts are passed on from teacher to student, for the ombiasy however, it is inherited from father to son or to brother. 

Onzatsy : ancient Malagasy

Sora Potsy : white letter

Kalamo Tetsitetsy : the etymology is in Arabic whereas phrase syntax is in Malagasy

   The scripts use Arabic characters adapted to the Malagasy language with some particularities and are in fact written in three different languages – Malagasy (Onzatsy) , Arab (Sora Potsy) and Pidgin (Kalamo Tetsitetsy). An Arabic speaker myself, I am able to distinguish a few words from each page, but the gaps between understood words are too big to make out the context. Abdul Kareem was excited to show me the alphabet and the corresponding pronunciation and sounds, he is not fluent while reading sentences aloud. His eldest daughter Ortonsia (12 years) would peek in once in a while shyly observing what is being written on the fresh A4 papers. When asked if she would like to learn the Sora-Be, she denied any interest since « none of my friends at school know it » she tells me. 

Havoha : guidia danguyana leandri. famille des Thyméléacées

Harandranto : intsia bijuga (colebr) O. Kuntze familles des Caesalpinioideae

Soza : Sora-Be student

   The Sora-Be scripts are unique, the paper is from the bark of Havoha tree, the ink from the wood of Harandranto tree and the cover from the skin of zebu. True to his word, Abdul Kareem would show me more text and take me for walks around Voasary and ultimately introduced me to the remaining members of the tribe who own manuscripts here (three others). 

   After several tries, I finally met the katibo – Mr Tsylavine (±80 years). He is a lean hardy figure with deep eyes, he himself was initiated by a katibo during his 3rd decade and claims to know how to read, write and interpret the Sora-Be text. « Very few of our tribe members are interested in learning the Sora-Be and its meanings » Tsylavine tells me « I have one soza, he’s a fisherman with a big family and he is often too busy to learn ». I ask him to show me his manuscripts but he refuses. 

  When I met Abdul Kareem a month later I could feel a change in his attitude, and his sister was present through-out our interview. « Being an owner of Sora-Be manuscripts marginalises one, be it with the same tribe members, other tribes or even family » he tells me. Throughout Madagascar it is rumoured that the text is diabolic and the alphabet is black magic thus learning it is discouraged; here, in Vohipeno it has a bad reputation, even amongst Muslims. 

   The marginalisation of the Sora-Be had started with the Portuguese during the 16th century who played an important role in the disorganisation of the muslim network. The French colonial authorities saw the use of Sora-Be as a potential threat to their colonial project, as it was associated with the resistance to the colonial rule in some regions. Malagasy governments since independence have paid little attention to the Sora-Be and still don’t recognise it officially. 

   My last interview with Abdul Kareem was a sobering experience. He waits for his sister to leave the room to tell me that although he and others have Sora-Be scripts and can read and copy it, the understanding and interpretation is lost, « the scripts nowadays are like a perfectly running car without a steering wheel » he tells me with a sorrowful smile. 

 « If something is important, we write it down. Yet 85% of the world’s writing systems are on the verge of vanishing – not granted official status, not taught in schools, discouraged and dismissed.

When a culture is forced to abandon its traditional script, everything it has written for hundreds of years – sacred texts, poems, personal correspondence, legal documents, the collective experience, wisdom and identity of a people – is lost. » endangeredalphapets.net  

 Fear of words is fear from education, a doubt in ancestral knowledge and barrier for future growth, the Sora-Be is vanishing – a most valuable patrimony for posterity – save it !

Vohipeno, Madagascar 2019

copyright ©haddadToni

published in NoComment #161 – June 2023