Supply: the booklets can be bought or ordered at numerous libraries in Madagascar, e.g. in Antananarivo (Analakely and Antanimena), Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga (Majunga), Manakara, Taolagnaro (Fort Dauphin), Toliary (Tulear). Local price in 2015 about 1500Ariary (0,5 €), eventually transport fees in addition.
Wholesaler for libraries in Madagascar: Libr. Md Paoly (Antananarivo-Analakely)
The booklets and CDs may also be obtained in a french-malagasy internet shop in Paris:
www.boutique.laterit.fr
Copyright: Madagasikara Namako e.V.
Internet: https://madagasikara-namako.jimdofree.com (in German, French and English),
Contact: bokynamako@moov.mg
Malagasy Fairy Tales and Sagas
Just like everywhere all over the world parents and grandparents, sometimes even professional story tellers tell the old fairy tales and sagas in their mother tongues to children, listening to them spellbound.
And like all children in the world they are happy when the weak (i.e. the children) and the good ones win and the evil ones are punished, or deeds of legendary figures are told.
In the world of fantasy, one can live under water, fly on birds’ backs, use crocodiles like rafts, gouge out eyes and put them back into the sockets again, or pluck the moon from the sky. Flying through an owl from beak to bottom or burning powerful monsters, all that is possible in those tales. Stories of rascals are also very popular. And there are endless variations to the stories, different from village to village, from family to family.
The changes in the living conditions, especially in the towns and cities make the oral tradition of tales vanish. And the competition of modern media like colourful pamphlets, TV sets and the internet intensifies this development. The fairy tales and sagas which are so important for the emotional and cultural roots of peoples, and the development of the joy of reading are in danger of being forgotten.
In this series (“Boky Namako” – The Book, My Friend) traditional fairy tales and sagas from different regions of Madagascar were collected and amply, gorgeously and lovingly illustrated by teachers, writers and artists from Madagascar. The enthusiastic reception of these little books by the public made these children’s booklet widely read in Madagascar within a short time. And on top of that, songs for children in print and on CD (since 2013/15, respectively) are included in one of the booklets, too.
After two years each, second editions were laid on, and in 2019 the number of 100.000 was exeeded in total
edition.
We wish them a long, long life as booklets, to be enjoyed by their readers, children and adults alike.
Antananarivo, September 2018
Basilisse Pflüger-Rakotomalala and Wolfgang Pflüger
The work was encouraged by the non-profit NGO Madagasikara Námako (Leichlingen, Germany), homepage https://madagasikara-namako.jimdofree.com.
The linguistic correctness was supervised by the linguists of the Malagasy Academy of Sciences (language dept.). The booklets are printed at Antananarivo (offset). The english translations have been performed by Carolyn Bear (chloerayban.co.uk), Felana Aliderson, Jacky Lamoure and Robert Peters. Our hearty thanks to all of them.