Savika (Madagascar)
- Name of sport (game): Savika
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Savika is a traditional practice emblematic of the Betsileo region, located in the highlands of Madagascar.
- History:
Savika has its origins in the ancient rituals of the Betsileo ethnic groups, where it was originally practiced to demonstrate the valor and courage of young men. Through this tradition, they prove their ability to protect and provide for their community, or currently their respective families. Zebus, symbols of wealth and prestige in Malagasy society, play a central role in these ceremonies, and it is strictly forbidden to kill them during the fight. Facing a zebu in an arena is considered a rite of passage, a way of proving one’s strength and skill.
- Description:
Savika generally takes place during important festivals and events, when young Betsileos are keen to demonstrate their strength, such as weddings, circumcisions, funeral feasts or village festivals. The participants, called “Mpiavy”, enter the arena, often dressed in colorful traditional outfits. They practice savika with their bare hands, and safety within the arena is ensured by other participants equipped with sticks.
The challenge is to grab the bovine’s neck or hump and hold on for as long as possible, at least thirty seconds, while avoiding the animal’s horns and kicks, and if possible, bringing it to the ground. Unlike Spanish bullfighting, the aim of the Savika is not to injure or kill the zebu, but to show mastery and resilience in the face of the beast. The winner receives no trophies or medals, but the respect of the family and community. The winner is hailed as a true hero. In fact, some Savika practitioners proudly display their wounds and scars from confrontations with zebus during the Savika. - Current status:
Savika techniques and know-how cannot be learned, but are passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. But at a time when globalization threatens to dilute local cultural identities, the preservation of Savika is becoming essential. Numerous sports and cultural associations are determined to preserve this tradition, while at the same time calling for Savika to be further codified.
Various initiatives have been set up to protect and promote this tradition. Cultural festivals, public demonstrations and educational programs aim to raise awareness of the importance of Savika among the younger generation. These efforts are crucial to keeping this ancestral practice alive, while ensuring that it evolves to meet modern animal welfare standards, so that it can be exported abroad.
If Savika is still preserved today, it’s also thanks to tourism. Organizing a demonstration every time tourists visit Ambositra can boost the region’s economic development and generate income from donations and visitor participation.
At present, the Savika becomes popular and is one of the main attractions at the celebration of Easter and Pentecost. - Importance (for practitioners, communities etc.):
It is a rite of passage that must do a young man to be accepted as a man responsible in the community.
Savika technique is transmitted from father to son. The zebu holds a symbolic place in the Malagasy rural society; it is in all the events: funerals, “famadihana” (exhumation) and other traditional rituals.
It is also essential companion during field work: trampling rice, pulling plows. The father entrusts to his son the care of guarding the herd, he must observe the behaviour of each animal and get to know it. The day he shall pass to Savika, he must prove that he is a man now, and as such capable of assuming its responsibilities within the family and community.
The Savika, much more than a simple display of bravery, is a cornerstone of Betsileo cultural identity. By perpetuating this tradition, the Betsileos honor their ancestors and pass on a rich heritage to future generations. Today, preserving Savika is essential not only for Betsileo culture, but also for Madagascar’s cultural heritage as a whole. - Sources of information :
Books:
Ernest Ratsimbazafy, Deux pratiques traditionnelles de combat à Madagascar : Savika du Betsiléo et Moraingy du Menabe : significations historiques, sociales et culturelles,
Thèse de doctorat 2006, Université de la RéunionArticles:
Ernest Ratsimbazafy, Construction identitaire à travers deux pratiques corporelles. Construction identitaire à travers le savika et le moraingy, Saarbrücken, Presses académiques francophones, 2015, 340 p.
Fabrice Folio, Serge Bouchet, « Promotion du tourisme culturel par la mise en tourisme du savika », in Océan Indien, enjeux patrimoniaux et touristiques : actes du Grand séminaire de l'océan Indien 2014, Université de la Réunion, 2014, 224 p.
https://www.vivytravel.com/the-savika-in-madagascar/
https://talkafricana.com/savika-the-extremely-dangerous-traditional-bull-wrestling-culture-in-madagascar/#google_vignette
https://iloveafrica.com/savika-the-cultural-significance-and-controversy-of-madagascars-bull-wrestling/
https://www.bbc.com/afrique/41475388
https://www.nova.fr/news/l-art-du-savika-tauromachie-malgache-3225-24-11-2012/
https://www.vol-direct.net/tout-savoir-sur-le-savika-le-rodeo-malgache.html#google_vignetteVideo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMHZ3Bsa6cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahDPfu7E7yw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ayIkoNQcGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJGbRamouo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahDPfu7E7yw
https://www.wsj.com/video/savika-madagascar-bull-bucking-rodeo/AF239B26-02E5-4CC3-8BBE-F0ADCCFB848BThe information contained in the article comes from the following sources:
https://www.vivytravel.com/the-savika-in-madagascar/Source of photos used in this article and gallery:
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/societe-africaine/le-savika-a-madagascar-quand-lhomme-defie-le-zebu_3060323.html
https://www.vivytravel.com/the-savika-in-madagascar/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=5864281493592894&id=497229473631483&set=a.563216583699438
https://culture-voyage.com/savika/
https://generationvoyage.fr/savika-tauromachie-madagascar/
https://www.wsj.com/video/savika-madagascar-bull-bucking-rodeo/AF239B26-02E5-4CC3-8BBE-F0ADCCFB848B
https://www.rijasolo.com/media/140fc0cf-ae17-4c23-9231-573bc4919a50-famadihana - Gallery:
- Documents:
Ernest Ratsimbazafy Evolution du savika etude de la jonction entre tradition et modernite.pdf
