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Ratovantany, also known as Andriantompo, is a self-creating Malagasy deity associated with the earth. He is most prominently featured in the Malagasy creation myths, where he makes a deal with the sky god Zanahary to create humanity; having crafted human beings from soil, Ratovantany reclaims the corpse upon death and decomposes it, while the soul belongs to Zanahary and thus the sky or the sun.[1][2] Unlike Zanahary, Ratovantany appears to not have been a prominent deity to any Malagasy peoples, though this creation myth is ubiquitous in Malagasy cultures.[citation needed]
- ^ "Madagascar Creation Myth" (PDF). Scilt.org.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ Arthur Cotterell (17 April 1986). A Dictionary of World Mythology (Revised ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0192177476.