Gri-gri of the Seychelles, or the Malgas girls

Abstract

The comment to the story of evocation of the spirit of a deceased Madagascan boy is intended to shed light to and specify value of some characteristic details inherent to traditional island cultures of the Indian Ocean West equatorial part. The research interest, as well as the initial Madagascar plot, is focused upon the authentic peculiarities of current demonological practices of this region, which includes the Seychelles, the place of the author’s field research of many years.

The field research data, which allowed to trace the features of live traditions of the region more clearly, proves deep connections of the Seychelles locus traditional life with the culture of Madagascar. Perception of the Madagascar plot contents as measured against the meanings of Creole culture of the Seychelles allows to speak both of typological and of “endemic” characteristics of both traditions, as well as somewhat provides a possibility of a multidimensional view of cultural interinfluences in the ocean in general.