The legend of Ravelobe
by Linah Ambininjanahary Randrianaina.
July 16, 2005

It is the first time for me to come in Ankarafantsika and I want to know the story of Ravelobe Lake. So I contacted the man called Mr. Gilbert who is the president of the village and he told me the story that I’m going to narrate below.

Story of Ravelobe Lake

Ravelobe is a corporal who worked before abroad. When he returned in Madagascar, he hid in the bush, two kilometers in the south of Ambikakely with his staff. There, they robbed baggage and money of the people that they met. Sometimes, they robbed the villages. So, the governor hunted for him, and Ravelobe escaped with his staff. One member of his staff who called “Lavasanga” is caught, but he didn’t give information.

When the governor continued the request, he found his girl friend and asked her. So, the governor obtained information and knew the place where he is hid. Ravelobe escaped and plunged in the Lake and he hided under the white water lily and just his nose are appeared for breathing. During three days, the governor and his staff looked for him in the Lake with a canoe, but they didn’t find him. And the canoe couldn’t go between the emergent plants. At last, he appeared and they brought him in Marovoay. When the governor executed him, he didn’t affect, so he was not dead. Ravelobe told the governor that he has secret, that’s why he was not dead. And Ravelobe accepted to tell the secret with one condition, that “the fokonolona make festival for him during one week.” When the festival is finished, h! e told his secret to the governor. The secret is that they need to put a skin of black dog on the hole of the gun before. After, they could take it away and execute him. When they did that, he is dead and now, he was enterred in Marovoay. And from this moment, the fokonolona called the Lake “Lake Ravelobe”.