Madagascar has formally received three colonial-era human skulls from France, 128 years after they were taken during French colonial rule. Among them is one believed to belong to King Toera, a Sakalava monarch who was captured and beheaded by French troops in 1897.
How were the skulls returned to Madagascar?
The skulls, thought to be those of King Toera and two members of the Sakalava ethnic group, were officially handed over at a ceremony hosted at the French culture ministry in late August. They arrived in Antananarivo late Monday, greeted with a guard of honour and men in traditional dress carrying the skulls draped in red cloth.
On Tuesday, President Andry Rajoelina received them at the Mausoleum of Antananarivo, the resting place of national heroes. Wearing a traditional Lamba Landy draped over a black suit, he inspected a guard of honour as the remains were carried in by a police officer, a soldier, and a gendarme.
“We are here to pay tribute and honour the heroes and those who fought for the homeland 128 years ago under the leadership of King Toera and his soldiers,” Rajoelina said.
What is the cultural and political significance?
The Ministry of Communication and Culture confirmed that King Toera’s skull will be taken to Ambiky in the Menabe region, where he was executed, with ceremonial stops along the way. For the Sakalava people, the return is vital for performing Fitampoha, a purification and blessing ritual that requires ancestral relics.
Descendant Piero Kamamy told Reuters, “Toera is not only the king of the Sakalava, he is also a martyr of independence.”
Why was King Toera’s resistance important?
Historians describe Toera’s leadership as a rare attempt to unite Malagasy groups against colonial forces. His execution formed part of France’s broader strategy of crushing resistance through psychological intimidation.
“The Sakalava can now grieve with the return of the king’s remains and can constitute his relics,” said Jeannot Rasoloarison, a historian at the University of Antananarivo.
By Lucky Anyanje
