Imagine my surprise when I heard a hymn tune I'd always associated with Welsh choirs and hymnals being sung by Malagasy congregations! And yet, had I remembered what Ingrid discovered before our Sabbatical began, I might not have been quite so surprised.
In 1818 two Welsh missionaries, David Jones of Pen-rhiw, Ceredigion, Wales, with his wife Louisa Darby and their infant child; and Thomas Bevan, also of Cerdigion, with his wife Mary Jacob and their infant child, arrived in Madagascar. Tragically, both families became sick with fever. By the end of the year David Jones had buried his wife and child; and by February 1819, all three Bevans had also died of fever.
In the spring of 1821 another Welsh missionary, David Griffiths of Glanmeilwch, Gwynfe, Sir Caerfyrddin, joined David Jones, and together they gave the previously oral Malagasy language its first systematic written orthography. Not surprisingly, Jones and Griffiths created the written Malagasy language in the image of their own native Welsh as a phonetic language. No wonder I could sing Malagasy hymns, although of course I couldn't understand them, right from the start!
When King Radama died in 1828 his successor, Queen Ranavalona, began to persecute Christians and force Christian missionaries to leave Madagascar. David Jones left in 1830. When he returned in 1840 he was imprisoned, and after escaping to Mauritius, he died there in 1841. David Griffiths also fled, returning to Wales and settling in Machynlleth, where he died in 1863.
The Welsh connection peristed despite persecution, and in the fullness of time the Welsh tune and hymn Gwahoddiad found its way into Malagasy hymnody.
When I emailed Sam Beeton (see this post) to make sure I had correctly made the connection between the Welsh hymn and the Malagasy hymn I had heard so frequently while in Madagascar, he replied:
"Violette [his Anglikana Malagasy wife] recognised it straight away:
"He reko re ny feo [Mi glywaf dyner lais]
Nanainga anay aty [Yn galw arnaf fi]
Mba ho sasan'ny ranao soa [I ddod a golchi meiau gyd]
'lay tany Kalvary [Yn afon Calfari]
"chorus:
"Eny, Tompo ô! [Arglwydd, dyma fi]
Avy aho ity [ar dy alwad di]
Ka sasao amin'ny Ra [canna f'enaid yn y gwaed]
'lay tany Kalvary [a gaed ar Galfari]"
I was surprised by yet another connection between my Sabbatical time in Wales and the first Welsh missionary efforts in Madagascar, and I will tell that tale tomorrow.
In the meantime, please enjoy another rendition of Gwahoddiad (Arglwydd, dyma fi) by the Welsh singer Cerys Matthews.
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
Posted by: Marketing Dissertation | October 13, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Thanks for your kind comment! And always fun to discover I have a Reader! (or, as Julie of Julie and Julia fame calls BLog rEADERS: Bleaders!
Posted by: Bill + | October 13, 2009 at 06:29 PM