▁is ▁also ▁evident ▁in ▁Mal ag asy ▁cu is ine , ▁in ▁which ▁rice ▁is ▁consum ed ▁at ▁every ▁me al , ▁typically ▁accompanied ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁flav or ful ▁veget able ▁or ▁meat ▁d ishes . ▁African ▁influence ▁is ▁reflected ▁in ▁the ▁sacred ▁importance ▁of ▁z eb u ▁cattle ▁and ▁their ▁emb od iment ▁of ▁their ▁owner ' s ▁wealth , ▁trad itions ▁origin ating ▁on ▁the ▁African ▁main land . ▁C attle ▁rust ling , ▁originally ▁a ▁r ite ▁of ▁passage ▁for ▁young ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁pla ins ▁areas ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁where ▁the ▁largest ▁her ds ▁of ▁cattle ▁are ▁kept , ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁dangerous ▁and ▁sometimes ▁dead ly ▁criminal ▁enter prise ▁as ▁her ds men ▁in ▁the ▁south west ▁attempt ▁to ▁defend ▁their ▁cattle ▁with ▁traditional ▁spe ars ▁against ▁increasing ly ▁armed ▁professional ▁rust lers . ▁ ▁Arts ▁ ▁A ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁or al ▁and ▁written ▁literature ▁has ▁developed ▁in ▁Mad agas car . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁island ' s ▁for em ost ▁art istic ▁trad itions ▁is ▁its ▁or atory , ▁as ▁expressed ▁in ▁the ▁forms ▁of ▁ha int eny ▁( po etry ), ▁k ab ary ▁( public ▁disc ourse ) ▁and ▁o hab ol ana ▁( pro ver bs ). ▁An ▁ep ic ▁poem ▁exempl ifying ▁these ▁trad itions , ▁the ▁Ib onia , ▁has ▁been ▁handed ▁down ▁over ▁the ▁centuries ▁in ▁several ▁different ▁forms ▁across ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁offers ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁diverse ▁myth ologies ▁and ▁belief s ▁of