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diff --git a/old/51621-8.txt b/old/51621-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 67ba68e..0000000 --- a/old/51621-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6192 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sinhalese Folklore Notes, by Arthur A. Perera - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Sinhalese Folklore Notes - Ceylon - -Author: Arthur A. Perera - -Release Date: April 1, 2016 [EBook #51621] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SINHALESE FOLKLORE NOTES *** - - - - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously -made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - SINHALESE FOLKLORE NOTES - - CEYLON - - - BY - - ARTHUR A. PERERA, - Advocate, Ceylon. - - - - Bombay: - - PRINTED AT THE BRITISH INDIA PRESS, MAZGAON - - 1917 - - - - - - - -INTRODUCTORY NOTE. - - -The Sinhalese beliefs, customs and stories in the present collection -were contributed by the writer to the Indian Antiquary fourteen years -ago in a series of articles under the title of "Glimpses of Sinhalese -Social Life"; they are now offered, amplified and rearranged, to the -student of folklore in Ceylon, as a basis for further research. The -writer has adopted the scheme of classification in the Folklore -Society's Hand Book of Folklore. - - - ARTHUR A. PERERA. - - Westwood, Kandy, - 10th February, 1917. - - - - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS. - - - Belief and Practice. - - Chapter. PAGES - - 1. The Earth and the Sky 1 - 2. The Vegetable World 4 - 3. The Animal World 6 - 4. Human Beings 11 - 5. Things made by man 13 - 6. The Soul and another Life 14 - 7. Superhuman Beings 15 - 8. Omens and Divination 21 - 9. The Magic Art 23 - 10. Disease and Leech-craft 25 - - Customs. - - 11. Social and Political Institutions 26 - 12. Rites of Individual Life 32 - 13. Occupations and Industries 36 - 14. Festivals 40 - 15. Games, Sports and Pastimes 43 - - Stories, Songs and Sayings. - - 16. Stories 47 - 17. Songs and Ballads 51 - 18. Proverbs, Riddles and Local Sayings 54 - - Appendix. - - Glossary of Sinhalese Folk terms from the Service - Tenure Register (1872). - - - - - - - -SINHALESE FOLKLORE NOTES. - -CHAPTER I. - -THE EARTH AND THE SKY. - - -Various beliefs are held by the peasantry about the hills, rocks, -boulders and crags scattered about the island. - -Samanala Kanda (Adam's Peak) which contains the sacred foot print -of the Buddha was in prehistoric times sacred to the god Saman who -still presides over the mountain. Pilgrims to the Peak invoke his -aid in song for a safe journey; and when they reach the top, cover -the foot print with four yards of white cloth, pay obeisance to it, -recite the articles of the Buddhist Faith, and make a silver offering -at the shrine of the Saman Deviyo, which is close by. When worship -is over the pilgrims greet each other and sound a bell ringing as -many peals as they have visited the Peak. - -No lizard is heard chirping within the shadow of Hunasgiriya Peak -in Pata Dumbara for when the Buddha, on his aerial visit to Ceylon, -wished to alight on this mountain a lizard chirped and he passed on -to Adam's Peak. - -Ritigal Kanda (Sanskrit Arishta) in the Nuvara Kalāviya district, -S.E. of Anuradhapura and Rummas Kanda (modern Buona Vista) in the -Galle district are associated with the Hanuman tradition. It was from -Ritigal Kanda that Hanuman jumped across to India to carry the joyful -message that he had discovered Sita in Ceylon, and when Lakshman was -wounded and a medicinal herb was required for his cure, Hanuman was -sent to the Himalayas to fetch it; on the way the name and nature of -the plant dropped from his memory; whereupon he snapped a portion -of the Himalayas and brought it twisted in his tail and asked Rama -to seek for the herb himself. Buona Vista is that portion of the -mountain and valuable medicinal herbs are still to be found there. - -Rāvanā Kotte,--the stronghold of Rāvanā (king of the Rakshas)--was -off Kirinda in the Hambantota District and is now submerged. The Great -Basses are what is left of this city; the golden twilight seen there of -an evening is the reflection of the brazen roofs of the submerged city. - -Dehi Kanda opposite the Dambulla rock caves in the Matale district is -the petrified husk of the rice eaten by the giants who made the caves. - -Near Sinigama in Wellaboda pattu of the Galle district is shewn a -crag as the petrified craft in which Wźragoda Deviyo came to Ceylon -from South India. - -When a severe drought visited the island, an elephant, a tortoise, -a beetle, an eel, a goat and a she elephant went in search of water -to the tank Wenźru Veva near Kurunegala. A woman who saw this kept -a lump of salt before the foremost of them, the elephant; while he -was licking it she raised a screen of leaves to conceal the tank -from the intruders' view and began to pray; and the gods answered -by petrifying the animals, the screen and the lump of salt, all of -which are still visible round Kurunegala. - -"Panduvasa, the seventh king of Ceylon, was visited by the tiger -disease, a complicated malady of cough, asthma, fever and diabetes in -consequence of Wijeya, the first king, having killed his old benefactor -and discarded mistress, Kuvźni, when, in the shape of a tiger, she -endeavoured to revenge her slighted charms. The gods taking pity on -Panduvasa, consulted by what means he might be restored to health, and -found that it could not be effected without the aid of one not born of -a woman. The difficulty was to find such a person. Rahu being sent on -the service, discovered Malaya Rajā, king of Malva Dźsa, the son of -Vishnu, sprung from a flower. Rahu changing himself into an immense -boar, laid waste the royal gardens to the great consternation of the -gardeners, who fled to the palace and told what was passing. The king, -who was a keen sportsman, hastened to the spot with his huntsmen, whom -he ordered to drive the boar towards him. The boar, when pressed, at -one bound flew over the head of the king, who shot an arrow through him -in passing, but without effect, the animal continuing his flight. The -king, irritated, instantly gave pursuit with his attendants in the -direction the beast had taken, and landed in Ceylon at Urātota (Hog -ferry) near Jaffna; the boar alighted near Attapitiya. A piece of -sweet potato that he brought from the garden in his mouth and which -he here dropt was immediately changed, it is said into a rock, that -still preserves its original form, and is still called Batalagala -or sweet potato rock. The king came up with the beast on the hill -Hantana near Kandy, instantly attacked him sword in hand, and with -the first blow inflicted a deep gash. On receiving this wound, the -boar became transformed into a rock which is now called Uragala, is -very like a hog, and is said to retain the mark of the wound. The -king, whilst surprised and unable to comprehend the meaning of -the marvels he had just witnessed, received a visit from Sakra, -Vishnu and other gods who explained the mystery that perplexed him, -and the object in view in drawing him to Ceylon--he alone, not being -born of woman, having it in his power to break the charm under which -Panduvasa laboured. Malaya Rajā complying with the wishes of the gods, -ordered the Kohomba Yakku dance to be performed which, it is said, -drove the sickness out of the king into a rock to the northward of -Kandy, which is still called the rock of the Tiger sickness." [1] - -"The spirit of Kuvźni is still supposed to haunt the country and -inflict misfortune on the race of the conqueror by whom she was -betrayed. Kuvenigala is a bare mountain of rock on which are two -stones, one slightly resembling a human figure in a standing attitude, -the other looking like a seat. It is on this that traditions assert, -the Yakinni sometimes appears and casts the withering glance of -malignant power over the fair fields and fertile Valley of Asgiriya--a -sequestered and most romantic spot in the Matale District." [2] - -Rocks with mystic marks indicate the spot where treasures are concealed -and lights are seen at night in such places. - -When the owner of a treasure wanted to keep it safe, it is said that -he dug two holes in some lonely jungle and at night proceeded to -the spot with a servant carrying the treasure; after the treasure -was deposited in one hole, the master cut his servant's throat and -buried him in the other to make him a guardian of his treasure in -the form of a snake or demon. - -The earth goddess (Mihi Ket) supports the world on one of her thumbs -and when weary shifts it on to the other causing an earthquake. - -The four cardinal points are presided over by four guardian deities -(Hataravaran Deviyō). - -Sea waves are three in number which follow each other in regular -succession. The first and the largest is the brother who fell in love -with his sister and who, to conquer his unholy passion, committed -suicide by jumping into the sea. The next is his mother who jumped -after her son, and the last and the smallest is the daughter herself. - -The sky in the olden times was very close to the earth, and the stars -served as lamps to the people; a woman who was sweeping her compound -was so much troubled by the clouds touching her back when she stooped -to sweep that she gave the sky a blow with her ikle broom saying -'get away' (pala). The sky in shame immediately flew out of the reach -of man. - -The rainbow is the god Sakra's bow (Devidunne) and portends fair -weather; when any calamity is approaching Budures (Buddha's -rays) appear in the sky--"a luminous phenomenon consisting of -horizontal bands of light which cross the sky while the sun is in the -ascendant." The twilight seen on hill tops is the sunshine in which -the female Rakshis dry their paddy. - -Lightning strikes the graves of cruel men; thunder induces conception -in female crocodiles and bursts open the peahen's eggs. - -Children sing out to the moon "Handahamy apatat bat kande ran tetiyak -diyo."--(Mr. Moon do give us a golden plate in which to eat our rice). - -When the new moon is first observed it is lucky to immediately after -look on rice, milk or kiss a kind and well to do relative. - -The spots in the moon represent a hare to signify to the world the -self-sacrifice of Buddha in a previous existence. - -In each year the twelve days (Sankranti) on which the sun moves from -one sign of the zodiac to another, are considered unlucky. There -are twenty seven constellations (neket) which reach the zenith at -midnight on particular days in particular months; and their position is -ascertained from an astrologer before any work of importance is begun. - -The sun, moon, and Rahu were three sons of a widowed mother whom -they left at home one day to attend a wedding. When they returned she -inquired what they had brought with them; the eldest angrily replied -that he had brought nothing, the second threw at her the torch which -had lighted them on the way, but the third asked for his mother's -rice pot and put into it a few grains of rice, which he had brought -concealed under his nails and which miraculously filled the vessel. The -mother's blessing made the youngest son the pleasant and cool moon, -while her curses made the second the burning sun and the eldest the -demon Rahu who tries to destroy his brothers by swallowing them and -causing an Eclipse. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE VEGETABLE WORLD. - - -Trees which grow to a large size like the Nuga (ficus altissima), -Bo (ficus religiosa), Erabadu (erythrina indica), Divul (feroma -elephantum) are the abodes of spirits and villagers erect leafy -altars under them where they light lamps, offer flowers and burn -incense. Before a wood-cutter fells a large tree he visits to it -three or four days previously and asks the spirit residing there to -take its abode elsewhere; otherwise evil will befall him. - -On the way to Adam's Peak there are to be found sacred orchards where -a person may enter and eat any quantity of fruit but will not be able -to find his way out if he tries to bring any with him. - -The Bo tree is sacred to Buddha and is never cut down; its leaves -shiver in remembrance of the great enlightenment which took place -under it. His three predecessors in the Buddha hood--Kassapa, -Konāgama, Kakusanda--attained enlightenment under the nuga, dimbul -and the sirisa. - -The margosa tree is sacred to Pattini and the telambu tree to Navaratna -Wālli. Each lunar asterism is associated with a particular tree. - -Homage is paid to an overlord by presenting him with a roll of 40 -betel leaves with the stalk ends towards the receiver. Before the -betel is chewed, its apex and a piece of the petiole of the base are -broken off as a cobra brought the leaf from the lower world holding -both ends in its mouth. It is also considered beneath one's dignity -to eat the base of the petiole. - -The flowering of a tala tree (corypha umbraculifera) is inauspicious to -the village. A cocoanut only falls on a person who has incurred divine -displeasure; it is lucky to own a cocoanut tree with a double stem. - -A king cocoanut tree near the house brings bad luck to the owner's -sons. When a person dies or a child is born a cocoanut blossom is -hung over him. - -The person who plants an arekanut tree becomes subject to -nervousness. The woman who chews the scarred slice of an arekanut -becomes a widow. If a married woman eats a plantain which is attached -to another, she gets twins. - -An astrologer once told a king that a particular day and hour were so -auspicious that anything planted then would become a useful tree. The -king directed the astrologer's head to be severed and planted and this -grew into the crooked cocoanut tree. Pleased with the result he got his -own head severed and planted and it grew into the straight areka tree. - -Red flowers (rat mal) are sacred to malignant spirits and white flowers -(sudu mal) to beneficient spirits. Turmeric water is used for charming -and sticks from bitter plants are used as magic wands. The Nāga darana -root (martynia diandra) protects a man from snake bite. - -It is auspicious to have growing near houses the following:--nā -(ironwood), palu (mimusops hexandra), mūnamal (mimusops elengi), sapu -(champak), delum (pomegranate), kohomba (margosa), areka, cocoanut, -palmyra, jak, shoeflower, idda (wrightia zeylanica), sadikka (nutmeg) -and midi (vitis vinifera) while the following are inauspicious:--imbul -(cotton), ruk (myristica tursfieldia), mango, beli (aegle marmelos), -ehela (cassia fistula), tamarind, satinwood, ratkihiri (accacia -catechu), etteriya (murraya exotica) and penala (soap berry plant). - -Persons taken for execution were formerly made to wear wadamal -(hibiscus). - -The dumella (Trichosanthes cucumerina) and the kekiri (zhenaria -umbellata) are rendered bitter, if named before eating. Alocasia yams -(habarale) cause a rasping sensation in the throat when they are -named within the eater's hearing. - -When a person is hurt by a nettle, cassia leaves are rubbed on the -injured place with the words "tōra kola visa netā kahambaliyā visa -eta." (Cassia leaves are stingless but prickly is the nettle). Cassia -indicates the fertility of the soil; where diyataliya (mexitixia -tetrandra) and kumbuk (terminalia tomentosa) flourish a copious supply -of water can be obtained. - -The bark of the bo tree and of the Bōmbu (symplocos spicata) prevent -the contagion of sore eyes when tied on the arms. - -In the beginning the only food used by man was an edible fungus like -boiled milk which grew spontaneously upon the earth. As man fell -from his primitive simplicity this substance disappeared and rice -without the husk took its place. But when man became depraved the -rice developed a covering and ceased to grow spontaneously forcing -men to work. - -A poor widow had a daughter who married a rich man. One day she -went to her daughter's and asked for a little rice to eat. Though -the pot of rice was on the fire, the daughter said she had none to -give and the mother went away. The daughter found the rice in the -pot had turned into blood and she threw it away. The god Sakraya in -revenge reduced the daughter to beggary and the mother and daughter -on the god's advice dug where the pot of rice had been emptied and -found the batala yam (bata rice and lź-blood). Thereafter the batala -(Edulis batatas) became the food of the poor. - -That the jak fruit may be eaten by the people, the god Sakrayā came -to earth as a Brahmin, plucked a fruit and asked a woman to cook it -without tasting. The smell was so tempting that she stealthily ate a -little of it and was called a thievish woman (hera, thief; and liya -woman.) The fruit is consequently called heraliya. - -A king once directed a jeweller to work in gold a design similar to -the club moss; the goldsmith found this so hard that he went mad and -the moss is called the jeweller's curse (badal vanassa). - -The butterfly orchid inflames one's passion and is called the "yam -that killed the younger sister" (nagā meru ale) as a sister once -accidentally tasted it and made amorous gestures to her brother who -killed her. - -If a person approaches the mythical Damba tree without a charm he -will be killed. The celestial Kapruka gives everything one wishes -for. The unknown Visakumbha is an antidote for poison and is eaten -by the mungoose after its fight with the cobra. Kusa grass (sevendrā) -exists both on earth and in heaven. - -The imaginary Kalu nika twig floats against the current, cuts in two -the strongest metal; when eaten rejuvenates the old; and to obtain -it the young of the etikukulā (jungle fowl) should be tied by a metal -chain when the parents will fetch the twig to release their young. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE ANIMAL WORLD. - - -The presence of bats in a house indicates that it will be soon -deserted. Medicinal virtues are ascribed to the flesh of monkeys. To -look at a slender loris (una hapuluva) brings ill luck and its eyes are -used for a love potion. The lion's fat corrodes any vessel except one -of gold; its roar which makes one deaf is raised three times--first -when it starts from its den, next when it is well on its way, and -last when it springs on its victim. It kills elephants but eats only -their brain. The unicorn (kangavźna) has a horn on its forehead with -which it pierces the rocks that impede its progress. - -If a dog howls or scratches away the earth before a house it presages -illness or death; if it walks on the roof, the house will be deserted, -if it sleeps under a bed it is a sign of the occupant's speedy death. - -A bear throws sand on the eyes of its victim before pouncing on him, -and it does not attack persons carrying rockbine (Galpahura). - -When a person is bitten by a mouse, the wound is burnt with a heated -piece of gold. A mouse after drinking toddy boasts that it can -break up the cat into seven pieces. A kick from a wild rat (valmiyā) -produces paralysis. - -The porcupine (ittźvā) shoots its quills to keep off its antagonists -and hunts the pengolin (kebellevā) out of its home and occupies -it himself. - -A cheetah likes the warmth of a blaze and comes near the cultivator's -watch fire in the field, calls him by name and devours him; it -frequents where peacocks abound; it does not eat the victim that falls -with the right side uppermost. Small pox patients are carried away by -this animal which is attracted by the offensive smell they emanate; -when the cheetah gets a sore mouth by eating the wild herb mīmanadandu, -it swallows lumps of clay to allay its hunger; its skin and claws -are used as amulets; the female cheetah gives birth only once and has -no subsequent intercourse with her mate owing to the severe travail; -the cheetah was taught by the cat to climb up a tree but not to climb -down; in revenge it always kills its tutor but is reverent enough not -to make a meal of the body which it places on an elevated spot and -worships. One in a thousand cheetahs has the jaya-revula (lucky side -whiskers) which never fails to bring good fortune if worn as an amulet. - -The cheetah, the lizard and the crocodile were three brothers, -herdsmen, skilled in necromancy; as the animals they were looking after -refused to yield milk, the eldest transformed himself into a cheetah, -and the evil nature of the beast asserting itself he began to destroy -the flock and attack the brothers; the youngest took refuge on a tree -transforming himself into a lizard and the other who had the magical -books turned himself into a crocodile and jumped into a river; these -three have ever since lived in friendship and a person who escapes -the crocodile is killed if a lizard urinates on him when sleeping; -a crocodile's victim can free himself by tickling its stomach and -trying to take away the books concealed there. - -A cat becomes excited by eating the root of the acolypha indica -(kuppamźniya) and its bite makes one lean; its caterwauling is -unlucky. The grey mungoose bites as an antidote a plant not identified -called visakumbha before and after its fight with the cobra; when it -finds difficulty in fighting the cobra, it retires to the jungle and -brings on its back the king of the tribe, a white animal, by whom or -in whose presence the cobra is easily killed. - -The hare gives birth to its young on full moon days, one of them has -a crescent on its forehead and dies the first day it sees the moon -or invariably becomes a prey to the rat snake. - -When a tooth drops, its owner throws it on to the roof saying squirrel, -dear squirrel, take this tooth and give me a dainty one in return -(lenō lenō me data aran venin datak diyō). - -Goblins are afraid of cattle with crumpled horns; a stick of the leea -sambucina (burulla) is not used to drive cattle as it makes them lean; -the saliva from the mouth of a tired bull is rubbed on its body to -relieve its fatigue, and bezoar stones (gōrōchana) found in cattle -are prescribed for small pox. In the olden time the ox had no horns -but had teeth in both its jaws, while the horse had horns but had -no teeth in its upper jaw; each coveted the other's possessions and -effected an exchange; the ox taking the horns and giving the horse -its upper row of teeth; cart bulls are driven with the words 'jah,' -'pita,' 'mak,' 'hov'.--move, to the right, to the left, halt. - -Wild buffaloes are susceptible to charms. - -Deer's musk prolongs a dying man's life. - -An elephant shakes a palm leaf before eating it as bloodsuckers may -be lurking there to creep inside its trunk. A dead elephant is never -found for when death approaches the elephant goes to a secluded spot -and lays itself down to die. Children who are made to pass under an -elephant's body become strong and are free from illness. - -When the keeper says 'hari hari,' the elephant moves; 'ho ho' it stops, -'dhana' it kneels; 'hinda', it lies down; 'daha', it gets up; 'bila' -it lifts the fore foot; 'hayi,' it lifts its trunk and trumpets. - -A shower during sunshine denotes the jackal's wedding day; a jackal -always joins the cry of its friends, otherwise its hair will drop off -one by one; a jackal's horn (narianga) is very rare and it gives the -possessor everything he wishes for and when buried in a threshing -floor increases the crop, a hundred fold. The jackals assisted -by the denizens of the woods once waged war against the wild fowls -(welikukulō) who called to their aid a party of men one of whom seized -the king of the jackals and dashed him on a rock and broke his jaw; -as the king received the blow he raised the cry, apoi mage hakka (Oh my -jaw), which could still be heard in the jackal's howl. The wild fowls -are still the enemies of the jackals. The jackals and the crabs have -also a feud between them; a jackal once deceived a crocodile on the -promise of getting the latter a wife and got himself ferried across -the river for several days till he had consumed the carcase of the -elephant on the other bank. A crab undertook to assist the crocodile -to take revenge, invited the jackal to a feast and suggested to him -to go to the riverside for a drink of water. The jackal consented but -on seeing his enemy lying in wait killed the crab for his treachery. - -Dark plumaged birds like the owl, the magpie robin and the black bird -bring ill luck and are chased away from the vicinity of houses. The -cry of the night heron (kana-koka) as it flies over a house presages -illness and that of the devil bird (ulamā) death. The devil bird was -in a previous birth a wife whose fidelity her husband suspected and -in revenge killed their child, made a curry of its flesh and gave it -to the mother; as she was eating she found the finger of the infant -and in grief she fled into the forest, killed herself, and was born -the devil bird. - -Crows are divided into two castes which do not mate, the hooded -crows and the jungle crows; they faint three times at night through -hunger and their insatiate appetite can only be temporarily appeased -by making them swallow rags dipped in ghee; they hatch their eggs in -time to take their young to the Ehela festival held in honour of the -godlings during July and August. A crow seldom dies a natural death, -and once in a hundred years a feather drops. As no one eats its flesh -it sorrowfully cries kātka (I eat every body). The king crow was once -a barber and it now pecks its dishonest debtor, the crow. - -The presence of sparrows in a house indicates that a male child will -be born and when they play in the sand that there will be rain. Once -upon a time a house, where a pair of sparrows had built their nest -caught fire; the hen sparrow flew away but the male bird tried to save -their young and scorched his throat; this scar can still be seen on -the cock sparrow. - -A house will be temporarily abandoned if a spotted dove (alukobeyiyā) -flies through it; this bird was once a woman who put out to dry some -mī flowers (bassia longifolia) and asked her little son to watch them; -when they were parched they got stuck to the ground and could not -be seen; the mother thought the child had been negligent and killed -him in anger; a shower of rain which fell just then showed to her the -lost herbs and in remorse she killed herself and was born the spotted -dove, who still laments. "I got back my mī flowers but not my son, -Oh my child, my child" (mimal latin daru no latin pubbaru putź pū pū). - -Parrots are proverbially ungrateful; sunbirds boast after a copious -draught of toddy that they can overthrow Maha Meru with their tiny -beaks. - -The great difficulty of the horn-bill (kendetta) to drink water is -due to its refusal to give water to a thirsty person in a previous -existence. The common babbler hops as he was once a fettered -prisoner. The red tailed fly catcher was a fire thief, and the white -tailed one a cloth thief. - -A white cock brings luck and prevents a garden from being destroyed -by black beetles. When a hen has hatched the shells are not thrown -away but threaded together and kept in a loft over the fireplace till -the chickens can look after of themselves. Ceylon jungle fowls become -blind by eating strobilanthes seed when they may be knocked down with -a stick. - -The cuckoo searches for its young, ejected from the crow's nest, -crying koho (where) and its cry at night portends dry weather. - -The plover (kiralā) sleeps with her legs in the air to prevent -the sky falling down and crushing her young; her eggs, when eaten, -induce watchfulness. - -Peacocks dance in the morning to pay obeisance to the Sun God, -and they are not kept as pets in houses as the girls will not find -suitors. Peahens conceive at the noise of thunder and hence their love -for rain. Some say that the peacock once fell in love with the swan -king's daughter and when going to solicit her hand borrowed the pitta's -beautiful tail which he refused to return after winning his bride; the -peahen pecks at the male bird's train during the mating season, angry -at the deception practised on her while the pittā goes about crying -"avichchi" (I shall complain when the Maitri Buddun comes.) Others -say that the peacock stole the garments while pittā was bathing. - -The cry of the pittā (avichchya) presages rain; and it is thought to -be a sorrow stricken prince mourning for his beautiful bride Ayittā -and hence his cry. - -Leeches are engaged in measuring the ground. Snails were persons who -in a previous birth used to spit at others; their slime when rubbed -on one's body makes one strong. Worms attack flowers in November and -are influenced by charms. - -Retribution visits one who ruthlessly destroys the clay nest of the -mason wasp (kumbalā); a ran kumbalā builds a nest with lime when a -boy is to be born in the house and a metikumbalā with clay when a girl. - -Winged termites issue in swarms in the rainy season and prognosticate -a large catch of fish. Spiders were fishermen in a previous existence -and the mantis religiosa (dara kettiyā) a fire-wood thief. - -Bugs infest a house when misfortune is impending and crickets (reheyyō) -stridulate till they burst. - -It is lucky to have ants carrying their eggs about a house, but it -is unlucky for the head of the house when large black ants enter it. - -When a person is in a bad temper it is sarcastically said that a -large sized red ant has broken wind on him. - -The small red myriapod (kanvźyā) causes death by entering the ear. - -Every new born child has a louse on its head which is not killed but -thrown away or put on another's head. - -As the finger is taken round the bimūrā (a burrowing insect,) it dances -to the couplet "bim ūrā bim ūrā tōt natāpiya, māt nattanan." (Bimūrā -bimūrā, you better dance and I too shall dance.) - -Butterflies go on a pilgrimage from November to February to Adam's -Peak against which they dash themselves and die in sacrifice. - -Centipedes run away when their name is mentioned; they are as much -affected as the man they bite. - -The black beetle is the messenger of death to find out how many -persons there are in a house; if it comes down on three taps from an -ikle broom its intentions are evil; it is seldom killed, but wrapt -in a piece of white cloth and thrown away or kept in a corner. - -The presence of fire flies in a house indicate that it will be broken -into or deserted; if one alights on a person, some loss will ensue; -if it is picked up, anything then wished for will be fulfilled; -the fireflies had refused to give light to one in need of it in a -previous existence; their bite requires "the mud of the deep sea and -the stars of the sky for a cure"--a cryptic way of saying "salt from -the sea and gum from the eye." - -A crocodile makes lumps of clay to while away the time; it throws -up its prey as it carries it away and catches it with its mouth; -its female becomes pregnant at the sound of thunder without any -cohabitation; at certain times of the year the crocodile's mouth is -shut fast; whenever its mouth opens, its eyes close. - -The flesh of the iguana is nutritious and never disagrees. The -kabaragoya is requisitioned to make a deadly and leprosy-begetting -poison which is injected into the veins of a betel leaf and given to -an enemy to chew; three of these reptiles are tied to the three stones -in a fireplace facing each other with a fourth suspended over them; -a pot is placed in the centre into which they pour out their venom -as they get heated. - -The blood-sucker indicates by the upward motion of its head that girls -should be unearthed, and by the downward motion that its inveterate -tormentors the boys should be buried. Chameleons embody the spirits -of women who have died in parturition. - -The cry of frogs is a sign that rain is impending and the fluid they -eject is poisonous; if frogs that infest a house be removed to any -distance, they always come back; a person becomes lean if a tree-frog -jumps on him. - -A python swallows a deer whole and then goes between the trunks of -two trees growing near each other to crush the bones of its prey; -its oil cures any bad cut or wound. - -Venomous reptiles are hung up after they are killed or are burnt. - -The cobra is held sacred and rarely killed; when caught it is enclosed -in a mat bag with some boiled rice and floated on a river or stream; -a person killing a cobra dies or suffers some misfortune within seven -days. Some cobras have a gem in their throats which they keep out to -entice insects; they kill themselves if this be taken from them which -can be done by getting on to a tree and throwing cowdung over the -gem. Cobras are fond of sandal wood and the sweet smelling flowers -of the screw pine, and are attracted by music. Their bite is fatal -on Sundays. Martynia diandra (nāgadarana) protects a man from the -bite of the cobra. - -There are seven varieties of vipers; of these the bite of the nidi -polangā causes a deep sleep, and of the le polangā a discharge of -blood. When her skin is distended with offspring, the female viper -expires and the young make their escape out of the decomposing body. - -Cobras and vipers keep up an ancient feud; during a certain hot season -a child was playing inside a vessel full of water and a thirsty cobra -drank of it without hurting the child; a thirsty viper met the cobra -and was told where water was to be found on the viper's promise that -it will not injure the child; as the viper was drinking the water, -the child playfully struck it and the viper bit him to death; the -cobra who had followed the viper killed it for breaking its promise. - -The green whip snake (ehetullā) attacks the eyes of those who approach -it and the shadow of the brown whip snake (hena kandaya) makes one -lame or paralytic. - -A rat snake seldom bites, but if it does, the wound ends fatally only -if cowdung is trampled on. - -The aharakukkā (tropidonoms stolichus) lives in groups of seven and -when one is killed the others come in search of it. - -A mapila (dipsas forstenii) reaches its victim on the floor by several -of them linking together and hanging from the roof. - -The legendary kobō snake loses a joint of its tail every time it -expends its poison, till one joint is left, when it assumes wings -and the head of a toad; with the last bite both the victim and the -snake die. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -HUMAN BEINGS. - - -It is considered unlucky to lie down when the sun is setting; to sleep -with the head towards the west or with the hands between the thighs; -to clasp one's hands across the head or to eat with the head resting -on a hand; to strike the plate with the fingers after taking a meal; to -give to another's hand worthless things like chunam or charcoal without -keeping them on something, and for a female to have a hairy person. - -It is thought auspicious to eat facing eastwards, to gaze at the full -moon and then at the face of a kind relative or a wealthy friend; -to have a girl as the eldest in the family; to have a cavity between -the upper front teeth: and if a male to have a hairy body. - -If a person yawns loud the crop of seven of his fields will be -destroyed; a child's yawn indicates that it is becoming capable of -taking a larger quantity of food. - -If a person bathes on a Friday it is bad for his sons, if on a Tuesday -for himself; if he laughs immoderately he will soon have an occasion -to cry; if he allows another's leg to be taken over him he will be -stunted in his growth; if he passes under another's arm he will cause -the latter to get a boil under the armpit, which can be averted by -his returning the same way. - -If a person eats standing, or tramples a jak fruit with one foot only -he will get elephantiasis; if he eats walking about he will have to -beg his bread; if he gazes at the moon and finds its reflection round -his own shadow his end is near. - -If the second toe of a female be longer than the big toe she will -master her husband; if the left eye of a male throbs, it portends -grief, the right pleasure--of a female it is the reverse. - -If the eyebrows of a woman meet she will outlive her husband; if of -a man he will be a widower; if a male eats burnt rice his beard will -grow on one side only; if the tongue frequently touches where a tooth -has fallen the new tooth will come out projecting; if an eye tooth -be extracted it will cause blindness. - -A sneeze from the right nostril signifies that good is being spoken -of the person, from the left ill; when an infant sneezes a stander -by says "ayi-bōvan" (long life to you). - -If a child cuts its upper front teeth first, it portends evil to its -parents; a child sucks its toe when it has drunk seven pots of milk. - -An infant whimpers in its sleep when spirits say that its father is -dead as it had never seen him, but smiles when they say its mother is -dead as it knows she has nursed it only a little while before. Mothers -hush crying children by calling on the kidnapping goblin Billā or -Gurubāliyā. - -A person who dangles his legs when seated digs his mother's grave. As -one with a hairy whorl on his back will meet with a watery death, -he avoids seas and rivers. - -Everyone's future is stamped on his head; flowers on the nails signify -illness and the itching sensation in one's palm that he will get money. - -It is bad to raise one's forefinger as he takes his handful of rice -to his mouth as he thereby chides the rice. - -No one takes his meal in the presence of a stranger without giving him -a share as it will disagree with him. If any envious person speaks -of the number of children in another's family or praises them the -party affected spits out loud to counteract the evil. - -Two people who are the first born of parents are never allowed to -marry as their children rarely live. The dead body of a first male -child of parents who are themselves the first born of their parents -is regarded as having magical powers and sorcerers try to obtain it; -if this be done the mother will not bear any more children; to prevent -this it is buried near the house. When a mother's pregnancy desires -are not satisfied the child's ears fester. - -Pollution caused by a death lasts three months, by child birth one -month, by a maid attaining puberty fourteen days, and by the monthly -turn of a woman till she bathes. - -Every person has in a more or less degree on certain days an evil -eye and a malevolent mouth; to avoid the evil eye black pots with -chunam marks and hideous figures are placed before houses; children -are marked between the eyes with a black streak, chanks are tied -round the forehead of cattle, branches of fruit are concealed with -a covering made of palm leaves and festive processions are preceded -by mummeries. Serious consequences befall a person who recites -ironically laudatory verses written by a person with a malevolent -mouth. Assumption of high office and marriage ceremonies are fraught -with ill to the persons concerned owing to the evil eye and malevolent -mouth. - -The kalawa (principle of life,) in man rises with the new moon from -the left toe and travels during the lunar month up to the head and -down again to the right foot. Any injury however slight to the spot -where it resides causes death. Its movements are reversed in a woman, -in whom it travels up from the right toe and comes down on the left -side. The course it takes is (1) big toe of foot; (2) sole of foot; -(3) calf; (4) knee cap; (5) lingam; (6) side of stomach; (7) pap; (8) -armpit; (9) side of neck; (10) side of throat; (11) side of lip; (12) -side of cheek; (13) eye; (14) side of head; (15) other side of head; -(16) eye; (17) side of cheek; and so on till the big toe of the other -foot is reached. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THINGS MADE BY MAN. - - -Houses are not built with a frontage towards the South-East for fear -of destruction by fire as it is known as the fire quarter (ginikona). - -A lucky position of the constellations (neket) is ascertained before -the first pillar of a house is erected, before a door frame of a new -house is set or a new house is tiled, before a new house is entered -or a fire kindled or furniture taken in or before a tree is planted -or a well dug. - -When several deaths take place in a dwelling house, it is -deserted. Whole villages are sometimes deserted in case of an epidemic. - -The fire that is first kindled in a new house is arranged in the main -room and over it is placed a new pot full of milk resting on three -stones or three green sticks placed like a tripod. As the milk begins -to boil, pounded rice is put into it. - -The goddess of fortune is said to leave a dwelling house which is -not swept and kept clean. - -As a newly married couple crosses the threshold a husked cocoanut is -cut in two. - -To avoid the evil eye black pots with white chunam marks and hideous -figures are placed before houses and in orchards. - -When a child is born, if it be a boy a pestle is thrown from one side -of the hut to the other, if a girl an ikle broom. - -All the personal belongings of a dead man are given away in -charity. Paddy is not pounded in a house where a person has died as -the spirit will be attracted by the noise. - -When the daily supply of rice is being given out, if the winnowing -fan or the measure drops, it denotes that extra mouths will have to -be fed. If a person talks while the grain is being put into the pot, -it will not be well boiled. - -In the field things are not called by their proper names, no sad news -is broken and a shade over the head is not permitted. - -In drawing toddy from the kitul tree, (caryota urens) a knife which -has already been used is preferred to another. - -If a grave be dug and then closed up to dig a second, or if a coffin -be too large for the corpse, or if the burial be on a Friday there -will soon be another death in the family. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE SOUL AND ANOTHER LIFE. - - -When a person dies everything is done to prevent the disembodied -spirit being attracted to its old home or disturbed. Even paddy is -not pounded in the house as the sound may attract it. - -The day after burial the dead man's belongings are given away in -charity and an almsgiving of kenda (rice gruel) to priests or beggars -takes place. A little of the kenda in a gotuwa (leaf cup) is kept on -a tree or at a meeting of roads and if a crow or any other bird eats -it, it is a sign that the deceased is happy; otherwise it indicates -that it has become a perturbed spirit. Seven days after, there is -an almsgiving of rice when a gotuwa of rice is similarly made use of -for a further sign. Three months after is the last almsgiving which -is done on a large scale; relatives are invited for a feast and all -signs of sorrow are banished from that day. - -The object of this last almsgiving is to make the disembodied spirit -cease to long for the things he has left behind and if this be not -done the spirit of the dead person approaches the boundary fence of -the garden; if the omission be not made good after six months it takes -its stand near the well; when nine months have elapsed it comes near -the doorway, and after twelve months it enters the house and makes -its presence felt by emitting offensive smells and contaminating food -as a Peretayā or by destroying the pots and plates of the house and -pelting stones as a gevalayā or by apparitions as an avatāré or by -creating strange sounds as a holmana; it is afraid of iron and lime -and when over boisterous a kattadiya rids it from the house by nailing -it to a tree, or enclosing it in a small receptacle and throwing it -into the sea where it is so confined till some one unwittingly sets -it free when it recommences its tricks with double force. A woman who -dies in parturition and is buried with the child becomes a bodirima; -she is short and fat, rolls like a cask, kills men whenever she can; -if a lamp and some betel leaves be kept where she haunts she will be -seen heating a leaf and warming her side; the women chase her away -with threats of beating her with an ikle broom; if shot at she turns -into a chameleon (yak katussā). If a person dreams of a dead relative -he gives food to a beggar the next morning. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -SUPERHUMAN BEINGS. - - -The three sources of superhuman influence from which the Singhalese -peasantry expect good or ill are (1) the spirits of disease and -poverty; (2) tutelary spirits of various grades and (3) the planetary -spirits. - -There are several important spirits of disease such as Maha Sohona, -Riri Yakā, Kalu Kumāra Yakā, Sanni Yakā. - -Maha Sohona is 122 feet high, has the head of a bear with a pike in -his left hand and in his right an elephant, whose blood he squeezes -out to drink; he inflicts cholera and dysentery and presides over -graveyards and where three roads meet and rides on a pig. In ancient -times two giants Jayasena and Gotimbara met in single combat; the -latter knocked off the head of Jayasena when the god Senasurā tore -off the head of a bear and placed it on Jayasena's body who rose up -alive as the demon Maha Sohona. - -Riri Yakā has a monkey face, carries in one hand a cock and a club in -the other with a corpse in his mouth, is present at every death bed, -haunts fields and causes fever flux of blood and loss of appetite, -and has a crown of fire on his head. He came into the world from the -womb of his mother by tearing himself through her heart. - -Kalu Kumāra Yakā is a young devil of a dark complexion who is seen -embracing a woman; he prevents conception, delays childbirth and -causes puerperal madness. He was a Buddhist arhat with the supernatural -power of going through the air. In one of his aerial travels, he saw -a beautiful princess and falling in love with her lost at once his -superhuman powers and dropped down dead and became the demon Kalu -Kumāra Yakā. - -Sanni Yakā has cobras twisting round his body with a pot of fire -near him, holds a rosary in his hand, causes different forms of coma, -rides on a horse or lion, has 18 incarnations and forms a trinity with -Oddi Yakā and Huniam Yakā. He was the son of a queen put to death by -her husband who suspected she was unfaithful to his bed. As the queen -who was pregnant was being executed, she said that if the charge was -false the child in her womb will become a demon and destroy the King -and his city. Her corpse gave birth to the Sanni Yakā who inflicted -a mortal disease on his father and depopulated the country. - -When any of these demons has afflicted a person the prescribed form -of exorcism is a devil dance. In the patient's garden, a space of -about 30 square feet is marked out (atamagala) and bounded with lemon -sticks. Within the enclosure, raised about 3 feet from the ground, -is erected an altar (samema) for the offerings (pidenitatu). The -shape of the altar depends on the afflicting demon--triangular for -Riri Yakā, rectangular for Sanni Yakā, semicircular for Kalu Kumāra -Yakā and square for Maha Sohona. - -The offerings consist of boiled rice, a roasted egg, seven kinds -of curries, five kinds of roasted seed, nine kinds of flowers, -betel leaves, fried grain, powdered resin and a thread spun by a -virgin. There are the usual tom tom beaters; and the exorcist and his -assistants are dressed in white and red jackets, with crown shaped -head ornaments, and bell attached leglets and armlets, and carrying -torches and incense pans. - -The ceremony consists of a series of brisk dances by the exorcist, -and his men, at times masked, in the presence of the patient to the -accompaniment of a chant (kavi) giving the life history of the devil, -with a whirling of the blazing torches. This lasts from evening till -dawn when the exorcist lies on his back and calls on the devil to cure -the patient (yādinna); incantations follow (mantra), and the sacrifices -are offered. For the Riri Yakā a cock which had been placed under the -altar or tied to the foot of the patient is killed and thrown into -the jungle; for the Kalu Yakā an earthen pot which had been placed on -the altar is broken; for the Sanni Yakā the offerings are conveyed -in a large bag to a stream or river and thrown into the water; for -the Maha Sohona the exorcist feigns himself dead to deceive the devil -and is carried with mock lamentations to a burial ground. - -The spirits of poverty--Garā Yakku--are twelve in number viz., (1) -Molan Garavva; (2) Dala Rākshayā, (3) Yama Rākshayā; (4) Pūranikā; -(5) Ratnakūtayā; (6) Nīla Giri; (7) Nanda Giri; (8) Chandra Kāvā; -(9) Mārakā; (10) Asuraya; (11) Nātagiri; (12) Pelmadullā. They haunt -every nook and corner of a house, destroy crops, make trees barren, -new houses inauspicious, send pests of flies and insects, reduce -families to abject poverty, and are propitiated by a dance called -Garā Yakuma. A shed (maduva) is put up for it and round it is a -narrow altar, with a platform in front (wesatte). On the altar are -placed four kinds of flowers, betel leaves, some cotton, a spindle, -a cotton cleaner, a shuttle, a comb, a little hair, a looking glass, -a bundle of gurulla leaves, two burning torches and a few cents. Men of -the Oli caste dressed in white and red and at times masked dance from -evening till morning within the shed and on the platform. Late at night -an oblation is made in leaf-cups of seven different vegetables cooked -in one utensil, boiled rice, cakes and plantains. At day break the -dancers stretch themselves on the ground and receive nine pecuniary -offerings; they then rise up and conclude the ceremony by striking -the roof of the shed with a rice pounder. - -The tutelary deities are of three grades viz., (1) Gods; (2) Godlings -and (3) Divine Mothers. The Gods are Maha Deviyō; Natha Deviyō; -Saman Deviyō; Kateragama Deviyō; and the Goddess Pattini. - -Maha Deviyō is identified with Vishnu, and is the guardian deity of -the island, and is a candidate for the Buddhahood; a miniature weapon -in gold or silver is placed at his shrine as a votive offering. - -Natha Deviyō is the future Maitri Buddha and is now biding his time -in the Tusita heaven; Kandyan sovereigns at their coronation girt -their swords and adopted their kingly title before his shrine. - -Saman Deviyō is the deified half brother of Rama, who conquered -Ceylon in prehistoric times, and is the guardian spirit of Adam's -Peak; pilgrims while climbing the sacred hill to worship Buddha's -foot-print, call on him to aid their ascent. A miniature elephant in -gold or silver is the usual votive offering to him. - -Kateragama Deviyō is the most popular of the gods; a prehistoric -deity, to whom a miniature peacock in gold or silver is the customary, -votive offering. He is said to be the six faced and twelve handed -god Kandaswamy who on his homeward return to Kailāsa after defeating -the Asuras halted at Kataragama in South Ceylon; here he met his -consort Valli Ammā whom he wooed in the guise of a mendicant; when -his advances were scornfully rejected, his brother assuming the head -of a man and the body of an elephant appeared on the scene and the -terrified maiden rushed into her suitor's arms for safety; the god -then revealed himself and she became his bride. The god Ayiyanār -invoked in the forests of Ceylon is said to be his half brother. - -Pattini is the goddess of chastity. - -The three eyed Pāndi Raja of Madura had subjugated the gods and was -getting them to dig a pond near his royal city when, at Sakraya's -request, Pattini who resided in Avaragiri Parvata became conceived -in a mango fruit. After it was severed from the tree by an arrow of -Sakraya, it remain suspended in the air and on Pāndi Rāja looking -up to observe the wonder, a drop of juice fell on the third eye in -the middle of his forehead by which he lost his power and the gods -were liberated. Pattini was found inside the mango as an infant of -exquisite beauty sucking her thumb. When she grew up she performed -wonders and ultimately disappeared within a Kohomba tree (margosa). An -armlet or a miniature mango fruit in gold or silver is placed at her -devala as a votive offering. - -These deities are worshipped in separate devāla which are in charge -of Kapurālas who have to bathe daily and anoint themselves with lime -juice, avoid drinking spirits and eating flesh, eggs, turtle or eel -and keep away from houses where a birth or death has taken place. A -dewala consists of two rooms, one being the sanctum for the insignia -of the god--a spear, bill hook or arrow--and the other being the -ante room for the musicians; attached to the devala is the multengź -(kitchen). On Wednesdays and Saturdays the doors of the dewala are -opened; the Multengź Kapurāla cooks the food for the deity; the Tevāva -Kapuralā offers it at the shrine on a plantain leaf enclosed with -areka-flower-strips, and purified with saffron water, sandal paste and -incense. Before and after the meal is offered, drums are beaten in the -ante room. In return for offerings made by votaries the Anumetirāla -invokes the god to give relief from any ailment, a plentiful harvest, -thriving cattle, success in litigation, and children to sterile -mothers. Punishment to a faithless wife, curses on a forsworn enemy -and vengeance on a thief are invoked by getting the Kapurāla to break -a pūnā kale--a pot with mystic designs,--or to throw into the sea or a -river a charmed mixture of powdered condiments. Once a year, when the -agricultural season begins, between July and August, the in-signia of -the gods are carried on elephants in procession through the streets -accompanied by musicians, dancers, temple tenants and custodians of -the shrine. The festival begins on a new moon day and lasts till the -full moon when the procession proceeds to a neighbouring river or -stream where the Kapurāla cuts the water with a sword and removes a -potful of it and keeps it in the dewala till it is emptied into the -same stream the following year and another potful taken. - -The well-known godlings are (1) Wahala Bandāra Deviyō alias Dźvatā -Bandāra; (2) Wirāmunda Deviyō; (3) Wanniya Bandāra; (4) Kirti Bandāra; -(5) Menik Bandāra; (6) Mangala Deviyō; (7) Kumāra Deviyō; (8) Irugal -Bandāra; (9) Kalu Veddā alias Kalu Bandāra; (10) Gangź Bandāra; -(11) Devol Deviyō; (12) Ilandāri Deviyō; (13) Sundara Bandāra; (14) -Monarāvila Alut Deviyō; (15) Galź Deviyō; (16) Ayiyanar Deviyō. - -The godlings are local; those which are worshipped in one country -district are not sometimes known in another. Their insignia together -with a few peacock feathers are sometimes kept in small detached -buildings called kovil with representations of the godlings rudely -drawn on the walls. A priest called a Yakdessa is in charge of a kovil -and when people fall ill "they send for the Yakdessa to their house, -and give him a red cock chicken, which he takes up in his hand, and -holds an arrow with it, and dedicates it to the god, by telling him, -that if he restore the party to his health, that cock is given to him, -and shall be dressed and sacrificed to him in his kovil. They then -let the cock go among the rest of the poultry, and keep it afterwards, -it may be, a year or two; and then they carry it to the temple, or the -priest comes for it: for sometimes he will go round about, and fetch -a great many cocks together that have been dedicated, telling the -owners that he must make a sacrifice to the god; though, it may be, -when he hath them, he will go to some other place and convert them -into money for his own use, as I myself can witness; we could buy -three of them for four-pence half penny. When the people are minded -to inquire any thing of their gods, the priests take up some of the -arms and instruments of the gods, that are in the temples upon his -shoulder; and then he either feigns himself to be mad, or really is so, -which the people call pissuvetichchi; and then the spirit of the gods -is in him, and whatsoever he pronounceth is looked upon as spoken by -God himself, and the people will speak to him as if it were the very -person of God." [3] - -Galź Deviyō or Galź Bandāra, also called Malala Bandāra is the god of -the rock and is propitiated in parts of the Eastern Province, Uva and -the Kurunegalle district, to avert sickness, bad luck and drought. "In -these districts, in all cases, the dance, which is a very important -part of the proceedings, and indispensable in the complete ceremony, -takes place on a high projecting crag near the top of a prominent -hill or on the summit of the hill, if it is a single bare rock. On -this wild and often extremely dangerous platform, on some hills a -mere pinnacle usually hundreds of feet above the plain below, the -Anumetirāla performs his strange dance, like that of all so called -devil dancers. He chants no song in honour of the ancient deity but -postures in silence with bent knees and waving arms, holding up the -bill hooks--the god himself for the time being. When he begins to -feel exhausted the performer brings the dance to an end, but sometimes -his excitement makes it necessary for his assistant to seize him and -forcibly compel him to stop. He then descends from his dizzy post, -assisted by his henchmen, and returns to the devāla with the tom toms -and the crowd." [4] - -The spirits of the forest, invoked by pilgrims and hunters are Wanniyā -Bandāra, Mangala Deviyō, Ilandāri Deviyō and Kalu Bandāra alias Kalu -Veddā. Kaluwedda is a demon supposed to possess power over the animal -race. "When a person, more commonly a public hunter, shoots an animal, -whether small or large, he, without uttering a single word, takes -on the spot three drops of blood from the wound, and smearing them -on three leaves makes them into the shape of a cup, and offers them -on the branches of a tree, clapping his hands, and expressing words -to this effect, "Friend Kaluwedda, give ear to my words: come upon -the branches, and receive the offering I give to thee!" The effect -of this superstition is supposed to be, that the hunter will seldom -or never miss his game. [5]" - -Manik Bandāra is the spirit of gem pits and Gange Bandāra is the -spirit of streams and rivers. - -"The malignant spirit called Gange Bandāra, Oya Bandāra, Oya Yakka, -etc. is properly an object of terror, not of worship; and under -very many different appellations the identity is easily perceived: -he is the representative or personification of those severe fevers, -to which, from some occult causes, the banks of all Ceylon rivers are -peculiarly liable. The manner of making offerings to the Gange Bandāra -is by forming a miniature double canoe, ornamented with cocoanut leaves -so as to form a canopy: under this are placed betel, rice, flowers, -and such like articles of small value to the donor, as he flatters -himself may be acceptable to the fiend, and induce him to spare those -who acknowledge his power. After performing certain ceremonies, this -propitiatory float is launched upon the nearest river, in a sickly -season. I have seen many of these delicate arks whirling down the -streams, or aground on the sand banks and fords of the Ambanganga -(Matale East)." [6] - -Ayiyannar Deviyō is the god of tanks and he is propitiated under a -tree by the bund of a tank, by throwing up in the air boiled milk -in a hot state. Sundara Bandāra extends his protection to those who -invoke him before sleeping. - -Wīramunda Deviyō is a spirit of agriculture and rice cakes made of the -new paddy is offered to the godling on a platform on which are placed -husked cocoanuts, flowers, plantains, a lighted lamp, a pestle and -a mortar. Gopalla is a pastoral godling who torments cattle at night -and afflicts them with murrain. Devol Deviyō is a South Indian deity -who came to Ceylon in spite of the attempts to stop him by Pattini -who placed blazing fires in his way. Masked dances of a special kind -involving walking over fire take place in his honour. Kirti Bandara, -and Monaravila Alut Deviyō are two lately deified chieftains, the -former lived in the reign of king Kirti Siri (1747-1780), the latter -is Keppitipola who was beheaded by the British in 1818. - -Wahala Bandara Deviyō alias Devatā Bandara is a minister of Vishnu -and is invoked when demon-possessed patients cannot be cured by the -ordinary devil dance. At his devāla in Alut Nuwera, 11 miles from -Kandy, the Kapurāla beats the patient with canes till the devil is -exorcised. With him is associated Malwatte Bandāra, another minister -of Vishnu. - -The peace of the home is impersonated in seven divine mothers who are -said to be manifestations of the goddess Pattini. Their names vary -according to the different localities. They are known in some places -as:--(1) Miriyabedde Kiri Amma or Beddź Mehelli; (2) Pudmarāga Kiri -Amma (3) Unāpāna Kiri Amma; (4) Kosgama Kiri Amma; (5) Bāla Kiri Amma; -(6) Bōvalagedere Kiri Amma; (7) Indigolleve Kiri Amma. - -Navaratna Valli is the patroness of the Rodiyas and is said to have -been born from the Telambu tree. Henakanda Bisō Bandāra was born of -a wood apple and is invoked as the wife of Devatā Bandāra. - -A thank offering is made to the divine mothers when children are -fretful, when a family recovers from chicken pox or some kindred -disease, when a mother has had an easy confinement. Seven married -women are invited to represent them and are offered a meal of rice, -rice cakes, milk, fruits and vegetables; before eating they purify -themselves with turmeric water and margosa leaves; a lamp with seven -wicks in honour of the seven divine mothers are kept where they are -served; after the repast they severally blow out a wick by clapping -their hands and take away what is left of the repast. Before a house is -newly occupied the seven divine mothers are invoked by ceremoniously -boiling rice in milk; a fire is made in the main room and over it -is kept a new pot full of milk resting on three green sticks placed -like a tripod. As the milk begins to boil pounded rice is put into -it. The person superintending the cooking wears a white cloth over his -mouth. Seven married women are first served with the cooked milk-rice -on plantain leaves, and afterwards the others present. - -The mystery of the jungle is impersonated in the Beddź Mehelli. - -After a successful harvest or to avert an epidemic from the village -a ceremonial dance (gammadu) for which the peasantry subscribe takes -place for seven days in honour of the gods, godlings and divine -mothers. A temporary building, open on all sides, and decorated with -flowers and fruits is erected on the village green, and a branch of -the Jak tree is cut ceremonially by the celebrant and carried into -the building and placed on the east side as a dedicatory post with a -little boiled rice, a cocoanut flower, two cocoanuts and a lamp. Altars -are erected for the various deities and on these the celebrant places -with music, chant and dance their respective insignia, all present -making obeisance. Water mixed with saffron is sprinkled on the floor, -resin is burnt and a series of dances and mimetic representations of -the life history of the deities take place every night. On the last -day there is a ceremonial boiling of rice in milk and a general feast. - -Planetary spirits influence the life of a person according to their -position in the heavens at the time of his birth, and an astrologer for -a handful of betel and a small fee will draw a diagram of 12 squares, -indicating the twelve signs of the Zodiac and from the position of the -9 planets in the different squares will recommend the afflicted person -a planetary ceremony of a particular form to counteract the malignant -influence. Representations (bali) of the nine planetary spirits, of the -12 signs of the Zodiac, the 27 lunar asterisms, the 8 cardinal points, -the 7 intervals of time, and the 14 age periods are made of clay and -are placed erect on a large platform of split bamboo measuring about -12 square feet--the arrangement varying according to the advice of the -astrologer;--and on the floor is drawn an eight-sided or twelve-sided -figure where the celebrant dances and chants propitiatory verses in -honour of the planets. The afflicted person sits the whole time during -the music, dance and chanting before the images holding in his right -hand a lime connected by a thread with the chief idol, and near him are -2 cocoanut flowers, boiled rice, a hopper, 7 vegetable curries, limes, -cajunuts, betel, raw rice, white sandalwood and hiressa leaves. At -intervals a stander-by throws portions of an areka flower into a -koraha of water with cries of 'ayibōvan' (long life). - -The Sun (Iru) rides on a horse entwined with cotton leaves (imbul) -with an emblem of good luck (Sirivasa) in hand and propitiated by -the Sānti Mangala Baliya; sacred to him is the ruby (manikya). - -Mercury (Budahu) rides on an ox with a chank in hand, entwined with -margosa leaves (Kohomba) and propitiated by the Sarva Rupa Baliya; -the emerald (nīla) is sacred to this planet. - -Mars (Angaharuva) rides on a peacock with an elephant goad (unkusa) -in hand, entwined with gamboge leaves (kolon) and propitiated by the -Kali Murta Baliya; the coral (pravala) is sacred to this planet. - -Rahu rides on an ass with a fish in hand entwined with screw pine -leaves (vetakeyiyā) and is propitiated by the Asura Giri Baliya; -the zircon (gomada) is sacred to Rahu. - -Kehetu rides on a swan with a rosary in hand, entwined with plantain -leaves (kehel) and is propitiated by the Krishna Rāksha Baliya; -the chrysoberyl (vaidurya) is sacred to Kehetu. - -Saturn (Senasurā) rides on a crow; with a fan in hand entwined with -banyan leaves (nuga) and is propitiated by the Dasa Krōdha Baliya; -the sapphire (indranīla) is sacred to this planet. - -Venus (Sikurā) rides on a buffalo with a whisk (chāmara) in hand, -entwined with karanda leaves (galidupa arborea) and is propitiated by -the Giri Mangala Baliya; the diamond (vajra) is sacred to this planet. - -Jupiter (Brahaspati) rides on a lion with a pot of flowers in hand, -entwined with bo leaves and is propitiated by the Abhaya Kalyāna -Baliya; the topaz (pusparāga) is sacred to Jupiter. - -The moon rides on an elephant with a ribbon in hand entwined with -wood apple leaves (diwul) and propitiated by the Sōma Mangala Baliya; -pearls (mutu) are sacred to the moon. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -OMENS AND DIVINATION. - - -One will not start on a journey, if he meets as he gets out a beggar, -a Buddhist priest, a person carrying firewood or his implements of -labour, if a lizard chirps, a dog sneezes or flaps his ears. Nor will -he turn back after once setting out; if he has forgotten anything it -is sent after him, he never returns for it. That the object of his -journey may be prosperous he starts with the right foot foremost -at an auspicious moment, generally at dawn, when the cock crows; -his hopes are at their highest if he sees on the way a milch cow, -cattle, a pregnant woman or a person carrying a pitcher full of water, -flowers or fruits. - -Thieves will not get out when there is the handa madala (ring round -the moon) as they will be arrested. - -The day's luck or ill-luck depends on what one sees the first thing -in the morning; if anything unlucky be done on a Monday, it will -continue the whole week. - -If a crow caws near one's house in the morning, it forebodes sickness -or death, at noon pleasure or the arrival of a friend, and in the -evening profit; if it drops its excrement on the head, shoulders or -on the back of a person it signifies happiness but on the knee or in -step a speedy death. - -A lizard warns by its chirp; if it chirps from the East pleasant -news can be expected, from the South news of sickness or death, -from the North profit and from the West the arrival of a friend. If -a lizard or a skink (hikenellā) falls on the right side of a person, -he will gain riches, if on the left he will meet with ill luck. - -A snake doctor finds out what kind of reptile had bitten a person by a -queer method; if the person who comes to fetch him touches his breast -with the right hand it is a viper; if the head it is a mapila; if the -stomach a frog; if the right shoulder with the left hand a karavalā, -(bungarus coerulus); if he be excited a skink; and if the messenger -be a weeping female carrying a child it is a cobra. - -Something similar to crystal gazing is attempted by means of a -betel leaf smeared with a magical oil; a female deity (Anjanan Devi) -appears on the leaf and reveals what the gazer seeks. - -A professional fortune teller (guru) when a client comes to consult -him, measures the client's shadow, divides it into three equal parts -and after some calculations informs him whether a lost article will -be found, a sick person will recover or any enterprise will fail -or succeed. - -Dreams that prognosticate a good future are kept secret, but bad ones -are published. When a bad dream is dreamt it is advisable to go to a -lime tree early in the morning, mention the dream and ask the tree to -take to itself all the bad effects. Dreams at the first watch of the -night will be accomplished in a year, at the second watch in eight -months, at the third watch in five months, and at the dawn of day in -ten days. - -If a person dreams of riding on a bull or an elephant, ascending the -summit of a mountain, entering a palace, or smearing himself with -excrement he will obtain an increase of wealth. - -If a person dreams that his right hand was bitten by a white serpent -he will obtain riches at the end of ten days. - -If a person dreams of a crane, a domestic fowl, an eagle or crows, -he will get an indulgent wife. - -If a person dreams of the sun or moon, he will be restored from -sickness. - -If the teeth of an individual in his dream fall out or shake his wealth -will be ruined or he will lose a child or parent but if his hands be -chained or bound together he will have a son or obtain a favour. - -If a female clothed in black embraces a man in his dream it foretells -death. - -If a person dreams of an extensive field ripe for the sickle, he will -obtain rice paddy within ten days. - -If a person dreams of an owl, a beast in rut or being burnt he will -lose his habitation. - -If a person dreams of nymphs dancing, laughing, running or clapping -their hands, he will have to leave his native land. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE MAGIC ART. - - -Words of Power called Mantra are committed to memory and used for -various purposes. Jugglers utter them to raise a magic veil over the -eyes of the spectators, and sorcerers to detect thefts, to induce love, -to remove spells to cure possession and to inflict disease or death. - -Mantra are uttered to keep away animals. Elephants are frightened by -"Om sri jātā hārź bhāvatu arahan situ." A dog takes to its heels when -the following is muttered thrice over the hand and stretched towards -it "Om namō budungź pāvādź bat kāpu ballā kikki kukkā nam tō situ. Om -buddha namas saka situ." - -As a preventive against harmful influences, a thread spun by a virgin, -and rubbed with turmeric is charmed over charcoal and resin-smoke -and tied round one's arm, waist or neck, having as many knots as the -number of the times the charm has been repeated. - -Amulets (yantra) made of five kinds of metal (gold, silver, copper, -brass, iron) are similarly worn for avoiding evil and these are either -pentacle shaped, crescent shaped or cylindrical enclosing a charmed -ola leaf, charmed oil or charmed pills. - -To win a girl's affections the lover has only to rub a charmed -vegetable paste over his face and show himself to the girl, or give -her to eat a charmed preparation of peacock's liver, honey and herbs -or make her chew a charmed betel leaf, or sprinkle on her some charmed -oil, or wear a charmed thread taken from her dress. - -To detect a theft, a cocoanut is charmed, attached to a stick and -placed where a thief has made his escape, and while the operator holds -it he is led along to the thief's house. Persons suspected of theft are -made to stand with bared backs round an ash plantain tree and as it is -struck with a charmed creeper, the culprit gets an ashy streak on his -back. They are also asked to touch a charmed fowl in turn and the fowl -begins to crow as soon as the thief touches its body. The names of the -suspected persons are sometimes written on slips of paper and placed on -the ground with a cowrie shell opposite each slip, and as soon as the -mantra is uttered the shell opposite the thief's name begins to move. - -Charmed branches are hung up by hunters and wayfarers near dangerous -spots. If charmed slaked lime be secretly rubbed on the lintel of a -man's house before he starts out shooting, he will not kill any bird, -and if rubbed on the threshold he will not kill any fourfooted animal. - -A person under the influence of a charm is taken to a banyan tree -with his hair wrapped round the head of a cock; the hair is cut off -with a mantra, the bird nailed to the tree and the patient cured. - -The charm known as Pilli is used to inflict immediate death; the -sorcerer procures a dead body of a child, animal, bird, reptile or -insect and goes at dawn, noon or midnight to a lonely spot where -three roads meet or to a grave yard and lying on his back utters a -mantra; the dead body becomes animated and it is given the name of -the intended victim with directions to inflict on him a fatal wound: -to stab, strangle, bite or sting him. - -The charm called Angama causes the victim to throw up blood and it -affects within seven hours; the sorcerer takes some article that the -intended victim had worn or touched, goes to a lonely spot, charms it -and touches the victim, or fans him with it or stretches it towards -him, or keeps it in the hand and looks at his face or blows so that -the breath may light on him or leaves it in some accessible place -that it may be picked up by him. - -The charm known as the Huniama is frequently practised and it -takes effect within intervals varying from a day to several years; -the sorcerer makes an image to represent the intended victim; nails -made of five kinds of metal are fixed at each joint, and the victim's -name written on a leaf, or a lock of his hair, or a nail paring, or a -thread from his dress inserted in its body; the image is charmed and -buried where the victim has to pass and if he does so, he falls ill -with swelling, with stiffness of joints, with a burning sensation in -his body or with paralysis. - -A Pilli or Angama charm can be warded off if the victim himself be a -sorcerer when by a counter charm he can direct the operator himself -to be killed or injured. - -A Huniama charm can be nullified by getting a sorcerer either to cut -some charmed lime fruits which have come in contact with the patient -or to slit with an arekanut cutter a charmed coil of creepers placed -round the patient's neck, shoulders and anklets or to keep a charmed -pumpkin gourd on the sorcerer's chest while lying on his back and -making the patient cut it in two with a bill hook, the parts being -thrown into the sea or a stream; or to break up a charmed waxen figure -and throw the pieces into boiling oil. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -DISEASE AND LEECHCRAFT. - - -Serious maladies are inflicted by spirits or induced by the vitiation -of the triple force (vāta, pita, sema) which pervades the human -body. In the former case they are cured by devil dances and in the -latter by drugs. There are, however, numerous minor complaints where -folk-remedies are employed. - -A cure for boils is to procure without speaking from a smithy water in -which the red hot iron has been cooled and apply it to the affected -parts. - -For whooping cough is given gruel made of seven grains of rice -collected in a chunam receptacle (killōtź) without uttering a word -from seven houses on a Sunday morning. - -To cure a sprain a mother who has had twins is asked to trample the -injured place, without informing any one else, every evening for a -couple of days. - -A touch with a cat's tail removes a sty, and a toothache is cured -by biting a balsam plant (kūdalu) uprooted with the right hand, -the face averted. - -When one is hurt by a nettle, cassia leaves (tōra) are rubbed on the -injured place with the words "tōra kola visa neta kahambiliyāva visa, -etc." (Cassia leaves are stingless but prickly is the nettle). - -A firefly's bite requires "the mud of the sea and the stars of the sky" -to effect a cure--a cryptic way of saying salt and the gum of the eye. - -Ill effects of the evil mouth and evil eye are dispelled by various -means:--either a packet made of some sand trodden by the offender is -taken three times round the head and thrown into a pot of live coals; -or a receptacle containing cocoanut shell ashes, burnt incense, -and a few clods of earth from a neighbouring garden is buried in -the compound. - -Patients suffering with small pox or a kindred disease are kept in a -separate hut, cloth dyed in turmeric and margosa leaves are used in -the room; and after recovery an infusion of margosa leaves is rubbed -on their heads before they are bathed. - -A string of coral shows by the fading of its colour that the wearer is -ill; to prevent pimples and eruptions a chank is rubbed on the face, -when washing it. - -When there is a difficult child-birth the cupboards and the doors -in the house are unlocked. For infantile convulsions, a piece of the -navel cord is tied round the child's body. - -If one has warts on his body, stones equal in number to them are tied -to a piece of rag and thrown where three roads meet; the person who -picks up the packet and unties it gets the warts and the other becomes -free of them. - -When a person gets a hiccough, he gets rid of it by holding up his -breath and repeating seven times "ikkayi māyi Gālugiya, ikka, hitalā -man āvā" (Hiccough and I went to Galle; he stayed back and I returned). - -Extreme exhaustion will ensue if the perspiration from one's body is -scraped off; the cure is to swallow the collected sweat. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. - - -A village community occupy a well defined settlement (wasama) within -which are the hamlets (gan), and in each hamlet live a few families who -have their separate homesteads (mulgedera) with proprietary interests -in the arable land and communal rights in the forest, waste and pasture -land. A group of such settlements comprise a country district (rata, -kōrale, pattu). - -There are two types of village settlements, in one there are the free -peasant proprietors cultivating their private holdings without any -interference, and in the other the people occupy the lands subject -to an overlord, and paying him rent in service, food or money or in -all three. - -All communities whether free or servile had, in ancient times to -perform rājakariya for 15 to 30 days a year; in time of war to guard -the passes and serve as soldiers, and ordinarily to construct or -repair canals, tanks, bridges and roads. These public duties were -exacted from all males who could throw a stone over their huts; the -military services were, in later times, claimed only from a special -class of the king's tenants. - -The people had also to contribute to the Revenue three times a year, -at the New Year festival, (April) at the alutsāl festival (January) -and the maha or kātti festival (November) in arrack, oil, paddy, honey, -wax, cloth, iron, elephant's tusks, tobacco, and money collected by -the headmen from the various country districts. The quantity of paddy -(kathhāl) supplied by each family depended on the size of the private -holding; but no contribution was levied on the lands of persons slain -in war or on lands dedicated to priests. When a man of property died, -5 measures of paddy, a bull, a cow with calf, and a male and female -buffalo were collected as death dues (marral.) - -The people are divided into various castes and there is reason to -believe that these had a tribal basis. The lower castes formed tribes -of a prehistoric Dravidian race (the Rakshas of tradition) who drove -into the interior the still earlier Australoid Veddahs (the Yakkhas -of tradition). The higher castes of North Indian origin followed, -and frequent intercourse with the Dekkan in later historical times led -to the introduction of new colonists who now form the artisan castes. - -A caste consists of a group of clans, and each clan claims descent -from a common ancestor and calls itself either after his name, or the -office he held, or if a settler, the village from which he came. The -clan name was dropped when a person became a chief and a surname which -became hereditary assumed. The clan name was however, not forgotten -as the ancestral status of the family was ascertained from it. The -early converts to Christianity during the Portuguese ascendancy in -Ceylon adopted European surnames which their descendants still use. - -The various castes can be divided socially into five groups. The first -comprising the numerically predominating Ratźettō who cultivate fields, -herd cattle and serve as headmen. - -The second group consists of the Naides who work as smiths, carpenters, -toddy drawers, elephant keepers, potters, pack bullock drivers, -tailors, cinnamon peelers, fish curers and the like. - -The Ratźetto and the Naide groups wear alike, and the second group are -given to eat by the first group on a rice table of metal or plaited -palm leaf about a foot high, water to drink in a pot and a block of -wood as a seat; they have the right to leave behind the remains of -their meals. - -The third group are the Dureyās who work as labourers besides attending -to their special caste duties--a kandź dureyā makes molasses, a -batgam dureyā carries palanquins, a hunu dureyā burns coral rock in -circular pits to make lime for building; a valli dureyā weaves cloth -and a panna dureyā brings fodder for elephants and cattle. - -The fourth group consists of professional dancers, barbers and -washers. Of the professional dancers, the Neketto dance and beat drums -at all public functions and at devil and planetary ceremonies, while -the inferior Oli do so only at the Gara Yakum dance. The washers are of -different grades; Radav wash for the Rate Ettō, Hinnevo for the Naides, -Paliyo for the Dureyās, barbers and Nekettō, and Gangāvo for the Oli. - -The Dureyās and the group below them were not allowed to wear a -cloth that reached below their knees and their women except the Radav -females were not entitled to throw a cloth over their shoulders. - -The Dureyās were given to eat on the ground on a plaited palm leaf; -water to drink was poured onto their hands and they had to take away -the remains of their meal. The fourth group had to take away with -them the food offered. - -The fifth group consists of the outcastes; the Kinnaru and the Rodi -who contest between themselves the pride of place. The Kinnaru are -fibre mat weavers who were forbidden to grow their hair beyond their -necks, and their females from wearing above their waist anything more -than a narrow strip of cloth to cover their breasts. The Rodi are -hideworkers and professional beggars; the females were prohibited -from using any covering above their waists. - -A guest of equal social status is received at the entrance by the -host and is led inside by the hand; on a wedding day the bridegroom's -feet are washed by the bride's younger brother before he enters the -house. Kissing is the usual form of salutation among females and -near relatives and among friends the salutation is by bringing the -palms together. - -When inferiors meet a superior they bend very low with the palms -joined in front of the face or prostrate themselves on the ground; -when they offer a present it is placed on a bundle of 40 betel leaves -and handed with the stalks towards the receiver. - -A guest always sends in advance a box of eatables as a present; when -the repast is ready for him he is supplied with water to wash his -face, feet and mouth; and the host serves him with rice and curry, -skins the plantains for him, and makes his chew of betel. The males -always eat first and the females afterwards; and they drink water by -pouring it into their mouths from a spouted vessel (kotale). - -At the guest's departure, the host accompanies him some distance--at -least as far as the end of the garden. When a person of distinction, -a Buddhist priest or a chief visits a house, the rooms are limed and -the seats are spread with white cloth. - -An inferior never sits in the presence of a superior, and whenever -they meet, the former removes the shade over his head, gets out of -the way and makes a very low obeisance. - -Seven generations of recognised family descent is the test of -respectability, and each ancestor has a name of his own: appa, ātā, -muttā, nattā, panattā, kittā, kirikittā (father, grand father, great -grand father, etc.) - -The system of kinship amongst the Sinhalese is of the classificatory -kind where the kin of the same generation are grouped under one -general term. - -The next of kin to a father or mother and brother or sister are the -fathers' brothers and the mothers' sisters, and the mothers' brothers -and the fathers' sisters; of these the first pair has a parental -rank and is called father (appa) or mother (amma) qualified by the -words big, intermediate or little, according as he or she is older -or younger than the speaker's parents; their children are brothers -(sahodarya) and sisters (sahodari) to the speaker and fathers and -mothers to the speaker's children. - -The second pair becomes uncle (mamā) and aunt (nenda) to the speaker -qualified as before; their children are male cousins (massina) and -female cousins (nźna) to the speaker, and uncles and aunts to the -speaker's children. - -Those who are related as brothers and sisters rarely marry, and a -husband's relations of the parental class are to his wife, uncles, -aunts and cousins of the other class and vice versā. - -These terms are also used as expressions of friendship or endowment -and also to denote other forms of kinship. The term 'father' -is applied to a mother's sister's husband, or a step father; -'mother' to a father's brother's wife or a step mother; 'uncle' -to a father's sister's husband or a father-in-law. 'Aunt' to a -mother's brother's wife or mother-in-law. 'Brother' to a wife's or -husband's brother-in-law or a maternal cousin's husband; 'Sister' -to a wife's or husband's sister-in-law or a maternal cousin's wife, -"male cousin" to a brother-in-law or a paternal cousin's husband; -"female cousin" to a sister-in-law or a paternal cousin's wife. - -The terms son, daughter, nephew, niece, grandson, grand daughter, -great grandson and great grand daughter include many kinsfolk of the -same generation. A son is one's own son, or the son of a brother (male -speaking), or the son of a sister (female speaking); a daughter is -one's own daughter, the daughter of a brother (M. S.) or the daughter -of a sister (F. S.); a nephew is a son-in-law, the son of a sister -(M. S.) or the son of a brother (F. S.); a niece is a daughter-in-law, -the daughter of a sister (M. S.) or the daughter of a brother (F. S.); -a grandson and grand daughter are a 'son's' or 'daughter's' or a -'nephew's' or 'niece's' children, and their sons and daughters are -great grand sons and great grand daughters. - -Land disputes and the petty offences of a village were settled by the -elders in an assembly held at the ambalama or under a tree. The serious -difficulties were referred by them in case of a freehold community -to the district chief, and in the case of a subject community to the -overlord. A manorial overlord was invariably the chief of the district -as well. - -The paternal ancestral holding of a field, garden and chena devolves -on all the sons, but not on sons who were ordained as Buddhist Priests -before the father's demise, nor on daughters who have married and -left for their husbands' homes. - -A daughter, however, who lived with her husband at her father's -house has all the rights and privileges of a son, but the husband -has no claim whatsoever to his wife's property, and such a husband is -advised to have constantly with him a walking stick, a talipot shade -and a torch, as he may be ordered by his wife to quit her house at -any time and in any state of the weather. - -A daughter who lives in her husband's home can claim a share in the -mother's property only if the father has left an estate for the sons -to inherit; she has, however, a full right with her brothers to any -inheritance collaterally derived. - -She will not forfeit her share in her father's inheritance if -she returns to her father's house, or if she leaves a child in her -father's house to be brought up or if she keeps up a close connection -with her father's house. - -After her husband's death she has a life interest on his -acquired property, and a right to maintenance from his inherited -property. Failing issue, she is the heir to a husband's acquired -property, but the husband's inherited property goes to the source -from whence it came. - -A child who has been ungrateful to his parents or has brought -disgrace on the family is disinherited; in olden times the father in -the presence of witnesses declared his child disinherited, struck a -hatchet against a tree or rock and gave his next heir an ola mentioning -the fact of disherision. - -There is no prescribed form for the adoption of a child who gets all -the rights of a natural child, but it is necessary that he is of the -same caste as the adopted father, and that he is publicly acknowledged -as son and heir. - -Illegitimate children share equally with the legitimate their -fathers' acquired property, but not his inherited property which goes -exclusively to the legitimate children. - -Polyandry was a well established institution in Ceylon; the associated -husbands are invariably brothers or cousins. Polyandry was practised -to prevent a sub-division of the ancestral property and also owing to -the exigencies of the rājakāriya (feudal service); when the brothers on -a farm were called out for their fifteen days' labour, custom allowed -one of them to be left behind as a companion to the female at home. - -Divorces are obtained by mutual consent; a husband forcibly removing -the switch of hair off his wife's head was considered a sufficient -reason for a separation. If a woman left her husband without his -consent it was thought illegal for her to marry till the husband -married again. - -Contracts were made orally or in writing in the presence of witnesses, -sanctioned by the imprecation that the one who broke faith will -be born a dog, a crow or in one of the hells, and the contract was -expected to last till the sun and moon endure. Representations of a -dog, a crow, sun and moon are to be found on stones commemorating a -royal gift. If a man contracts by giving a stone in the king's name -it is binding and actionable. - -A creditor forced the payment of his debt by going to the debtor's -house and threatening to poison himself with the leaves of the -niyangalā (gloriosa superba) or by threatening to jump down a steep -place or to hang himself; on which event the debtor would be forced -to pay to the authorities a ransom for the loss of the creditor's life. - -The creditor at times sent a servant to the debtor's house to live -there and make constant demands till payment was made; and at times -tethered an unserviceable bull, cow or buffalo in the debtor's garden, -who was obliged to maintain it, be responsible for its trespass on -other gardens, and to give another head of cattle, if it died or was -lost in his keeping. - -When a man died indebted, it was customary for a relative to tie -round his neck a piece of rag with a coin attached and beg about the -country till the requisite sum was collected. - -When a debt remained in the debtor's hands for two years it doubled -itself and no further interest could be charged. A creditor had the -right to seize, on a permit from a chief, the debtor's chattels and -cattle or make the debtor and his children slaves. A wife, however, -could only be seized if she was a creditor and came with her husband -to borrow the money, and the creditor could sell the debtor's children -only after the debtor's death. A man could pawn or sell himself or -his children. Children born to a bond woman by a free man were slaves, -while children born to a free woman by a bond man were free. If seed -paddy is borrowed, it is repaid with 50 percent. interest at the -harvest; if the harvest fails, it is repaid at the next successful -harvest, but no further interest is charged. - -If cattle be borrowed for ploughing, the owner of the cattle is given -at the harvest paddy equal to the amount sown on the field ploughed. - -The King alone inquired into murder, treason, sacrilege, conspiracy -and rebellion; he alone had the right to order capital punishment or -the dismemberment of limbs; his attention was drawn to a miscarriage -of justice by the representation of a courtier, by the aggrieved -persons taking refuge in a sanctuary like the Daladā Māligāva, by -prostrating in front of the King's palace and attracting his attention -by making their children cry, or by ascending a tree near the palace -and proclaiming their grievances. - -The petitioners were sometimes beaten and put in chains for troubling -the King. - -For capital offences, as murder and treason, the nobility was -decapitated with the sword; the lower classes were paraded through -the streets with a chaplet of shoe flowers on their heads, bones -of oxen round their necks, and their bodies whitened with lime, and -then impaled, quartered and hanged on trees, or pierced with spear -while prostrate on the ground, or trampled on by elephants and torn -with their tusks. Whole families sometimes suffered for the offences -of individuals. - -Outcaste criminals like the Rodiyas were shot from a distance as -it was pollution to touch them. Female offenders were made to pound -their children and then drowned. - -The punishments for robbing the treasury, for killing cattle, for -removing a sequestration, and for striking a priest or chief consisted -of cutting off the offender's hair, pulling off his flesh with iron -pincers dismembering his limbs and parading him through the streets -with the hands about the neck. - -Corporal punishment was summarily inflicted with whips or rods while -the offender was bound to a tree or was held down with his face to -the ground; he was then paraded through the streets with his hands -tied behind him, preceded by a tom tom beater and made to declare -his offence. - -Prisoners were sent away to malarial districts or kept in chains or -stocks in the common jail or in the custody of a chief, or quartered in -villages. The inhabitants had to supply the prisoners with victuals, -the families doing so by turns, or the prisoners went about with -a keeper begging or they procured the expenses by selling their -handiwork in way-side shops built near the prison. The prisoners had -to sweep the streets and were deprived of their headdress which they -could resume only when they were discharged. - -Thieves had to restore the stolen property or pay a sevenfold fine -(wandia); till the fine was paid, the culprit was placed under -restraint (velekma): a circle was drawn round him on the ground, -and he was not allowed to step beyond it, and had to stay there -deprived of his head covering exposed to the sun, sometimes holding -a heavy stone on his shoulder, sometimes having a sprig of thorns -drawn between his naked legs. - -A whole village was fined if there was a suicide of a sound person, if -a corpse was found unburied or unburnt, or if there was an undetected -murder. In case of the breach of any sumptuary law, the inhabitants -of the offender's village were tabooed and their neighbours prohibited -from dealing or eating with them. - -Oaths were either mere asseverations on one's eyes or on one's mother -or imprecations by touching the ground or by throwing up handful -of sand or by raising the hand towards the sun, or by touching a -pebble, or appeals to the insignia of some deity, or to the Buddhist -scriptures or to Buddha's mandorla. The forsworn person was punished -in this world itself except in the last mentioned two instances when -the perjurer would suffer in his next birth. - -There were five forms of ordeal, resorted to in land disputes and the -villagers were summoned to the place of trial by messengers showing -them a cloth tied with 3 knots. - -The ordeal of hot oil required the adversaries to put their middle -fingers in boiling oil and water mixed with cow dung; if both parties -got burnt the land in dispute was equally divided; otherwise the -uninjured party got the whole land. - -The other four modes consisted of the disputants partaking of some rice -boiled from the paddy of the field in dispute, breaking an earthen -vessel and eating of a cocoanut that was placed on the portion of -the land in question, removing rushes laid along the boundary line in -dispute, or striking each other with the mud of the disputed field; -and the claim was decided against the person to whom some misfortune -fell within 7 to 14 days. - -There were two other forms which had fallen into disuse even in ancient -times owing to the severity of the tests viz. carrying a red hot iron -in hand seven paces without being burnt, and picking some coins out -of a vessel containing a cobra without being bitten. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -RITES OF INDIVIDUAL LIFE. - - -When a mother is pregnant she avoids looking at deformed persons, or -ugly images and pictures, fearing the impression she gets from them -may influence the appearance of her offspring; during this delicate -period she generally pounds rice with a pestle, as the exertion is -supposed to assist delivery, and for the same purpose a few hours -before the birth of the child all the cupboards in the house are -unlocked. For her to cling to, when the pains of child-birth are -unbearable, a rope tied to the roof hangs by the mat or bedside. - -The water that the child is washed in after birth is poured on to the -foot of a young tree, and the latter is remembered and pointed out -to commemorate the event; a little while after the infant is ushered -into the world a rite takes place, when a drop of human milk obtained -from some one other than the mother mixed with a little gold is given -to the babe (rankiri kata gānavā), and the little child's ability to -learn and pronounce well is assured. - -When the sex of the child is known, if it be a boy a pestle is thrown -from one side of the house to the other; if a girl, an ikle broom; -those who are not in the room pretend to find out whether it is a -she or a he by its first cry, believing it is louder in the case of -the former than of the latter. The cries of the babe are drowned by -those of the nurse, lest the spirits of the forest become aware of -its presence and inflict injury on it. - -At the birth of the first born cocoanut shells are pounded in a mortar. - -The mother is never kept alone in the room, a light is kept burning in -it night and day, and the oil of the margosa is much used in the room -for protection; care is taken that the navel cord is not buried and -a little of it is given to the mother with betel if she fall severely -ill. Visitors to the lying-in-room give presents to the midwife when -the child is handed to them, especially if it is the first-born one. - -A month after birth, the babe, nicely dressed and with tiny garlands -of acorus calamus (wadakaha) and allium sativum (sudu lūnu) tied -round its wrists and lamp-black applied under the eye-brows, is for -the first time brought out to see the light of day (dottavadanavā); -and it is made to look at a lamp placed in the centre of a mat or -table, with cakes (kevum) made of rice-flour, jaggery, and cocoanut -oil, plantains, rice boiled with cocoanut milk (kiribat), and other -eatables placed around it. The midwife then hands round the little -child to the relatives and gets some presents for herself. - -The rite of eating rice (indul katagānavā or bat kavanavā) is gone -through when the child is seven months old; the same eatables are -spread on a plantain-leaf with different kinds of coins, and the -child placed among them; what it first touches is carefully observed, -and if it be kiribat it is considered very auspicious. The father or -grandfather places a few grains of rice in the child's mouth, and -the name that is used at home (bat nama) is given on that day. The -astrologer, who has already cast the infant's horoscope and has -informed the parents of its future, is consulted for a lucky day and -hour for the performance of the above observances. - -The children are allowed to run in complete nudity till about five -years and their heads are fully shaved when young; a little of the -hair first cut is carefully preserved. From an early age a boy is -sent every morning to the pansala, where the village priest keeps his -little school, till a certain course of reading is completed and he -is old enough to assist the father in the fields. The first day he -is taught the alphabet a rite is celebrated (at pot tiyanava), when -a platform is erected, and on it are placed sandal-wood, a light, -resin, kiribat, kevum, and other forms of rice cakes as an offering -to Ganźsā, the god of wisdom, and the remover of all obstacles and -difficulties. At a lucky hour the pupil washes the feet of his future -guru, offers him betel, worships him, and receives the book, which he -has to learn, at his hands, and, as the first letters of the alphabet -are repeated by him after his master, a husked cocoanut is cut in -two as an invocation to Ganźsā. A girl is less favoured and has to -depend for her literary education on her mother or an elder sister; -more attention, however, is paid to teach her the domestic requirements -of cooking, weaving and knitting, which will make her a good wife. - -On the attainment of the years of puberty by a girl she is confined to -a room, no male being allowed to see her or be seen by her. After two -weeks she is taken out with her face covered and bathed at the back of -the house by the female inmates, except little girls and widows, with -the assistance of the family laundress, who takes all the jewellry on -the maiden's person. Near the bathing-place are kept branches of any -milk-bearing tree, usually of the jak tree. On her return from her -purification, her head and face, still covered, she goes three times -round a mat having on it kiribat, plantains, seven kinds of curries, -rice, cocoanuts, and, in the centre, a lamp With seven lighted wicks; -and as she does she pounds with a pestle some paddy scattered round the -provisions. Next, she removes the covering, throws it on to the dhōbī -(washerwoman) and, after making obeisance to the lamp and, putting -out its wicks by clapping her hands, presents the laundress with money -placed on a betel leaf. She is then greeted by her relatives, who are -usually invited to a feast, and is presented by them with valuable -trinkets. Everything that was made use of for the ceremony is given -to the washerwoman. In some cases, till the period of purification is -over, the maiden is kept in a separate hut which is afterwards burnt -down. Girls who have arrived at the age of puberty are not allowed to -remain alone, as devils may possess them and drive them mad; and till -three months have elapsed no fried food of any sort is given to them. - -The 'shaving of the beard' is the rite the young man has to go -through, it is performed at a lucky hour and usually takes place a -few days before marriage; the barber here plays the important part the -laundress did in the other. The shavings are put into a cup, and the -person operated on, as well as his relatives who have been invited, -put money into it; this is taken by the barber; and the former are -thrown on to a roof that they may not be trampled upon. - -Marriages are arranged between two families by a relative or a trusted -servant of one of them, who, if successful, is handsomely rewarded -by both parties. The chances of success depend on the state of the -horoscopes of the two intended partners, their respectability which -forms a very important factor in the match, the dowry which used -to consist of agricultural implements, a few head of cattle, and -domestic requisites, together with a small sum of money to set the -couple going, and, if connected, the distance of relationship. Two -sisters' or brothers' children are rarely allowed to marry, but the -solicitation of a mother's brother's or father's sister's son is -always preferred to that of any other. - -A few days before the marriage, the two families, in their respective -hamlets, send a messenger from house to house to ask, by presenting -betel, the fellow-villagers of their own caste for a breakfast; and -the guests bring with them presents in money. Only few, however, are -invited to the wedding; and the party of the bridegroom, consisting -of two groomsmen, an attendant carrying a talipot shade over him, -musicians, pingo-bearers, relatives and friends, arrives in the -evening at the bride's village and halts at a distance from her -house. A messenger is then sent in advance with a few pingo-loads of -plantains, and with betel-leaves equal in number to the guests, to -inform of their arrival; and when permission is received to proceed, -generally by the firing of a jingal, they advance, and are received -with all marks of honour; white cloth is spread all the way by the -washerwoman, and at the entrance a younger brother of the bride -washes the bridegroom's feet and receives a ring as a present. A sum -of money is paid to the dhōbi (washerwoman) as a recompense for her -services. They are then entertained with music, food and betel till the -small hours of the morning, when the marriage ceremony commences. The -bride and bridegroom are raised by two of their maternal uncles on to -a dais covered with white cloth, and having on it a heap of raw rice, -cocoanuts, betel leaves and coins. A white jacket and a cloth to wear -are presented by the bridegroom to the bride; betel and balls of boiled -rice are exchanged; their thumbs are tied together by a thread, and, -while water is poured on their hands from a spouted vessel by the -bride's father, certain benedictory verses are recited. Last of all, -a web of white cloth is presented by the bridegroom to the bride's -mother; and it is divided among her relatives. - -In connection with this presentation it is said that if the -mother-in-law be dead, the web should be left in a thicket hard by -to appease her spirit. - -On the day after the wedding the married couple return to their future -home with great rejoicing, and on their entering the house a husked -cocoanut is cut in two on the threshold. - -The tokens of virginity are observed by the bridegroom's mother, -and the visit of the parents and relatives of the bride a few days -after completes the round of ceremonies. - -There is a peculiar custom fast disappearing, and almost totally -extinct, called Kula Kanavā, that is, making one respectable by eating -with him. If a member of a family makes a mésalliance he is cast -out of his clan, and should he want his children and himself to be -recognized and taken back by the relatives, the latter are induced to -attend and partake of a feast given by him at his house. The 'making -up' takes place when very many years have elapsed, and only if the -wife who was the cause of the breach is dead. The difference due to -marriage with another caste or nationality is never healed up. - -Even in the presence of death, ceremonies are not wanting; if the -dying patient is known to have been fond of his earthly belongings, -and seems to delay in quitting this life, a few pieces of his furniture -are washed and a little drop of the water given to him. A lamp is -kept burning near the corpse, the body is washed before burial and a -piece of cotton or a betel-leaf is put into its mouth. All the time -the body is in the house nothing is cooked, and the inmates eat the -food supplied by their neighbours (adukku). - -No one of the same village is told of the death, but all are expected -to attend the funeral; the outlying villages, however, are informed -by a relative who goes from house to house conveying the sad news. - -The visitors are given seats covered with white cloth; and the betel -for them to chew are offered with the backs of the leaves upwards as -an indication of sorrow. Some times only the relatives come, while -friends leave betel at a distance from the house and go away fearing -pollution. It may be observed that, according to the Sinhalese belief, -pollution is caused by the attaining of puberty by a maiden which -lasts fourteen days; by the monthly flow of a woman which lasts till -she bathes; by child-birth which lasts one month; and by death which -lasts three months. - -Friends and relatives salute the body with their hands clasped in -the attitude of prayer, and only the members of the family kiss -it. The route along which the funeral proceeds is previously strewn -with white sand, and the coffin is carried by the closest relatives, -with the cloth to be given to the priests for celebrating the service -thrown on it, over white foot-cloth spread by the dhōbi, and preceded -by the tom-tom beaters with muffled drums. Lights are carried by the -coffin and a shade is held over the head of it. - -The service commences with the intoning of the three Refugees of -Buddhism and the Five Vows of abstinence by one of the priests, -and they are repeated after by those present, all squatting on the -ground. The cloth, referred to, is then given to be touched by the -bystanders in order to partake of the merits of the almsgiving; -one end of it is placed on the coffin, and the other is held by the -priests. They recite three times the Pali verse that all organic and -inorganic matter are impermanent, that their nature is to be born and -die, and that cessation of existence is happiness; and while water -is poured from a spouted vessel into a cup or basin, they chant the -lines that the fruits of charity reach the departed even as swollen -rivers fill the ocean and the rain-water that falls on hill-tops -descends to the plain. A short ex tempore speech by a priest on the -virtues of the deceased completes the service. - -If it be a burial, the grave is by the roadside of the garden with -a thatched covering over it. Two lights are lit at the head and the -foot of the mound, the bier in which the coffin was carried is placed -over it, and a young tree planted to mark its site. - -In a cremation, the coffin is first carried with music three times -round the pyre, and the latter is set fire to by the sons or nephews -with their faces turned away from it. Those assembled leave when the -pyre is half burnt; and, on the following day, or a few days after, -the ashes are collected and buried in the garden of the deceased, over -which a column is erected, or they are thrown into the nearest stream. - -The party bathe before returning to the house, and are supplied by the -dhōbi with newly-washed clothes; during their absence the house is well -cleansed and purified by the sprinkling of water mixed with cow-dung; -and the visitors before leaving partake of a meal either brought from -some neighbour's or cooked after the body had been removed. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES. - - -In the olden time, people were occupied according to their caste, -but now they pursue any vocation they choose, carefully avoiding the -inauspicious hours. - -One man works at his field or goes hunting and honey gathering; a -second fishes at the village stream with a rod made of the midrib of -the kitul leaf; a third slings his basket of garden produce at the ends -of a kitul shaft and carries them on his shoulders to towns or village -fairs; a fourth climbs the palm trees with his ankles encircled by -a ring of cocoanut leaf and picks the fruit with his hand; a fifth -taps for toddy the blossoms of several cocoanut trees by coupling -their crowns with stout ropes to walk upon and the straight boughs -with smaller ropes to support himself; a sixth brings for sale from -the county straw and firewood in single or double bullock carts and -a seventh transports cocoanuts, salt, and dried fish to centres of -trade by pack bullocks or in flat bottomed boats. - -The women either make molasses from the unfermented toddy; or plait -mats of dyed rushes in mazy patterns; or earn a pittance by selling -on a small stand by the roadside the requisites for a chew of betel; -or hawk about fruits and vegetables in baskets carried on their heads; -or keep for sale, on a platform in the verandah, sweetmeats and other -eatables protected from the crows which infest the place by a net; -or make coir by beating out the fibre from soaked cocoanut husks; -or attend to their domestic duties with a child astride their hips; -or seated lull their infant child to sleep on their outstretched legs. - -Various ceremonies are performed in the sylvan occupations of hunting -and honey gathering. - -"Hunting parties of the Kandian Sinhalese of the North Central Province -perform a ceremony which is very similar to that of the Wanniyas [7] -and Veddahs [8] when about to leave their village on one of their -expeditions in the forest. Under a large shady tree they prepare a -maessa, or small covered shrine, which is raised about three feet -off the ground, and is open only in front; it is supported on four -sticks set in the ground. In this they offer the following articles if -available, or as many as possible of them:--one hundred betel leaves, -one hundred arekanuts, limes, oranges, pine apples, sugar cane, a head -of plantains, a cocoanut, two quarts of rice boiled specially at the -site of the offering, and silver and gold. Also the flowers of the -arekanut tree, the cocoanut, and ratmal tree. All are purified by -lustration and incense, as usual, and dedicated. They then light a -small lamp at the front of the offering, and remain there watching -it until it expires, differing in this respect from the practice -of the Wanniyas, who must never see the light go out. Before the -light expires they perform obeisance towards the offering, and -utter aloud the following prayer for the favour and protection of -the forest deities, which must also be repeated every morning during -the expedition, after their millet cake, gini-pūva, has been eaten, -before starting for the day's hunting:-- - -This is for the favour of the God Ayiyanār; for the favour of the Kiri -Amma, for the favour of the Kataragama God (Skanda) for the favour -of Kalu Dźvatā; for the favour of Kambili Unnęhę; for the favour of -Ilandāri Dźvatā Unnęhę; for the favour of Kadavara Dźvatā Unnęhę; for -the favour of Galź Bandāra; for the favour of the Hat Rajjuruvō. We -are going to your jungle (uyana); we do not want to meet with even -a single kind of [dangerous] wild animals. We do not want to meet -with the tall one (elephant), the jungle watcher (bear), the animal -with the head causing fear (snake), the leopard. You must blunt the -thorns. We must meet with the horn bearer (sambar deer), the deer -(axis), the ore full of oil (pig), the noosed one (iguāna), the -storehouse (beehive). We must meet about three pingo (carrying-stick) -loads of honey. By the favour of the Gods. We ask only for the sake -of our bodily livelihood [9]". - -The jungle attached to a village was the game preserve of its -inhabitants; game laws were concerned with the boundaries of the -village jungle, and with rights of ownership of the game itself. One -half of the game killed by a stranger belonged to the village, and -the headman of the village was entitled to a leg and four or five -pounds of flesh of every wild animal killed by the villagers. - -For regulating the time and manner of fishing in sea, old communal -rules have been legalised and are now in force. Fishing with large nets -(mādel) begins about 1st October and ends by May 31st in each year; -the number of boats and nets to be used in each inlet is limited; -the boats and nets are registered and every registered boat and net -is used in the warāya (inlets) by rotation in order of register; -the turn of each net and boat begins at sunrise and ends at sunrise -of the next day; the headman who supervises these is called the -mannandirāle. Whenever koralebabbu, bōllo, ehelamuruvo and such other -fish come into the warāya, so long as these swarm in the inlet they -should be caught by rod and line and nothing else; when they are -leaving the inlet, the headman in consultation with at least six -fishermen appoint a date from which boru del or visi del may be used; -on no account are mahadel allowed to be used [10]. - -Each of the boats with its nets belongs to several co-owners and "on a -day's fishing the produce is drawn ashore, is divided in a sufficient -number of lots, each estimated to be worth the same assigned value, -and these lots are so distributed that 1-50 goes to the owner of the -land on which the fish are brought to shore, 1\4 to those engaged -in the labour, 1-5 for the assistance of extra nets etc., rendered -by third parties in the process of landing and securing the fish, -which together equal 47-100 and the remaining 53-100 go to the owners -of the boat and net according to their shares therein" [11]. - -Owners of cattle have brand marks to distinguish the cattle of their -caste and class from those of others; individual ownership is indicated -by branding in addition the initial letters of the owner's name. - -Herdsmen who tend cattle for others are entitled in the case of the -bulls and the he buffaloes they tend to their labour, in the case of -cows and she buffaloes to every second third and fifth calf born, -and in the case of calves to a half share interest in the young -animals themselves. - -"At the first milking of a cow there is a ceremony called kiri -ettirima. The cow is milked 3 different mornings successively, -when the milk is boiled, and poured into three different vessels, -till the whole is coagulated. On the fourth day, butter from each -vessel is preserved in a clean basin, to form the principal part -of the ceremony at a convenient time. From that day the milk may be -used, but with particular care never to throw the least milk, or any -water that might have washed the milk basons, out of doors. When -the convenient time has arrived a bunch of plantains is prepared, -cakes are baked, three pots of rice are boiled, a vegetable curry, -and a condiment are prepared by an individual who must manifest all -cleanness on the occasion, even to the putting a handkerchief before -his mouth to present the saliva from falling into the ingredients. All -these preparations are brought to an apartment swept and garnished -for the purpose where the kapuva cleanly clothed enters and burns -sandarac powder, muttering incantations with the intent of removing -all evil supposed to rest upon the family, and of bringing down a -blessing upon them and their cattle. - -Next the kapuva takes 7 leaves of the plantain tree and lays 5 of -them in order on the table, canopied, and spread with white cloth, in -honour of the gods Wiramunda deviyo, Kosgama deviyo, Pasgama deviyo, -Combihamy, and Weddihamy; and the other 2 are put on piece of mat on -the ground in honour of the washer and the tom tom beater supposed -to have attended these supernatural beings. Over all these leaves the -boiled rice from one of the pots is divided, then from the second and -third. He afterwards does the same with the curry, and the condiment, -cakes, plantains etc., prepared for the performance. He then pretends -to repeat the same process by way of deception making a motion, and -sounding the ladle on the brim of the pots, as if rice and other -ingredients were apportioned the second time etc., to satisfy the -gods and the two attendants. - -The kapuva next takes a little of every ingredient from all the leaves, -both on the table and on the ground, into a cup (made of leaves), -and supporting it over his head marches out from the apartment, -closing its door; and he conveys it either to the fold of the cattle, -or to some elevated place where he dedicates and offers it to the -many thousands of the demons and their attendants who are supposed -to have accompanied the above particular gods, praying them, by -means of incantations, to accept the offering he has brought before -them. From hence he returns to the door of the apartment he had closed, -and knocking at it, as if to announce his entrance, he opens it and -mutters a few more incantations, praying the gods to allow them, -(including himself and the members of the family) to partake of the -remnants that have been offered in their honour. After these ceremonies -are performed, the kapuva, with all the rest, partakes of everything -that was prepared, and the owner of the cow may from this day dispose -of the milk according to his own pleasure." [12]. - -Rural rites differing in details in different localities are observed -by the Singhalese peasantry in their agricultural pursuits. [13] - -In all places a lucky day for ploughing is fixed in consultation with -an astrologer. It is considered unfortunate to begin work on the 1st or -2nd day of the month, and after the work is begun it must be desisted -from on unlucky days such as the 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 14th and 21st. - -Sowing is also commenced at a lucky day and hour pronounced by the -astrologer to be the most favourable. In a corner of the field, -on a mound of mud where are placed a ginger or a habarala plant -(arum maculatum), a cocoanut or an areka flower and some saffron, -is sown a handful of the first seed and dedicated to the gods; and -after that the entire field is sown. - -To drive away insects from the growing rice, charm-lamps are lighted -at the four corners of the field or a worm is enclosed in a charmed -orange and buried there or a fly or grub is fumigated with charmed -resin smoke and bidden to depart or a cultivator sounds a charmed -bell metal plate with a kaduru stick crying to the flies "yan yanta" -(please go). - -When the reaping time comes the portion of rice dedicated to the gods -is first reaped by some person who is not a member of the proprietor's -family. It is kept apart on an elevated place till the reaping of the -rest of the field is done when it is cooked and ceremonially offered -to the kapurāla. - -The threshing is done on a floor specially prepared; when the crop -is ripe a small pit is made in the centre of the threshing floor -in which are placed a margosa plant, and a conch shell containing a -piece of the tolabu plant (crinum asiaticum) and of the hiressa (vitis -cissus quadrangularis), a piece of metal, charcoal and a small grain -sheaf. Besting on these is an ellipsoidal luck stone (arakgala), round -which are traced with ashes three concentric circles bisected by lines -and in the segments are drawn representations of a broom, a scraper, -a flail, a measure, agricultural implements and Buddha's foot print. - -At the lucky hour the cultivator walks three times round the inner -circles of the threshing floor with a sheaf on his head, bowing to the -centre stone at east, north, west and south and casts down the sheaf -on the centre stone prostrating himself. The rest of the sheaves are -then brought in and the threshing begins. - -The harvest is brought down on a full moon day and some of the new -paddy is husked, pounded, boiled with milk and offered to the gods -in a dźvala or on a temporary altar under a tree by the field, and -followed by a general feasting. - -Persons cultivating their fields with their own cattle, implements, -seed paddy and the like receive the whole produce less the payments -of the watchers (waravźri) and the perquisites of the headman. - -When the fields are given out to be cultivated for a share of the -produce, if the field owner supplies the cultivator with the cattle, -implements of labour, and seed paddy the produce is divided equally -by the owner and the cultivator; if the field owner supplies nothing -he only gets 1\4 of the produce. - -When an allotment of field is owned by several co-owners, it is -cultivated alternately on a complicated system called tattumāru [14]. - -There is a jargon used in Ceylon by hunters and pilgrims travelling -in forests [15], by the outcaste rodiyas who go about begging and -thieving [16]; and by cultivators while working in their fields -[17]. This jargon has many words used by the Veddahs [18]. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -FESTIVALS. - - -The entering of the sun into Aries is celebrated as the new year's -day; the ephemeris of the year is drawn up by the village astrologer -and the necessary information for the observance of the festive rites -is obtained by presenting him with sweetmeats and a bundle of forty -betel leaves. - -As the sun is moving into the sign Aries all cease from work -and either visit temples or indulge in games till a lucky moment -arrives when every family welcomes the new year with the strains of -the rabāna. Special kinds of sweetmeats and curries are cooked and -eaten, cloth of the colour recommended by the astrologer are worn, -calls exchanged, the headman visited with pingo-loads of presents, -and a commencement made of the usual daily work. - -At an appointed hour, the people anoint themselves with an infusion -of oil, kokun leaves (swietenia febrifugia), kalānduru yams (Cyprus -rotundus) and nelli fruits (Phylanthus emblica) and an elder of the -family rubs a little of it on the two temples, on the crown of the -head, and on the nape of the neck of each member, saying:-- - - - Kalu kaputan sudu venaturu - Ehela kanu liyalana turu - Gerandianta an enaturu - Ekasiya vissata desiya vissak - Maha Brahma Rājayā atinya - Āyibōvan āyibōvan āyibōvan. - - -"This (anointing) is done by the hand of Maha Brāhma; long life to you, -long life to you, long life to you! may you, instead of the ordinary -period of life, viz., 120 years, live for 220 years; till rat-snakes -obtain horns, till posts of the Ehela tree (Cassia fistula) put on -young shoots, and till black crows put on a plumage white." - -While being annointed the person faces a particular direction, having -over his head leaves sacred to the ruling planet of the day, and at -his feet those sacred to the regent of the previous day. For each -of the days of the week, beginning with Sunday, belong respectively -the cotton tree (imbul), the wood-apple (diwul), the Cochin gamboge -(kollan), the margosa (kohomba), the holy fig-tree (bo) Galidupa -arborea (karanda) and the banyan (nuga). - -This rite is followed by the wearing of new clothes, after a bath -in an infusion of screw-pine (wetake), Suffa acutangula (wetakolu), -Evolvulus alsinoides (Vishnu-krānti), Aristolochia indica (sapsanda), -Crinum zeylanicum (godamānel), roots of citron (nasnāranmul), root of -Aegle marmelos (belimul), stalk of lotus, (nelum dandu), Plectranthus -zeylanicus (irivériya), Cissompelos convolvulus (getaveni-vel) -Heterepogon hirtus (ītana) and bezoar stone (gorōchana). - -This festival is also observed at the Buddhist temples when milk is -boiled at their entrances and sprinkled on the floor. - -The birthday of the Founder of Buddhism is celebrated on the -full-moon day of May (wesak). Streets are lined with bamboo arches, -which are decorated with the young leaves of the cocoanut-palm; -tall superstructures (toran) gaily adorned with ferns and young king -cocoanuts bridge highways at intervals; lines of flags of various -devices and shapes are drawn from tree to tree; booths are erected at -every crossing where hospitality is freely dispensed to passers-by; -and at every rich house the poor are fed and alms given to Buddhist -priests. Processions wend their way from one temple to another with -quaintly-shaped pennons and banners, and in the intervals of music -cries of sādhu, sādhu, are raised by the pilgrims. - -The Kandy Perahera Mangalaya, begins at a lucky hour on the first -day after the new moon. "A jack-tree, the stem of which is three -spans in circumference, is selected beforehand for each of the four -déwāla--the Kataragama, Nātha, Saman, and Pattini; and the spot where -it stands is decorated and perfumed with sandalwood, frankincense, -and burnt resin, and a lighted lamp with nine wicks is placed at the -foot of the tree. At the lucky hour a procession of elephants, tom-tom -beaters and dancers proceed to the spot, the tree is cut down by one -of the tenants (the wattōrurāla) with an axe, and it is trimmed, and -its end is pointed by another with an adze. It is then carried away -in procession and placed in a small hole in a square of slab rock, -buried in the ground or raised platform in the small room at the back -of the déwāla. It is then covered with a white cloth. During the five -following days the procession is augmented by as many elephants, -attendants, dancers, tom-tom beaters and flags as possible; and it -makes the circuit of the temples at stated periods. The processions -of the several temples are then joined by one from the Daladā, -Māligāva (the temple of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha), and together -they march round the main streets of Kandy at fixed hours during the -five days next ensuing. On the sixth day, and for five days more, -four palanquins--one for each déwāla are added to the procession, -containing the arms and dresses of the gods; and on the last day -the bowl of water (presently to be explained) of the previous year, -and the poles cut down on the first day of the ceremony. On the -night of the fifteenth and last day, the Perahera is enlarged to the -fullest limits which the means of the several temples will permit, -and at a fixed hour, after its usual round, it starts for a ford in -the river near Kandy, about three miles distant from the temple of -the Sacred Tooth. The procession from the Māligāva, however, stops -at a place called the Adāhana Maluwa, and there awaits the return of -the others. The ford is reached towards dawn, and here the procession -waits until the lucky hour (generally about 5 A. M.) approaches. A few -minutes before its arrival the chiefs of the four temples, accompanied -by a band of attendants, walk down in Indian file under a canopy of -linen and over cloth spread on the ground to the waterside. They enter -a boat and are punted up the river close to the bank for some thirty -yards. Then at a given signal (i. e., at the advent of the lucky hour) -the four jack poles are thrown into the river by the men on shore, -while each of the four chiefs, with an ornamental silver sword, cuts a -circle in the water; at the same time one attendant takes up a bowl of -water from the circle, and another throws away last year's supply. The -boat then returns to the shore, the procession goes back to Kandy, the -bowls of water are placed reverently in the several déwāla, to remain -there until the following year; and the Perahera is at an end." [19] - -During the time of the kings, it was on this occasion that the -provincial governors gave an account of their stewardship to their -over-lord and had their appointments renewed by him. - -When the rainy months of August, September and October are over -and the Buddhist monks return to their monasteries from their vas -retreats, is held the Festival of Lights (Kārtika Mangalya). The -Buddhist temples are illuminated on the full moon day of November by -small oil-lamps placed in niches of the walls specially made for them; -in the olden times all the buildings were bathed in a blaze of light, -the Royal Palace the best of all, with the oil presented to the king -by his subjects. This festival is now confined to Kandy. - -The Alut Sāl Mangalya, the festival of New Rice, is now celebrated to -any appreciable extent only in the Kandian Provinces, the last subdued -districts of the island. In the villages the harvest is brought home -by pingo-bearers on the full-moon day of January with rural jest and -laughter, and portions of it are given to the Buddhist priest, the -barber and the dhobi of the village; next the new paddy is husked, -and kiribat dressed out of it. - -In the capital, in the time of the kingdom, this festival lasted for -four days; "on the first evening the officers of the royal stores -and of the temples proceeded in state from the square before the -palace to the crown villages from which the first paddy was to be -brought. Here the ears of paddy and the new rice were packed up for -the temples the palace and the royal stores by the Gabadānilamés and -their officers. The ears of paddy carefully put into new earthenware -pots and the grain into clean bags, were attached to pingos. Those -for the Māligāva (where the Sacred Tooth was kept) were conveyed on -an elephant for the temples by men marching under canopies of white -cloth; and those for the palace and royal stores by the people of the -royal villages of respectable caste, well dressed; and with apiece -of white muslin over their mouths to guard against impurity. This -procession, starting on the evening of the next day (full-moon day) -from the different farms under a salute of jingals and attended by -flags, tom-tom beaters, etc., was met on the way by the 2nd Adigar -and a large number of chiefs at some distance from the city. From -thence all went to the great square to wait for the propitious -hour, at the arrival of which, announced by a discharge of jingals, -the procession entered the Māligāva where the distribution for the -different temples was made. At the same fortunate hour the chiefs -and the people brought home their new rice. On the next morning the -king or governor received his portion consisting of the new rice and -a selection of all the various vegetable productions of the country, -which were tasted at a lucky hour." [20] - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -GAMES, SPORTS AND PASTIMES. - - -On festive days itinerant songmen amuse the village folk at open -places and greens; they keep time to a dance by skilfully whirling -metal-plates or small tambourines on their fingers or pointed stakes, -by striking together sticks, by tossing earthen pots up in the air -and catching them and they eulogize the hamlet and its people in -extempore couplets with the refrain, "tana tanamda tānźnā, tanā, -tamda, tānźnā, tana tanamda, tana tanamda, tana tanamda, tānźnā." - -The people also enjoy themselves on the merry-go-round (katuru -onchillāva)--a large revolving wheel on a tall wooden superstructure -with seats attached; at theatrical representations called kōlan netum, -rūkada netum, and nādagam; at games of skill and at divers forms of -outdoor games. - -Kōlan netuma is a series of mimetic dances of a ludicrous character -by actors dressed like animals and demons, wearing masks and sometimes -perched on high stilts. - -The rūkada netuma is a marionette show of the ordinary incidents -of village life--usually of the adventures of a married couple, -a hevārala (a militia guard) and his wife Kadiragoda lamayā; the -former goes to the wars and returns with his eyes and ears off only -to be beaten by his wife who soon after falls ill with labour pains, -and devil dancers are requisitioned to relieve her; Pinnagoda rāla -is the clown of the show. - -The nādagama is a dramatic play and for its performance a circular -stage is erected with an umbrella-shaped tent over it; round it -sits the audience, who, though admitted free, willingly contribute -something into the collection-box brought by the clown (kōnangiya) -at the end of the play. Before the drama begins, each of the actors, -in tinselled costume, walks round the stage singing a song appropriate -to his character. The piece represented is based on a popular tale -or an historical event. - -Games of skill and chance are played on boards made for that -purpose. [21] - -In Olinda Keliya a board having seven holes a side is used; only -two can take part in the game, and each in turn places olinda seeds -(abrus precatorius) in the holes and the object of the opponent is -to capture the other's seeds according to certain rules. [22] - -In Pancha Keliya dice and six cowries are used; the latter are taken -into the player's hand and dropped, and the shells which fall on the -reverse side are counted and the dice moved an equal number of places -on the board and the game continues till all the dice reach the other -end of the board. - -In Deeyan Keliya sixteen dice representing cows and four dice -representing tigers are placed on a board and the cows have to get -from one side to the other without being intercepted and captured by -the tigers. - -Some of the outdoor games played by adults are of the ordinary kind, -and others of a semi-religious significance. - -The ordinary outdoor games are Buhu Keliya, Pandu Keliya, Lunu Keliya, -Muttź, Hālmelź and Tattu penille. - -In Buhu Keliya there are several players who place their balls, -(made of any bulbous root hardened and boiled till it becomes like -rubber), round a pole firmly fixed to the ground; to this pole is -attached a string about 5 feet long held by a player whose endeavour -is to prevent the others getting possession of the balls without being -touched. The person touched takes the place of the guarding player -and when all the balls are taken away the last guard is pelted with -them till he finds safety in a spot previously agreed upon. - -In Pandu Keliya the players form into two sides, taking their stand -100 yards apart with a dividing line between; the leader of one party -throws a ball up and as it comes down beats it with his open palm -and sends the ball over the line to the opposing side. If the other -party fails to beat or kick it back, they must take their stand where -the ball fell and the leader of their party throws the ball to the -other side in the same way. This goes on till one party crosses the -boundary line and drives the other party back. - -In Lunu Keliya there are two sets of players occupying the two sides -of a central goal (lunu) about 30 or 40 yards from it; a player from -one side has to start from the goal, touch a player of the other -side and regain the goal holding up his breath; if he fails he goes -out and this goes on till the side which has the greatest number of -successful runners at the end is declared the winner. - -In Mutté (rounders) a post is erected as a goal, and one of the players -stands by it and has a preliminary conversation with the others:-- - -Q.--Kīkkiyō. - -A.--Muddarź. - -Q.--Dehikatuvada batukatuvada--Is it a lime-thorn or a brinjal-thorn? - -A.--Batukatuva--Brinjal-thorn. - -Q.--Man endada umba enavada--should I come or would you come? - -A.--Umbamavaren--you had better come. - -As soon as the last word is uttered, the questioner gives chase, and -the others dodge him and try to reach the post without being touched; -the one who is first touched becomes the pursuer. - -In Halmele there is no saving post, but the area that the players -have to run about is circumscribed; the pursuer hops on one leg and is -relieved by the person who first leaves the circle or is first touched. - -Before starting he cries out--Hālmelé A.--Kanakabaré. - -Q.--Enda hondź? (May I come?). - -A.--Bohama hondayi (All right). - -In Tattu penilla also called Mahason's leap, a figure in the shape -of H is drawn; a player guards each line and the others have to -jump across them and return without being touched; it is optional to -leap over the middle line and is only attempted by the best players, -as the demon Mahason himself is supposed to guard it. - -The outdoor games with a semi-religious significance are Polkeliya, -Dodankeliya and ankeliya. - -In Pol Keliya the villagers divide themselves into two factions called -yatipila and udupila and the leaders of the two parties take a fixed -number of husked cocoanuts and place themselves at a distance of 30 -feet and one bowls a nut at his adversary who meets it with another -in his hand. This goes on till the receiver's nut is broken when he -begins to bowl. The side which exhausts the nuts of the other party -is declared the winner. - -Dodan Keliya is a game similar to the Pol Keliya the oranges taking -the place of the cocoanuts. - -In An Keliya a trunk of a tree is buried at the centre of an open space -of ground; a few yards off is placed the log of a cocoanut tree about -20 feet high in a deep hole large enough for it to move backwards and -forwards and to the top of it thick ropes are fastened. The villagers -divide themselves into two parties as in Pol Keliya, and bring two -forked antlers which they hook together and tying one to the foot of -the trunk and the other to that of the log pull away with all their -might till one of them breaks. - -In all these semi-religious games the winning party goes in procession -round the village and the defeated side has to undergo a lot of abuse -and insult intended to remove the bad effects of the defeat. - -Children in addition to their swings, tops, bamboo pop-guns, cut water, -bows and arrows, water squirts, cat's cradles and bull roarers have -their own special games. - -They play at hide and seek, the person hiding giving a loud 'hoo' -call that the others may start the search; or one of them gets to an -elevated place and tauntingly cries out "the king is above and the -scavenger below" and the others try to drag him down. - -Several children hold their hands together forming a line and one of -them representing a hare comes running from a distance and tries to -break through without being caught; or one of them becomes a cheetah -and the rest form a line of goats holding on to each other's back. The -cheetah addresses the foremost goat saying "eluvan kannayi man āvź." (I -have come to eat the goats) and tries to snatch away one of the players -at the back; who avoids his clutches singing "elubeti kapiya sundire" -(go and eat the tasty goat dung); if one is caught he has to hold -on to the back of the cheetah and the game continues till all are -snatched away. - -When the children are indoors they amuse themselves in various ways. - -They hold the backs of each other's hands with their thumb and -fore-finger, move them up and down singing "kaputu kāk kāk kāk, -goraka dźn dźn dźn, amutu vāv vāv vāv, dorakada gahź puvak puvak, -batapandurź bulat bulat, usi kaputā, usī," and let go each other's -hold at the end of the jingle, which means that "crows swinging on a -gamboge-tree (goraka) take to their wings when chased away (usi, usi), -and there are nuts in the areca-tree by the house and betel-creepers -in the bamboo-grove." They also close their fists and keep them one -over the other, pretending to form a cocoanut-tree; the eldest takes -hold of each hand in turn, asks its owner, "achchiyé achchiyé honda -pol gediyak tiyanavā kadannada?" (grandmother, grandmother, there is a -good cocoanut, shall I pluck it); and, when answered, "Oh, certainly" -(bohoma hondayi), brings it down. A mimetic performance of husking -the nuts, breaking them, throwing out the water, scraping the pulp -and cooking some eatable follows this. - -They twist the fingers of the left hand, clasp them with the right, -leaving only the finger-tips visible and get each other to pick out -the middle finger. - -They take stones or seeds into their hands and try to guess the number, -or they take them in one hand, throw them up, catch them on the back -of the hand, and try to take them back to the palm. - -They keep several seeds or stones in front of them, throw one up and -try to catch it after picking up as many seeds or stones as possible -from the ground. - -They hold the fingers of their baby brothers saying "this says he -is hungry, this says what is to be done, this says let us eat, this -says who will pay, this says though I am the smallest I will pay" -and then tickle them saying "han kutu." - -They keep their hands one over the other, the palm downwards, and -the leader strokes each hand saying, "Aturu muturu, demita muturu -Rājakapuru hetiyā aluta genā manamāli hāl atak geralā, hiyala getat -bedāla pahala getat bedālā, us us daramiti péliyayi, miti miti daramiti -péliyayi, kukalā kapalā dara pillź, kikili kapalā veta mullź, sangan -pallā," (Aturu muturu demita muturu; the new bride that the merchant, -Rājakapuru, brought, having taken a handful of rice, cleansed it -and divided it to the upper and lower house; a row of tall faggots; -a row of short faggots; the cock that is killed is on the threshold; -the hen that is killed is near the fence; sangan pallā); one hand is -next kept on the owner's forehead and the other at the stomach and -the following dialogue ensues:-- - -Q.--Nalalé monavāda--What is on the forehead? - -A.--Le--Blood. - -Q.--Elwaturen hźduvāda--Did you wash it in cold water? - -A.--Ov--Yes. - -Q.--Giyāda--Did it come off? - -A.--Nź--No. - -Q.--Kiren hźduvāda--Did you wash it in milk? - -A.--Ov--Yes. - -Q.--Giyāda--Did it come off? - -A.-Ov--Yes. - -(The hand on the forehead is now taken down). - -Q.--Badźinne mokada--What is at your stomach? - -A.--Lamayā--A child. - -Q.--Eyi andannź--why is it crying? - -A.--Kiri batuyi netuva--For want of milk and rice. - -Q.--Kō man dunna kiri batuyi--Where is the milk and rice I gave? - -A.--Ballayi belalī kźvā--The dog and the cat ate it. - -Q.--Kō ballayi belali--Where is the dog and the cat? - -A.--Lindź vetuna--They fell into the well. - -Q.--Kō linda--Where is the well? - -A.--Goda keruvā--It was filled up. - -Q.--Kō goda--Where is the spot? - -A.--Āndiyā pela hittevvā,--There āndiyā plants were planted. - -Q.--Kō āndiyā pela--Where are the āndiyā plants? - -A.--Dźvā--They were burnt. - -Q.--Kō alu--Where are the ashes? - -A.--Tampalā vattata issā--They were thrown into the tampalā -(Nothosocruva brachiata) garden. - -Then the leader pinches the other's cheek and jerks his head backward -and forward singing "Tampalā kāpu hossa genen (give me the jaw that -ate the tampalā). - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -STORIES. - - -Story telling is the intellectual effort of people who have little -used or have not acquired the art of writing. A story is told for -amusement by mothers to their children, or by one adult to another, -while guarding their fields at night in their watch hut or before -lying down to sleep after their night meal. At each pause during the -narration, the listener has to say "hum" as an encouragement to the -narrator that he is listening; and every tale begins with the phrase -"eka mathaka rata" (in a country that one recalls to mind) and ends -with the statement that the heroes of the Story settled down in their -country and the narrator returned home. - -Stories are roughly classified as (1) myths, (2) legends and (3) -folk tales. - -(1) "The myth," says Gomme, "is the recognisable explanation of some -natural phenomenon, some forgotten or unknown object of human origin, -or some event of lasting influence." - -The crow and the king crow were uncle and nephew in the olden time; -they once laid a wager as to who could fly the highest, each carrying a -weight with him, and the winner was to have the privilege of knocking -the loser on the head; the crow selected some cotton as the lightest -material, while his nephew carried a bag of salt as the clouds looked -rainy. On their way up, rain fell and made the crow's weight heavier -and impeded his flight while it diminished the king crow's burden -who won the victory and still knocks the crow on his head. - -The water fowl once went to his uncle's and got a load of arekanuts to -sell; he engaged some geese to carry them to the waterside and hired -a wood pecker's boat to ferry them over; the boat capsized and sank -and the cargo was lost, the geese deformed their necks by carrying -the heavy bags, the wood pecker is in search of wood to make another -boat and the waterfowl still complains of the arekanuts he had lost. - -(2) A legend is a narrative of things which are believed to have -happened about a historical personage, locality or event. - -A cycle of legend has clustered round king Dutugemunu who rolled -back the Tamil invasion of Ceylon in the 4th Century B. C., and -he is to the Singhalese peasantry what king Arthur has been to the -Celts. The old chronicles, based on the folklore of an earlier period, -place his traditional exploits in Magam Pattu, Uva and Kotmale. His -mother was Vihāre Devi; she was set afloat in a golden casket by her -father Kelani Tissa to appease the gods of the sea, who, incensed by a -sacrilege act of his, were submerging his principality of Kelaniya; -the princess drifted to the country of Hambantota and its ruler -Kavantissa rescued her and made her his queen. The coast on which she -landed is still remembered as Durāva and has the ruins of a vihare -built to commemorate her miraculous escape. - -Dutugemunu was her eldest son and when she was pregnant she longed to -give as alms to the Buddhist priesthood a honey comb as large as an ox, -to bathe in the water which had washed the sword with which a Tamil -warrior had been killed, and to wear unfaded waterlilies brought from -the marshes of Anuradapura. The town of Negombo supplied the first -and the warrior Velusumana procured the other two. Astrologers were -consulted as to the meaning of these longings and they predicted, -to quote the words of the old chronicler "the queen's son destroying -the Damilas, and reducing the country under one sovereignty, will -make the religion of the land shine forth again." - -When Dutugemunu was a lad, he was banished from his father's court for -disobedience and he passed his youth among the peasantry of Kotmale -till his father's death made him the ruler of Ruhuna. - -Dutugemunu had a band of ten favourite warriors, all of whom have -independent legends attached to their names; along with them, riding -on his favourite elephant Sedol, he performed wonders in 28 pitched -battles. - -He died at an advanced age, disappointed in his only son Sali, -who gave up the throne for a low caste beauty. The peasantry still -awaits the re-birth of Dutugemunu as the chief disciple of the future -Maitri Buddha. - -(3) A folk tale is a story told mainly for amusement, deals with ideas -and episodes of primitive life and includes elfin tales, beast tales, -noodle tales, cumulative tales and apologues. - -Elfin tales deal with the magical powers and the cannibalistic nature -of the Rākshas. - -A Gamarala's wife, while expecting a baby, weaves a mat bag to collect -the kekira melons when the season is on. The Gamarāla goes out every -day, enjoys the kekira himself without informing his wife that the -melons are ripe. The wife discovers that the kekira is ripe from a -seed on the Gamarala's beard. Both go out to collect the kekira melons -and fill the mat bag, when the wife gives birth to a girl. They decide -to carry the bag of kekira home and throw the child into the woods as -it is a girl. A male and female crane see this and carry the child to -a cave. The cranes get a parrot, a dog and a cat to be companions of -the girl who all grow up together and the girl is called 'sister' by -the pets. The cranes leave the girl to dive for some pearls to adorn -her and before departing advise her not to leave the cave as there is -a cannibalistic Rakshi in the woods; they also ask her to manure the -plantain tree with ash, to water the murunga tree and to feed her pets -especially the cat. The cat gets a less allowance of food than usual -and in anger puts out the fire by urinating on it. The girl goes out -to fetch fire and comes to the Rakshi's cave and meets her daughter, -who tries to keep the girl till her mother comes by promising to give -her fire, if she would bring water from the well, break firewood and -pound two pots of amu seed. The girl does all this work before the -Rakshi arrives and the daughter gives her live coals in a cocoanut -shell with a hole in it, so that the ashes dropped all along her -way. On the Rakshi's return she is told of the girls' departure and -she follows up the ash track and reaches the cave. The Rakshi sings -out to the girl that the crane father and crane mother have come with -the pearls and to open the door. The dog and the cat warn her from the -outside and the Rakshi kills them and goes away leaving her thumb nails -fixed to the lintel and her toe nails to the threshold. The cranes -return and on the parrot's advice the girl opens the door and comes -out but gets fixed by the nails and swoons away. The cranes think she -is dead, but on removal of the nails the girl recovers. They dress up -the girl beautifully, cover her with a scab covered cloth, tell her -that she is too grown up to live with them and bid her farewell. The -girl travels through the woods, becomes tired and meets the Rakshi; -she asks the Rakshi to eat her up but the Rakshi contemptuously passes -her by saying "I do not want to eat a scab covered girl; I am going -to eat a beautiful princess." The girl arrives at a king's palace -and is employed as a help mate to the cook. She used to remove her -scab covered cloth only when she went out to bathe, and a man on a -kitul tree tapping for toddy saw her beauty and informed the king who -forced her with threats to remove her scab covering and married her. - -In beast tales the actors are animals who speak and act like human -beings. - -A hare and a jackal sweep a house-compound; they find two pumpkin -seeds and plant them; the jackal waters his creeper with urine and the -hare waters his from the well; the jackal's creeper dies; the hare -generously agrees to share the pumpkin with his friend; the jackal -proposes a ruse to obtain the other requisites for their meal; the -hare lays himself on the road as if dead; pingo bearers pass carrying -firewood, cocoanuts, rice, pots; as each pingo carrier passes, the -jackal cries out "keep that pingo down and take away the dead hare; -as they do so the hare scampers away and the jackal runs away with the -pingos; the jackal places the food on the fire and asks the hare to -fetch stalkless kenda leaves, the hare goes in search and the jackal -cooks and eats the whole meal leaving a few grains of rice for the -hare; the jackal places a cocoanut husk under his tail to act as a -stopper for his over-filled stomach; the hare returns without the -leaves and shares the remnants of the meal with the jackal; at the -jackal's request the hare strokes the jackal's back and removes the -cocoanut husk and is besmeared with excretion; the hare runs to a -meadow, rolls on the grass and returns quite clean; the jackal asks -him how he became so and the hare replies that the dhoby has washed -him; the jackal runs to the riverside and asks the dhoby to make him -also clean; the dhoby takes him by his hind legs and thwacks him on -the washing stone till he dies, saying "this is the jackal who ate -my fowls." - -The noodle tales describe the blunders of fools and foolish husbands. - -Twelve men went one day to cut fence sticks and they made twelve -bundles. One of them inquired whether there were twelve men to carry -the bundles. They agreed to count and only found eleven men. As -they thought that one man was short, they went in search of him to -the jungle. They met a fellow villager to whom they mentioned their -loss. He arranged the bundles in one line, and the men in another -and said "now you are alright; let each one take a bundle of sticks -and go home" which they did as no one was missing. - -The people of Rayigam Korale threw stones at the moon one moonlight -night to frighten it off as they thought it was coming too near and -there was a danger of its burning their crops; they also cut down a -kitul tree to get its pith and to prevent its falling down, one of -them supported it on his shoulder and got killed. - -The country folks of Tumpane tried to carry off a well because they -saw a bee's nest reflected in the water; the men of Maggona did the -same but ran away on seeing their shadows in the well. - -The Moravak Korale boatmen mistook a bend in the river for the sea, -left their cargo there and returned home; and the Pasdum Korale folk -spread mats for elephants to walk upon. - -In cumulative tales there is a repetition of the incidents till the -end when the whole story is recapitulated. - -A bird laid two eggs which got enclosed between two large stones. The -bird asked a mason to split open the stones; the mason refused and the -bird, asked a wild boar to destroy the mason's paddy crop. The wild -boar refused and the bird asked a hunter to shoot the wild boar. The -hunter refused and the bird asked the elephant to kill the hunter as -the hunter will not shoot the wild boar and the wild boar will not -destroy the mason's paddy, and the mason will not split open the -stones. The bird asked a bloodsucker to creep into the elephant's -trunk, but the bloodsucker declined. The bird then asked a wild-fowl -to peck at the bloodsucker as the bloodsucker would not creep up -the elephant's trunk, as the elephant would not kill the hunter; as -the hunter would not shoot the wild boar, as the wild boar would not -destroy the paddy crop of the mason who would not split the stones -which enclosed the birds' eggs. The wild-fowl refused and the bird -asked a jackal to eat the wild-fowl. The jackal began to eat the fowl, -the fowl began to peck at the bloodsucker, the bloodsucker began -to creep up the elephants' trunk; the elephant began to attack the -hunter; the hunter began to shoot at the wild boar; the boar began -to eat the mason's paddy; the mason began to split the stones, and -the bird gained access to her two eggs. - -Apologues are narratives with a purpose, they point a moral and are -serious in tone. - -The moral "be upright to the upright; be kind to the kind, and -dishonest to the deceitful" is illustrated by the following tale. A -certain man having accidentally found a golden pumpkin gave it to a -friend for safe keeping. When the owner asked for it back his friend -gave him a brass one; and he went away apparently satisfied. Sometime -after the friend entrusted the owner of the pumpkin with one of his -sons, but when the father demanded the son back, he produced a large -ape. Complaint was made to the king who ordered each men to restore -what each had received from the other. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -SONGS AND BALLADS. - - -The ordinary folk songs of the country are called sivupada and can be -heard sung in a drawn out melody by the peasants labouring on their -fields or watching their crops at night, by the bullock drivers as -they go with their heavy laden carts; by the elephant keepers engaged -in seeking fodder, by the boat men busy at their oars, by the women -nursing their infants, by the children as they swing under the shady -trees, and by the pilgrims on their way to some distant shrine. - -For rhythmic noise women and girls sit round a large tambourine placed -on the ground and play on it notes representing jingle sounds like -the following:-- - - - Vatta katat katat tā - Kumbura katat katat tā - Vatta katat kumbura katat katat katat katat tā. - Attaka ratumal, attaka sudumal - Elimal dolimal, rźnkitul mal - Rajjen tarikita rajjen tā. - - -Oxen are encouraged to labour in the threshing floor by songs [23] - - - On, leader-ox, O ox-king, on, - In strength the grain tread out. - On, great one, yoked behind the king, - In strength the grain tread out. - This is not our threshing floor, - The Moon-god's floor it is. - This is not our threshing floor - The Sun-god's floor it is. - This is not our threshing floor, - God Ganesha's floor it is. - "On, leader ox, etc." - - As high as Adam's Sacred Peak, - Heap the grain, O heap it up; - As high as Mecca's holy shrine, - Heap the grain, O heap it up; - From highest and from lowest fields, - Bring the grain and heap it up; - High as our greatest relic shrine, - O heap it up, heap it up. - "On, leader ox, etc." - - -The cart drivers still sing of a brave Singhalese chieftain who fell -on the battle field:-- - - - Pun sanda sźma pāyālā rata meddź - Ran kendi sźma pīrālā pita meddź - Māra senaga vatakaragana Yama yudde - Levke metindu ada taniyama velc medde - - (Like full orb'd moon his glory shone, - his radiance filled the world - His loosen'd hair knot falling free in - smoothest threads of gold. - Māra's host beset him--no thought was - there to yield; - To-day Lord Levke's body still holds the - lonely field. [24]) - - -The elephant keepers strike up a rustic song to the accompaniment of -a bamboo whistle. - - - Etun tamayi api balamuva bolannź - Kitul tamayi api kotaninda dennź - Ratź gamźvat kitulak nedennź - Etun nisāmayi api divi nassinź. - - (It is elephants that we must look after, O fellows. - From where can we get kitul for them. - No village or district supplies us with kitul. - It is owing to elephants that we lose our lives.) - - -The following are specimens of a river song, a sea song and a tank -song. - - - Malź malź oya nāmala nelā varen - Attā bindeyi paya burulen tiyā varen - Mahavili ganga diyayanavā balā varen - Sādukźredī oruva pedana varen. - - (Brother, brother pluck that nā flower and come. - The branch will break, step on it lightly and come. - See how Mahavili ganga's waters flow and come. - Raising shouts of thanks row your boat and come). - - - Tan tan tan talā mediriyā - Tin tin tin ti lā mediriyā - Ape delź mālu - Goda edapan Yālu - Vellź purā mālu. - - (Tan tan tan talā mediriyā - Tin tin tin ti lā mediriyā - There is fish in our nets - Pull it to the shore, friends - The shore is full of fish.) - - - "Sora bora vevź sonda sonda olu nelum eti. - Źvā nelannata sonda sonda liyō eti - Kalu karalā sudu karalā uyā deti - Olu sālź bat kannata mālu neti. - - (The Sora bora tank has fine white lotus flowers - To pluck them there are very handsome women - After cleaning and preparing, the blossoms will be cooked - But alas there are no meat curries to eat with the lotus rice). - - -Pilgrims on their way to Adam's Peak sing the following first verse -and as they return the second. - - -1. Devindu balen api vandinda - Saman devindu vandavanda - Muni siripā api vandinda - Apź Budun api vandinda. - -(To worship our Buddha, to worship His footprint, may god Saman help -us, may his might support us). - - -2. Devindu balen api vendō - Saman devindu vendevō - Munisiripā api vendō - Apź budun api vendō. - - (We have worshipped our Buddha; - We have worshipped his foot print; - The god Samen helped us; - His might supported us). - - -A mother amuses her children by pointing out the moon and asking them -to sing out Handa hamy apatat bat kanda rantetiyak diyō diyo (Mr. Moon, -do give us a golden dish to eat our rice in); or she makes them clap -their hands singing appuddi pudi puvaththā kevum dekak devaththā -(clap, clap, clap away with two rice cakes in your hands); or she -tickles them with the finger rhyme kandź duvayi, hakuru geneyi, tōt -kāyi, matat deyi, hankutu kutu. (Run to the hills, bring molasses, -You will eat, you will give me, hankutu kutu); or she swings them to -the jingle "Onchilli chilli chille malź, Vella digata nelli kelź;" -or she rocks them to sleep with the following lullabies:-- - - - Umbź ammā kirata giyā - Kiri muttiya gangé giyā - Ganga vatakara kokku giyā, - Kokku evith kiri bivvā, - Umba nādan babō - - (Your mother went to fetch milk - The milk pot went down the river - The cranes surrounded the river - The cranes came and drank the milk - You better not cry, my baby.) - - - Baloli loli bāloliyź - Bāla bilindu bāloliyź - Kiyamin gi neleviliyź - Sethapemi magź suratheliyź - - (Darling darling little one - Darling little tender one - Sleeping songs do I sing - Sleep away my fond little one.) - - - Radāgedere kosattź - Eka gediyayi palagattź - Źka kanta lunu nettź - Numba nādan doyi doyiyź. - - (The jak tree at the washer's house - Bore only one fruit - There is no salt to eat with it - You better not cry, but sleep, sleep) - - - Vandurō indagana ambź liyannan - Vendiri indagana hāl garannan - Petiyō indagana sindu kiyannan - Tala kola pettiya, gangź duvannan. - - (The monkeys are engaged in cutting up a mango - Their mates are engaged in washing the rice - Their young ones are engaged in singing songs. - The palm leaf box is drifting in the river.) - - -The following is a specimen of a love song. - - - "Galaknan peleyi mata vedunu gindarź - Vilaknan pireyi net kandulu enaserź - Malak vat pudami numba namata rubarź - Tikakkat nedda matatibunu ādarź. - - (If I were a stone my passion's heat would have split me. - If I were a pond my weeping tears would have filled me. - O my darling, I shall offer a flower to your memory. - Is there nothing left of your old love for me). - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -PROVERBS, RIDDLES AND LOCAL SAYINGS. - - -A proverbial saying is said to state a fact or express a thought in -vivid metaphor while a riddle to describe a person or thing in obscure -metaphor calculated as a test of intellectual ability in the person -attempting to solve it. - -Proverbial sayings are divided, according to their form into direct -statements and metaphorical statements. - -The following are examples of direct statements:-- - -The quarrel between the husband and the wife lasts only till the pot -of rice is cooked. - -A lie is short lived. - -One individual can ruin a whole community. - -What is the use of relations who do not help you when your door -is broken. - -Poverty is lighter than cotton. - -Metaphorical statements are more numerous and are best considered -according to the matter involved such as honesty, thrift, folly, -knavery, natural disposition, ingratitude, luck, hypocrisy; and the -following are some typical examples:-- - -When the king takes the wife to whom is the poor man to complain. - -You may escape from the god Saman Deviyo but you cannot escape his -servant Amangallā. - -There is certain to be a hailstorm when the unlucky man gets his -head shaved. - -The teeth of the dog that barks at the lucky man will fall out. - -On a lucky day you can catch fish with twine; but on an unlucky day -the fish will break even chains of iron. - -The water in an unfilled pot makes a noise. - -You call a kabaragoyā a talagoya when you want to eat it. - -It is like wearing a crupper to cure dysentery. - -Like the man who got the roasted jak seeds out of the fire by the -help of a cat. - -Like the man who would not wash his body to spite the river. - -Like the man who flogged the elk skin at home to avenge himself on -the deer that trespassed in his field. - -Like the villagers who tied up the mortars in the village in the -belief that the elephant tracks in the fields were caused by the -mortars wandering about at night. - -Though a dog barks at a hill will it grow less. - -It is like licking your finger on seeing a beehive on a tree. - -It is not possible to make a charcoal white by washing it in milk. - -The cobra will bite you whether you call it cobra or Mr. Cobra. - -Riddles are either in prose or verse. - -As examples of prose riddles the following may be mentioned:-- - -What is it that cries on this bank, but drops its dung on the other -(megoda andalayi egoda betilayi)--A gun. - -What is the tree by the door that has 20 branches and 20 bark -strips; twenty knocks on the head of the person who fails to solve -it. (dorakadagahe atuvissayi potu vissayi netźruvot toku vissayi)--10 -fingers and 10 toes. - -What is it that is done without intermission (nohita karana vedź)--the -twinkling of the eye. - -The following are examples of verse riddles. - - -The Eye-- - - "Ihala gobź pansiyayak pancha nāda karanā - Pahala gobź pansiyayak pancha nāda karanā - Emeda devi ruva eti lamayek inda kelinā - Metūn padź tźruvot Buduvenavā." - - (On the upper shoot there are 500 songsters - On the lower shoot there are 500 songsters - Between them is an infant of divine beauty. - If one can solve this he will become a Buddha). - - -The Cobra. - - Vel vel diga eti - Mal mal ruva eti - Rāja vansa eti - Kźvot pana neti. - - (Long like a creeper - Beautiful like a flower - Of royal caste - With a deadly bite). - - -The Pine Apple. - - Katuvānen ketuvānen kolź seti - Ratu nūlen getuvāveni malź seti - Tun masa giya kalata kukulek seti - Metun padź tźru aya ratak vatī - - (The leaf is beautifully encased - The flower is worked with red thread - And this becomes like a chicken in three months - The one who can solve this deserves a country. - - - - - - - -APPENDIX. - -GLOSSARY OF SINHALESE FOLK TERMS APPEARING IN THE SERVICE TENURE -REGISTER (1872.) - - - -A - -ABARANA: Insignia of a Deviyo; vessels of gold and silver, etc., -in a Dewala. - -ADAPPAYA: Headman amongst the Moors; a term of respect used in -addressing an elder. - -ADHAHANA-MALUWA: A place of cremation; especially the place where -the bodies of the kings of Kandy were burnt and where their ashes -were buried. - -ADIKARAMA: An officer of the Kataragama Dewala next in rank to the -Basnayake Nilame. - -ADIPALLA OR WARUPALLA: The lower layers of the stacked paddy on the -threshing floor allowed to the watcher as a perquisite. - -ADUKKU: Cooked provisions given to headmen or persons of rank. - -ADUKKU-WALANKADA: A pingo of earthenware vessels for cooking or -carrying food for headmen, etc. - -AGAS: First-fruits; ears of paddy cut as alut-sal, i.e., for the -thanksgiving at the harvest home. - -AHARA-PUJAWA: The daily offering of food in a Vihare; before noon -the mid-day meal is carried to the Vihare, and placed in front of -the image of Buddha; it is then removed to the refectory or pansala, -where it is consumed by the priests or by the servitors. - -AHAS-KAMBE: The tight-rope (literally air-rope) used for rope-dancing -which is a service of certain tenants of the Badulla Dewale. - -AKYALA: Contribution of rice or paddy on the occasion of a procession -at a Dewala; first fruits offered for protection of the crop by -the Deviyo. - -ALATTIBEMA: A ceremony performed at the door of the sanctuary in a -Dewale; the waving to and fro of an oil lamp by females, who repeat -the while in an undertone the word ayu-bowa, long life (lit. may your -years increase). - -ALGA-RAJAKARIYA: Service at the loom. - -ALAGU: A mark to assist the memory in calculation (Clough); a tally, -e. g. in counting cocoanuts one is generally put aside out of each 100; -those thus put aside are called alagu. - -ALIANDURA: The morning music at a temple. - -ALLASA: A present, a bribe, a fee paid on obtaining a maruwena-panguwa. - -ALUT-AWRUDU-MANGALYAYA: Festival of the Sinhalese new year; it falls -in the early part of April. - -ALUT-SAL-MANGALYAYA: The festival of the first fruits; the harvest -home. - -ALWALA-REDDA: A cloth fresh from the loom. - -AMARAGE OR AMBARAGE: Covered walk or passage between a Dewala and -the Wahalkada or porch. - -AMUNA: A dam or anicut across a stream; a measure of dry grain equal -to about 4-1/2 bushels, sometimes 5 bushels. - -ANAMESTRAYA: A shed in which to keep lights during festivals. In -some temples these sheds are built permanently all round the widiya -or outer court; in others they were mere temporary structures to -protect the lights from wind and rain. - -ANDE: Ground share given to a proprietor. - -ANDU-GIRAKETTA: An arecanut-cutter of the shape of a pair of pincers; -it forms the penuma or annual offering of the blacksmiths to their -lord. - -ANKELIYA: The ceremony of pulling horns or forked sticks to propitiate -Pattini-deviyo in times of epidemics; according to ancient legends, -it was a pastime at which the Deviyo and her husband Palanga took -sides. They are said to have emulated each other in picking flowers -with the forked sticks the husband standing at the top and the wife -at the foot of a tree. The ankeliya as its name imports partakes more -of the nature of a village sport than of a religious ceremony. There -are two sides engaged, called the uda and yati-pil. It is conducted -in a central spot in the midst of a group of villages set apart for -the particular purpose, called anpitiya, and commenced on a lucky -day after the usual invocation by the Kapurala, who brings with -him to the spot the Halan a kind of bracelet the insignia of the -Deviyo. The two Pil select each its own horn or forked stick; the -horns or sticks are then entwined--one is tied to a stake or tree, -and the other is tied to a rope, which is pulled by the two parties -till one or other of the horns or sticks breaks. The Pila which owns -the broken horn is considered to have lost, and has to undergo the -jeers and derision of the winning party. If the Yatipila which is -patronized by the Deviyo (Pattini) wins, it is regarded as a good -omen for the removal or subsidence of the epidemic. The ceremony -closes with a triumphal procession to the nearest Dewale. A family -belongs hereditarily to one or the other of the two Pil. - -ANPITIYA: The spot or place where the above ceremony is performed. - -ANUMETIRALA: A respectful term for a Kapurala, one through whom the -pleasure of the Deviyo is known. - -ANUNAYAKA UNNANSE: A priest next in rank to a Maha-Nayaka or chief -priest, the sub-prior of a monastery. - -APPALLAYA: The earthen ware vessel flatter than an atale, q. v. - -ARALU: Gall-nuts. - -ARAMUDALA: Treasury, or the contents of a treasury; the reserve fund. - -ARANGUWA: An ornamental arch decorated with flowers or tender leaves -of the cocoanut tree. - -ARA-SALAWA OR BOJANASALAWA: Refectory. - -ARRIKALA: One-eighth portion. - -ASANA-REDI: Coverings of an asanaya; altar cloth. - -ASANAYA: Throne, altar, seat of honor. - -ATALE: A small earthenware-pot usually used in bathing. - -ATPANDAMA: A light carried in the hand, formed generally of a brass -cup at the end of a stick about two feet long. The cup is filled with -tow and oil. - -ATAPATTU-WASAMA: The messenger class. A holding held by the atapattu -people. The service due from this class is the carrying of messages, -keeping guard over treasure or a temple or chief's house, and -carrying in procession state umbrellas, swords of office etc., -watching threshing floors and accompanying the proprietor on journeys. - -ATAPATTU MOHOTTALA: Writer over the messenger class. - -ATAWAKA: The eighth day before and after the full moon. The first is -called Pura-atavaka and the second Ava-atavaka. - -ATTANAYAKARALA: Custodian; storekeeper; overseer corresponding in -rank to Wannakurala, q.v. - -ATUGE: A temporary shed or outhouse for a privy. - -ATUPANDALAYA: A temporary shed or booth made of leaves and branches. - -ATUWA: Granary. - -AWALIYA: The same as Hunduwa or Perawa, which is one-fourth of a seer. - -AWATEWAKIRIMA: Ministration; Daily service at a Dewala. - -AWATTA: An ornamental talipot used as an umbrella. - -AWULPAT: Sweetmeats taken at the end of a meal. - -AWRUDU-PANTIYA: New year festival, a term in use in the Kurunegala -District. - -AWRUDU-WATTORUWA: A chit given by the astrologer shewing the hour -when the new year commences, and its prognostics. - -AYUBOWA: "Live for years", a word used by way of chorus to recitals -at Bali ceremonies. - - - -B - -BADAHELA-PANGUWA: The tenement of land held by a potter. His service -consists of supplying a proprietor with all the requisite earthenware -for his house and bath, and his lodgings on journeys, for his -muttettuwa, for cooking, and for soaking seed paddy, for festivals, -Yak and Bali ceremonies, weddings, etc. The supplying of tiles and -bricks and keeping the roof of tiled houses waterproof, giving penum -walan to tenants for the penumkat, and making clay lamps, and kalas -for temples. The potter also makes a present of chatties as his penum -to proprietor and petty officers. When the quantity of bricks and -tiles to be supplied is large, the proprietor finds the kiln, shed, -clay and firewood. Kumbala is another name by which a potter is known. - -BADAL-PANGUWA: The holding held by smiths, called likewise -Nawan-panguwa. Under the general term are included: Achari -(blacksmiths), Lokuruwo (braziers) and Badallu (silver or gold -smiths). The blacksmith supplies nails for roofing houses, hinges, -locks, and keys for doors, all kitchen utensils, agricultural -implements, and tools for felling and converting timber. His penuma -consists of arecanut cutters, chunam boxes, ear and tooth picks, at -the forge he is given the services of a tenant to blow the bellows, -and when employed out of his house he is given his food. The Lokuruwa -mends all brass and copper-vessels of a temple, and generally takes -part in the service of the other smiths. The silver and goldsmiths work -for the proprietor in their special craft when wanted, and in temples -mend and polish all the sacred vessels, do engraving and carving work, -decorate the Rate (car of the deviyo) and remain on guard there during -the Perahera, attend at the Kaphitawima, and supply the silver rim -for the Ehala-gaha. The goldsmiths present penum of silver rings, -carved betel boxes, ornamental arrow-heads, etc. The smith tenant -also attends and assists at the smelting of iron. In consideration -of the value of the service of a smith, he generally holds a large -extent of fertile land. - -BAGE: A division; a term used in Sabaragamuwa for a number of villages -of a Dewala in charge of a Vidane. - -BAKMASA: The first month of the Sinhalese year (April-May). - -BALIBAT NETIMA: A devil-dance performed for five days after the -close of the Perahera by a class of persons superior to the ordinary -yakdesso (devil dancers) and called Balibat Gammehela, supposed to -be descendants of emigrants from the Coast. - -BALI-EDURO: The persons who make the clay images for, and dance -at, a Bali-maduwa which is a ceremony performed to propitiate the -planets. The performance of Bali ceremonies is one of the principal -services of tenants of the tom-tom beater caste. - -BALI-EMBIMA: The making of images for a Bali ceremony. - -BALI-ERIMA: The performance of the above ceremony. Note the peculiar -expression Bali arinawa not Karanawa. - -BALI-KATIRA: Sticks or supports against which the images at a Bali -ceremony are placed. - -BALI-TIYANNO: Same as Bali-eduro. - -BAMBA-NETIMA: In the processions at a Diya-kepima there is carried a -wickerwork frame made to represent a giant (some say Brahma); a man -walks inside this frame and carries it along exactly in the same way -as "Jack-in-the green." The service of carrying it in procession is -called Bambanetima. - -BAMBARA-PENI: Honey of one of the large bees. A pingo of this honey -is given to the proprietor of the lands in which it is collected. - -BANA-MADUWA: A large temporary shed put up for reading Bana during -Waskalaya, q. v. - -BANA-SALAWA: A permanent edifice attached to a wihare for reading Bana. - -BANDARA: Belonging to the palace. It is now used of any proprietor, -whether lay or clerical, e. g., Bandara-atuwa means the proprietor's -granary. - -BANKALA WIYANA: A decorated cloth or curtain, so called, it is -supposed, from being imported from Bengal. - -BARAKOLAN: Large masks representing Kataragama Deviyo, used in dancing -at the Dewala Perehara. - -BARAPEN: Remuneration given to copyists. Hire given for important -services, as the building of wihares, making of images, etc. - -BASNAYAKE NILAME: The lay chief or principal officer of a Dewale. - -BATAKOLA: The leaves of a small species of bamboo used for thatching -buildings. - -BATGOTUWA: Boiled rice served out or wrapped up in a leaf. Boiled -rice offered up at a Yak or Bali ceremony. - -BATTANARALA: The Kapurala who offers the multen (food offering). - -BATWADANARALA: The same as Battanarala. - -BATWALANDA: Earthenware vessel for boiling rice in. It is as large -as a common pot but with a wider mouth. - -BATWALAN-HAKURU: Large cakes of jaggery of the shape of a "Batwalanda" -generally made in Sabaragamuwa. - -BATWEDA: Work not done for hire, but for which the workmen receive -food. - -BATWI: Paddy given by the proprietor as sustenance to a cultivator -in lieu of food given during work. - -BEMMA: A Wall, a bank, a bund. - -BEHET-DIYA: A lotion made of lime juice and other acids mixed with -perfumes for use at the Nanumura mangalyaya, when the priest washes -the sacred reflection of the head of Buddha in a mirror held in front -of the image for the purpose. - -BETMERALA: The officer in charge of a number of villages belonging -to a temple, corresponding to a Vidane, q.v. - -BIN-ANDE: Ground share; Ground rent. - -BINARAMASA: The sixth month of the Sinhalese year (September-October). - -BINNEGUNWI: Paddy given as sustenance during ploughing time. - -BISOKAPA: See Ehelagaha. It is a term in use in the Kabulumulle -Pattini Dewale in Hatara Korale. - -BISSA: A term in use in the Kegalle District for a granary round in -shape, and of wickerwork daubed with mud. - -BINTARAM-OTU: Tax or payment in kind, being a quantity of paddy, -equal to the full extent sown, as distinguished from half and other -proportionate parts of the sowing extent levied from unfertile -fields. Thus in an amuna of land the bintaram-otu is one amuna paddy. - -BODHIMALUWA: The Court round a bo-tree, called also Bomeda. - -BOJANA-SALAWA: The same as arasalava. - -BOLPEN: Water used at a temple for purposes of purification. - -BULAT-ATA: A roll of betel consisting of 40 leaves forming the common -penuma to a proprietor at the annual festival corresponding to the -old English rent day. It is a mark of submission and respect, and is -therefore greatly valued. - -BULAT-HURULLA: A fee given to a chief or proprietor placed on a roll -of betel. The fee given annually for a Maruvena panguwa. - -BULU: One of the three myrobalans (Clough). - - - -C - -CHAMARAYA: A fly-flapper, a yak's tail fixed to a silver or other -handle, used to keep flies off the insignia of a deviyo or persons -of distinction. - - - -D - -DADAKUDAMAS: A compound word for meat and fish. - -DAGOBE OR DAGEBA: Lit. Relic chamber. A Buddhist mound or stupa of -earth or brick sometimes faced with stone, containing generally a -chamber in which is preserved a casket of relics. - -DALUMURE: A turn to supply betel for a temple or proprietor. - -DALUMURA-PANGUWA: The holding of tenants, whose special service is that -of supplying weekly or fortnightly, and at the festivals, a certain -quantity of betel leaves for the "dalumura-tewawa" immediately after -the multen or "ahara-pujawa" and for the consumption by the officers -or priests on duty. This service was one of great importance at the -Court of the King, who had plantations of betel in different parts of -the country, with a staff of officers, gardeners, and carriers. At -present the tenants of this class in Ninda villages supply betel -to the proprietor for consumption at his house and on journeys. In -some service villages the betel is to be accompanied with a quantity -of arecanuts. - -DALUPATHKARAYA: A sub-tenant; a garden tenant; one who has -asweddumised land belonging to a mulpangukaraya. In some Districts -the dalupathkaraya is called pelkaraya. - -DAMBU: Tow; rags for lights. The supplying of dambu at festivals in -a temple or for a Bali ceremony at a chief's house forms one of the -principal services of a dhobi. - -DAN-ADUKKUWA: Food given by a tenant of a vihare land to the incumbent -as distinguished from "dane" given to any priest for the sake of merit. - -DANDUMADUWA: A timber-shed; a timber room. Every temple establishment -has an open long shed for timber and building materials etc., and -its upkeep forms one of the duties of the tenants. - -DANE: Food given to priests for merit; alms: charity. - -DANGE: Kitchen of a Pansale. - -DANKADA: Pingo of food given to a priest. - -DARADIYARA: Fuel and water the supplying of which forms the service -of the Uliyakkarawasam tenants. - -DASILIKAMA: An assistant to a Lekama or writer. The term is peculiar -to Sabaragamuwa. - -DAWULA: The common drum. - -DAWULKARAYA: A tenant of the tom-tom beater caste, playing on a dawula -at the daily service of a Vihare or a Dewale, and at the festivals. - -DAWUL-PANGUWA: The tenement held by tenants of the tom-tom beater -caste. In temples their service comes under the kind called the -Pita-kattale (out-door-service). At the daily tewawa, at festivals, -at pinkam, and on journeys of the incumbent, they beat the hewisi -(tom-toms). On their turn of duty in a temple, they have to watch -the temple and its property, to sweep and clean the premises, to -gather flowers for offerings, and to fetch bolpen (water for temple -use). The services of a Hewisikaraya are required by a lay proprietor -only occasionally for weddings, funerals, yak and bali ceremonies, -and on state occasions. This class of persons is employed in weaving -cloth, and their penuma consists of a taduppu cloth or lensuwa. In -all respects the services of the Dawulkarayo resemble those of -the Tammattankarayo, a portion of the same caste, but who beat the -Tammattama instead of the Dawula. - -DEHAT-ATA: A roll of betel leaves given to a priest. A respectful -term for a quid of betel. - -DEHET-GOTUWA: Betel wrapped up in the leaf of some tree. - -DEKUMA: A present given to a chief or incumbent of a temple by a -tenant when he makes his appearance annually or oftener, and consists -of either money, or sweetmeats, or cloth, or arecanut-cutters, etc., -according to the tenants trade or profession or according to his caste. - -DELIPIHIYA: A razor. One of the "atapirikara" or eight priestly -requisites viz., three robes an almsbowl, a needle case, a razor, a, -girdle, and a filter. - -DEPOYA: The poya at full moon. - -DEWALAYA: A temple dedicated to some Hindu Deviyo or local -divinity. The four principal dewala are those dedicated to Vishnu, -Kataragama, Nata and Pattini Daviyo. There are others belonging to -tutelary deities, such as the Maha Saman Dewalaya in Sabaragamuwa -belonging to Saman Dewiyo the tutelary deviyo of Siripade, Alutunwara -Dewale in the Kegalle District to Dedimundi-dewata-ban-dara, prime -minister of Vishnu etc. - -DEWA-MANDIRAYA: Term in Sabaragamuwa for the "Maligawa" or sanctuary -of a Dewale. - -DEWA-RUPAYA: The image of a Deviyo. - -DEWOL OR DEWOL-YAKUN: Foreign devils said to have come from beyond -the seas and who according to tradition landed at the seaside village -called Dewundare near Matara and proceeded thence to Sinigama near -Hikkaduwa. Pilgrims resort to either place and perform there the vows -made by them in times of sickness and distress. - -DIGGE: The porch of a Dewalaya. It is a building forming the -ante-chamber to the Maligawa or sanctuary where the daily hewisi is -performed and to which alone worshippers have access. It is a long -hall, as its name signifies, and it is there that the dance of the -women at festivals, called Digge-netima, takes place. - -DISSAWA: The ruler of a Province. - -DIWA-NILAME: Principal lay officer of the Dalada-maligawa. The term -is supposed to have had its origin from the highest dignitary in the -kingdom holding amongst other functions the office of watering the -Srimahabodinvahanse or sacred Bo-tree in Anuradhapura, - -DIWEL: Hire or remuneration for service. - -DIYAGE: A bath room. The putting up of temporary sheds, or the upkeep -of permanent structures as well as supplying water, forms part of -the menial services of the Uliamwasam tenants. - -DIYA-KACHCHIYA: Coarse cloth bathing dress which it is the duty -of the dhobi to supply at the bath. It is also called Diyaredi or -Diyapiruwata. - -DIYAKEPUMA: The ceremony of cutting water with golden swords by the -Kapurala of the Dewale at the customary ford or pond at the close of -the Perehera in July or August. - -DIYATOTA: The ford or ferry where the above ceremony is performed. - -DOLAWA: A palanquin. - -DOTALU-MAL: The flowers of the dotalu-tree, a small species of the -arecanut-tree used in decorations. - -DUMMALA: Powdered resin used at a yak or bali ceremony to give -brilliancy to the light. - -DUNUKARAWASAMA: The military class. Literally, archers. The lands -forming the holding of the Dunukarawasam tenants. Their chief services -at present are the carrying of letters and messages, keeping guard at -the Walauwe (house) of the proprietor, watching the threshing floor, -fetching buffaloes for work and accompanying the proprietor on journeys -of state bearing the mura awudaya (lance). - -DUNUMALE-PENUMA: The penuma (present) given in the mouth of Nawan -(February) by tenants to the high priest of the Sripadastane (Adam's -Peak) so called after an incumbent of that name. - -DURUTUMASE: The tenth month of the Sinhalese year (January-February). - -DUREYA: A headman of the Wahumpura Badde or Paduwa caste. Also a -general name for a palanquin bearer. - -DURAWASAMA: The office of Dureya or headman of the Durayi. The -tenement of land held by their class. Their services resemble those -of the Ganwasama the difference being that instead of cooked they -give uncooked provisions, and vegetables or raw provisions instead -of sweet-meats for the penuma to the landlord. - - - -E - -EBITTAYA: A Boy. A priest's servant. - -EDANDA: A plank or trunk thrown across a stream. A log bridge. - -EHELA-GAHA: A post or tree set up at a Dawale at a lucky hour in -the month of Ehela as a preliminary to the Perahera. Compare the -English May-pole. - -EHELA-PEREHARA: Vide Perahera. - -ELAWALUKADA: A pingo of vegetables, which is the penuma given to -proprietors by the tenants of the lower castes. - -ELWI: A kind of paddy grown on all hill sides under dry cultivation. - -EMBETTAYA: A barber. - -EMBULKETTA: A kitchen knife. It is the penuma given by blacksmith -tenants. - -ETIRILLA: Cloth spread on chairs or other seats out of respect to a -guest or headman. (Clough) It is the service of a dhobi tenant. - -ETULKATTALAYA: The inner room or sanctuary of a Dewale, called -also the Maligawa and Dewamandiraya. The term is also applied to -all the officers having duties in the sanctuary, such as Kapurala, -Batwadanarala, Wattorurala, etc. - - - -G - -GAHONI: Ornamental covers made of cloth to throw over penuma. - -GALBEMMA: Stone-wall. Rampart. - -GAL-LADDA: A smith. A stonemason. - -GAL-ORUWA: A stone trough for water, called also Katharama. - -GAMANMURE: A turn of attendance at festivals, which in the of case -tenants living in remote villages is frequently commuted for a -fee. Hence the term. - -GAMARALA: The headman of a village, generally an hereditary office -in the family of the principal tenant. - -GAMMADUWA-DA: The day of an almsgiving at a Dewale to conciliate the -Deviyo in times of sickness. - -GAMMIRIS: Pepper corn. - -GANWASAMA: Sometimes written Gammasama. The tenement held by a -Ganwasama, the superior class of tenants in a village. Their panguwa -supplies the proprietor with persons eligible for appointment -to the subordinate offices in a village such as Vidane, Lekama, -and Kankanama. The Ganwasama people are often of the same social -standing as the proprietor and sometimes are related to him. They -are generally the wealthiest people in the village and hold the most -fertile lands. Consequently they have to make heavy contributions -in the shape of adukku and pehidum to the proprietor and his retinue -on his periodical visits, to his officers coming on duty and to his -messengers dispatched with orders to tenants. They also have to give -the Mahakat monthly, the Penumkat at festivals, and Dankat during Was, -and to feed the workmen in the Muttettuwa and officers superintending -the work. In the same manner as the Uliyam-wasama has to provide all -the ordinary labour in a village so the Ganwasama has to provide all -that is required for strangers visiting the village and generally to -discharge the duties of hospitality for which the Kandyan villages -are celebrated. This entails upon the Ganwasama the necessity of -setting apart a place called the Idange for lodging strangers. The -whole charge of the Muttettu work devolves on the Ganwasama which also -has to superintend and assist in building work at the proprietor's -house attend, at his house on festive and other occasions in times -of sickness and at funerals bringing penumkat and provisions. A -Ganwasama tenant has to accompany the proprietor on his journeys -on public occasions, and to guard his house in his absence. A woman -of the panguwa has likewise to wait on the lady of the house and to -accompany her on journeys. The Ganwasama takes the lead in the annual -presentation of the tenants before the proprietor. In temple villages, -in addition to the above services performed to the lay chief, the -Ganwasama has to superintend and take part in the preparations for, -and celebration of, the festivals. - -GANGATAYA: The leg of an animal killed in the chase given to the -proprietor of the land. Sometimes more than one leg is given. - -GANLADDA: An owner of land. Sometimes applied to small proprietors, and -sometimes to proprietors of inferior castes, e. g., the proprietors of -the village Kotaketana (smiths and wood-carvers) are always so styled. - -GANMURE: Watching at a temple, or the period of service there taken -in turns by villages. - -GANNILE: The service field in a village held by the Gammahe or the -village headman for the time being. Field held by a small proprietor -and cultivated for him by his tenants. - -GANPANDURA: Tribute for land. Ground rent. - -GAN-PAYINDAKARAYA: A messenger under an inferior headman. - -GARA-YAKUMA: A devil dance performed in some districts at the close -of important undertakings such as construction of buildings at the -close of the Perehera for the elephants, etc. - -GEBARALA: A storekeeper whose duty it is to measure the paddy, rice, -oil etc., received into and issued out of a temple gabadawa (store). - -GEWATU-PANAMA: Payment for gardens. Garden rent, as the name implies, -originally a fanam. - -GIKIYANA-PANGUWA: Tenement held by tenants whose service consists -in singing at Dewale on "Kenmura" days and on festivals, and in the -performance of the Digge-netima, which latter is a service performed by -women. The songs generally relate to the exploits of the Dewiyo. The -men sing and play on cymbals, drums, etc., and the women dance. The -ordinary tom-tom-beater is not allowed to play for dancers of this -class, which is supposed to be of Tamil origin. - -GILANPASA: The evening meal of Buddhists priests restricted to -drinkables, as tea, coffee, etc. solid food is prohibited after -noon-day. - -GODA-OTU: Literally, tax on high lands. Tax on chenas. - -GODAPADDA: A messenger under a headman of the low-castes. The term -is in use in the Matale Districts. - -GORAKA: The fruit of the gamboge tree dried. It imparts to food a -delicate acid, and is chiefly used in seasoning fish. - -GOYIGANAWA: Smoothing the bed of a field, being the last process -preparatory to sowing. - -GURULETTUWA: A goglet. - - - -H - -HAKDURE: A service of blowing the conch-shell or horn in the daily -service of a Dewalaya. - -HAKGEDIYA: A chank. A conch-shell. - -HAKPALIHA: The carrying of the conch-shell and shield in procession -which forms one of the services of the tenants of temple villages. - -HAKURU-ESSA: A cake of jaggery. Half a "mula" (packet). - -HAKURUKETAYA: A ball of jaggery. It is of no definite size. - -HAKURUMULA: A packet of two cakes of jaggery. - -HAKURUPATTAYA: Balls of jaggery wrapped up in the sheath of the branch -of an arecanut tree. - -HALUPAINDAYA: Officer in charge of the sacred vestments of a Dewale. - -HAMBA: Paddy belonging to a temple of the king. - -HAMBA-ATUWA: The granary belonging to a temple or the king. - -HAMUDA-WALE-MURAYA: The mura by tenants of Pidawiligam under the -Dalada Maligawa. - -HANGIDIYA: A head-smith. - -HANGALA: The piru-wataya (lent-cloth) given by dhobies to Kapuwo -and Yakdesso. - -HANNALIYA: A tailor; large Dewala and Wihara establishments have -tenants to sew and stitch the sacred vestments, curtains, flags, -etc., and to assist in decorating the car. - -HARASKADAYA: A cross stick in an arch, supplied by tenants for -decorations at festivals. - -HATMALUWA: A curry made of seven kinds of vegetables and offered with -rice at a Bali ceremony. - -HATTIYA: A hat shaped talipot carried on journeys by female attendants -of ladies, answering the double purpose of a hat and an umbrella. - -HAYA-PEHINDUMA: Provisions given to a temple or person of rank, -consisting of six neli (seru) of rice and condiments in proportion. - -HELAYA: A piece of cloth of twelve cubits. - -HELIYA: A large round vessel with a wide mouth for boiling rice, -paddy, etc. - -HEMA-KADA: Food offering in a Dewala similar to the Ahara-pujawa at a -Vihare. It is carried by the proper Kapurala, called Kattiyana-rala, -pingo-fashion, and delivered at the door of the sanctuary to the -officiating Kapurala. - -HENDA-DURE: The evening hewisi (music) at a Dewale. - -HENDUWA: Elephant-goad. - -HEPPUWA: A box, a basket. The term is in use in the Kegalle District -in connection with a penuma of sweetmeats called Kevili-heppuwa just -as in other Districts it is called Kevili-pettiya. - -HEWAMUDALA: Payment in lieu of the services of a tenant of the Hewasam -or military class. - -HEWAWASAMA: The tenement held by the Hewawasama. The military -class. Their services at present are those of the Atapattuwasama -and consist in carrying messages and letters etc., accompanying the -proprietor on journeys, carrying his umbrella or talipot and keeping -guard at halting places attending to the service of betel, guarding the -proprietor's house, watching threshing floors, attending at funerals -and setting fire to the pyre. They present a penuma of sweetmeats and -receive as funeral prerequisites a suit of clothes. Persons of their -wasama, as those of the Ganwasama, are chosen for subordinate offices. - -HEVENPEDURA: A mat made of a kind of rush. - -HEWISI-MANDAPPAYA: The court where the Hewisi (music) is performed -in a Vihare corresponding to the Digge in a Dewale. - -HILDANE: The early morning meal of Buddhist priests, generally of -rice-gruel. - -HILEKAN: Registers of fields. - -HIMILA: Money given by a proprietor as hire for buffaloes employed -in ploughing and threshing crops. - -HIRAMANAYA: A cocoanut scraper. It is an article of penuma with -blacksmith tenants. - -HIROHI-NETIMA: Called also Niroginetima. It is a dance at the -procession returning from the Diyakepima of the Saragune Dewale in -the Badulla District. - -HITIMURAYA: The turn for being on guard at a temple or a chief's -house. It consists generally of fifteen days at a time, nights -included. The tenant both on entering upon and on leaving his muraya, -appears before the incumbent or chief with the penuma of a roll of -betel, and when on mure has the charge of the place and its property, -clears and sweeps the premises, attends to ordinary repairs, fetches -flowers in temples and goes on messages. He receives food from -the temple. - -HIWEL: Coulters, the providing of which forms one of the services of -a blacksmith tenant. - -HIWEL-ANDE: Cultivators' share of the produce of a field being half of -the crop after deducting the various payments called "Waraweri" which -are (1) Bittara-wi (seed-padi), as much as had been sown and half as -much as interest; (2) Deyyanne-wi, 4 or 5 laha of paddy set apart for -the Dewiyo, or boiled into rice and distributed in alms to the poor; -(3) Adipalla, the lower layers of the stacked paddy; (4) Peldora, -the ears of com round the watchhut which together with Adipalla are -the watcher's prerequisites (5) Yakunewi, paddy set apart for a devil -ceremony. Besides the above, "Akyala" (first-fruits) is offered to -the Deviyo for special protection to the crop from vermin, flies, etc. - -HULAWALIYA: The headman of the Rodi. The Rodi tenants are very few in -number and are found in but very few villages. They supply prepared -leather for drums and ropes of hide halters, thongs and cords for -cattle and bury carcases of dead animals found on the estate to which -they belong. - - - -I - -IDANGE OR IDAMA: The principal building where visitors of rank are -lodged in a village. - -IDINNA: Called also Usna. A smith's forge. - -ILLATTATTUWA: A betel-tray. The penuma given by a tenant engaged in -carpentry or by a carver in wood. - -ILMASA: The eighth month of the Sinhalese year (Nov. Dec.) - -IRATTUWA: A word of Tamil extraction and applied to a kind of native -cloth originally made by the Mahabadde people and at present by the -tom-tom beater caste. - -IRILENSUWA: A striped handkerchief given as a penuma by tenants of -the tom-tom beater caste. - -ISSARA: The individual share or strip of land in a range of fields -cultivated by the shareholders in common. - -ITIPANDAMA: A wax candle. - -ITIWADALA: A lump of wax. In the honey-producing jungle districts -as Nuwarakalawiya, Matale North etc., honey and itiwadal are dues to -which a proprietor is entitled. - - - -J - -JAMMAKKARAYA: A low-caste man. This is the sense in which the word -is at present used in the Kandyan country but is proper meaning is -a man of caste--of good birth. - - - -K - -KADA: A load divided into two portions of equal weight and tied to -the two ends of a pole, which is balanced on the shoulder, called in -Ceylon a "pingo" and in India a "bhangy." - -KADAKETTA: a razor. - -KADAPAIYA: A long bag or purse called also Olonguwa. - -KADA-RAJAKARIYA: A pingo-load of village supplies given to the king by -the Ganwasam. The Gamarala had to deliver it in person in Kandy. The -chiefs, lands exempted from tax for loyalty to the British Government -were not relieved of the pingo duty. (See proclamation of 21st November -1818, Clause 22). - -KAHADIYARA: Sprinkling water used by a Kapurala in ceremonies. - -KAHAMIRIS: Saffron and chillies. - -KAHATAPOTU: Bark of the saffron tree used in dyeing priests' robes. - -KALAGEDIYA OR KALAYA: A pot, the ordinary vessel used by -water-carriers. - -KALALA: Carpets, or mats made of a kind of fibre (Sanseviera -Zeylanica.) - -KALANCHIYA: A Tamil word for an earthenware spitting pot. - -KALA-PANDAMA OR KILA-PANDAMA: A branched torch with generally three -lights sometimes, six see ATPANDAMA. - -KALAS: Earthenware lamps with stands for decorations. - -KAMMALA: A forge. A smithy. - -KAMMALKASI: Payment in lieu of service at the smithy. - -KAMATA: A threshing-floor. - -KANGAN: Black cloth given to attendants at funerals. - -KANHENDA: An ear-pick. - -KANKANAMA: An overseer. - -KANKARIYA: A devil ceremony. - -KANUWA: A post. - -KAPHITUNDAWASA: The day on which a pole is set up in a Dewale for -the Perehera, see Ehelagaha. - -KAPURALA: A dewala-priest. The Office is hereditary. - -KARANDA: A tree, the twigs of which are in general use amongst Buddhist -priests by way of tooth brushes. The village of Tittawelgoda has to -supply annually 2000 of these tooth-brushes to the Dambulla monastery. - -KARANDU-HUNU: Chunam to offer with betel at the sanctuary. - -KARAKGEDIYA: A portable wicker basket for catching fish open at both -ends and conical in shape used in shallow streams. - -KARAWALA: Dried fish, the usual penuma of Moor tenants. - -KARIYA KARANARALA: Officer second in rank to the Diwa Nilame in the -Dalada Maligawa. The office is restricted to a few families and the -appointment is in the hands of the Diwa Nilame, who receives a large -fee for it at the yearly nomination. As the Diwa Nilame's deputy, -the Kariyakaranarala attends to all the business matters of the -Maligawa and is entitled to valuable dues from subordinate headmen -on appointment. - -KASAPEN: Young cocoanuts generally given as penuma. - -KATARAMA: Same as Galoruwa. - -KATBULATHURULU: Penuma consisting of pingoes and money with betel. - -KATGAHA: Sometimes called Kajjagaha. The same as Ehelagaha q.v. - -KATHAL: The pingo-loads of rice due to the king by way of the Crown -dues on all lands cultivated with paddy, except those belonging to the -Duggenewili people or class from which the King's domestic servants -were taken. - -KATMUDALA: Money payment in lieu of the above. - -KATTIYANAMURAYA: The turn for the tenant of a kapu family to perform -the service of carrying from the multenge (Dewale kitchen) to the -Maligawa (the sanctuary) the multen-kada or daily food offering. - -KATUKITUL: Wild prickly kitul the flowers of which are used in -decorations. - -KATUPELALI: Rough screens made of branches as substitutes for walls -in temporary buildings. - -KATU-PIHIYA: A small knife of the size of a penknife with a stylus -to it. - -KAWANI: A kind of cloth. - -KATTIYA: A general term for a festival, but in particular applied to -the festival of lights in Nov.-Dec. called Kattimangalaya. - -KEDAGAN: A palanquin fitted up (with sticks) for the occasion to take -the insignia of a Deviyo in procession. - -KEHELMUWA: Flower of the plantain. - -KEKULHAL: Rice pounded from native paddy. - -KEKUNA-TEL: Common lamp oil extracted from the nuts of the Kekuna tree; -the oil is largely used in illuminations at festivals and given as -garden dues by tenants. - -KEMBERA: The beating of tom-toms on Kenmura days. - -KENDIYA-WEDAMAWIMA: The carrying in procession of the Rankendiya or -sacred-vessel containing water after the Diyakepima. - -KENMURA: Wednesdays and Saturdays on which are held the regular -services of a Dewale. - -KERAWALA: Half of a pingo. Half of a panguwa. - -KETIUDALU: Bill-hooks and hoes. Agricultural implements supplied by -the proprietor for work in the Muttettu fields. He supplies the iron -and the smith tenant makes the necessary implements, assisted by the -nilawasam tenants who contribute the charcoal. - -KEVILI-HELIYA: A chatty of sweetmeats given as penuma. - -KEVILI-KADA: A pingo of sweetmeats given as penuma by high caste -tenants. - -KEVILI-KIRIBAT: Sweetmeats and rice boiled in milk. - -KEVILI-HEPPUWA: See heppuwa. - -KEVILI-TATTUWA: See heppuwa. - -KEWUN: Cakes, sweetmeats. - -KEWUN-KESELKAN: Sweetmeats and ripe plantains. - -KILLOTAYA: A chunam-box given as a penuma by smith tenants. - -KINISSA: A ladle, a common cocoanut spoon. - -KIRI-AHARA OR KIRIBAT: Rice boiled in milk and served on festive -occasions. - -KIRIMETI: Pipe-clay. The supplying and preparation of clay for the -Badaheleya (potter) when making bricks and tiles for a proprietor -forms one of the duties of every tenant of a temple village, and of -the tenants of the Nila or Uliyam pangu in a chief's village. - -KIRIUTURANA-MANGALYAYA: The ceremony of boiling milk at a Dewale -generally at the Sinhalese new year and after a Diyakepima. - -KITUL-ANDA-MURE: The half share of the toddy of all kitul trees tapped, -which is the due of the proprietor. The trees are tapped by Wahumpura -tenants by who are also called Hakuro, and the toddy is converted -into the syrup from which hakuru (jaggery) is made. - -KITUL-PENI-MUDIYA: A small quantity of kitul syrup carried in a leaf -and served out to tenants in mura. - -KODI: Flags. - -KOLALANU: Cords for tying sheaves. - -KŌLAN: Masks worn in dancing in Dewala festivals. - -KOLMURA: A rehearsal at the Nata Dewala by the Uliyakkarayo before -the Perehera starts. - -KOMBUWA: A bugle, a horn. It is blown at the Tewawa or service at a -Dewale. There are special tenants for this service. - -KORAHA: A large wide-mouthed chatty used as a basin. - -KONA: The year's end. The Sinhalese new year (April). - -KOTAHALU: The cloth worn by a young female arriving at puberty, which -is the perquisite of the family dhobi, with other presents given at -the festivities held on the occasion. - -KOTALE: An earthenware vessel with a spout given as a penuma by the -potter to petty officers. - -KOTTALBADDE VIDANE: The headman of smith villages. - -KOVAYA: An earthenware crucible. A socket for candles. - -KOVILA: A small temple. A minor Dewale. - -KŪDE: A basket to remove earth, sand, etc. - -KUDAYA: An umbrella. - -KUDAMASSAN: Small fishes cured for curry. - -KULU: Winnowing fans made of bamboo. - -KUMBAL-PEREHERA: Preliminary Perehera at a Dewale when the insignia are -carried in procession round the inner Court for five days, followed -by the Dewale Perehera for five days twice a day round the Widiya, -and the Randoli or Maha Perehera for five days. - -KUMBAYA: A post, a pole for arches in decorations. - -KUMARIHAMILLA: Ladies of rank. - -KUMARA-TALA-ATTA: A talipot of state. An ornamental talipot carried -in processions by tenants of superior grade. - -KUNAMA: The palanquin carried in procession at the Perehera containing -inside the insignia of a Deviyo. It is also called Randoliya. - -KURUMBA: The same as Kasapen. - -KURU: Hair-pins. - -KURU-KANDA: A candle stick made of clay, called also Kotvilakkuwa. - -KURAPAYIYA: The same as Kadapayiya. - -KURUNIYA: One eighth of a bushel or four seer. - -KURUWITALE: Spear used at elephant kraals. - -KUSALANA: A cup. - - - -L - -LAHA: The same as Kuruniya. - -LANSA-MURE: The turn of service of the Hewawasam tenants; it is now -taken also by the Atapattu class. - -LATDEKUMA OR LEBICHCHAPENUMA: Present of money or provisions given -to the proprietor by his nominee on appointment to an office. - -LEGUNGE: The dormitory. A priest's cell. - -LENSUWA: A handkerchief. - -LEKAMA: A writer. A clerk, out of courtesy styled Mohottala. - -LEKAM PANGUWA: The tenement held by the Lekam pangu tenants. The -panguwa was originally Maruwena, but in course of time, in most -instances, it has become Paraveni. The Lekam tenant besides doing -duty as writer to the proprietor of Ninda villages superintends his -working parties and harvesting operations and appears before him at -the annual presentations of the tenants, accompanies him on important -journeys, attends on him and supplies him with medicines when sick, and -occasionally guards the house in his absence. In temple villages where -there is no resident Vidane, the Lekama does all the duties of that -officer, besides keeping an account of the things received into and -issued out of the Gabadawa, arranges and superintends all the services -of the tenants, in which capacity it is that he is styled Mohottala. - -LIYADDA: The bed of a field. A terrace. - -LIYANABATA: Food given by a cultivator to tho Lekam on duty at a -threshing floor. - -LIYANARALA: A Writer. - -LIYAWEL: Ornamental flower work in carvings or paintings generally -found in Wihare and which it is the duty of the Sittaru (painters) -to keep in order. The service is valuable and large and valuable -pangu have consequently been allotted to this class. The cost of the -pigments is borne by the temples. - -LUNUKAHAMIRIS: Salt, saffron, and chillies. The three principal -ingredients which give flavour to a curry. Hence in enumerating the -articles which make up a pehinduma or dankada, mention is always -made of Lunukahamiris or Sarakku or Tunapahe, general terms for -"curry-stuff". - - - -M - -MADAPPULURALA: Title of an officer in the Nata Dewale who performs -duties analogous to those of a Wattoru-rala such as sweeping out the -Maligawa cleaning and tending its lamps, etc. - -MADDILIYA: A Tamil drum used in the Kataragama Dewale in the Badulla -District. - -MADOL-TEL: Lamp-oil extracted from the nuts of the Madol. - -MADU-PIYALI: The nuts of the Madugaha, broken into pieces dried and -converted into flour for food. - -MAGUL-BERE: The opening tune beaten on tom-toms at the regular hewisi -(musical service) at the daily service and at festivals. - -MAHADANE: The midday meal of the priests before the sun passes the -meridian. - -MAHA-NAYAKA-UNNANSE: The highest in order amongst the Buddhist -priesthood. The Malwatte and Asgiriya establishments in Kandy have -each a Mahanayake before whom the incumbents of the subordinate Wihara -belonging to the respective padawiya (see or head monastery) have -to appear annually with penumkat and ganpanduru consisting chiefly -of rice. - -MAHA-PEREHERA OR RANDOLI-PEREHERA: The last five days of the Perehera -(in July) when the insignia are taken in procession out of the -precincts of a Dewalaya along the principal streets of the town. - -MAHA-SALAWA: The chief or great hall. - -MAHEKADA: The pingo of raw provisions, chiefly vegetables and lamp oil, -given regularly once a month to a temple or chief by the tenants of -the mul-pangu in a village, namely the Ganwasama, Durawasanaa, etc. - -MALIGAWA: Palace. The sanctuary of a Dewale where the insignia are -kept. In Dewala only the officiating Kapurala can enter it. Even its -repairs such as white washing, etc. are done by the Kapurala. - -MALU-DENA-PANGUWA: Lands held by the tenants generally of the Nilawasam -class, whose duty it is to supply a temple with vegetables for curry -for the multen service. A quantity sufficient to last a week or two is -provided at one time, and this is continued all the year through. The -vegetables supplied are of different sorts, consisting of garden and -henaproduce and greens and herbs gathered from the jungle. - -MALU-KESELKEN: Green plantains for curries, as distinguished from -ripe plantains. - -MALUPETMAN: The courtyard of a temple with its approaches. - -MALWATTIYA: A basket or tray of flowers. One of the duties of a -tenant in mura at a temple is to supply a basket of flowers morning -and evening for offering in front of the image of Buddha or in front -of the shrine. - -MAKARA-TORANA: An ornamental arch over the portal of a Vihare formed -of two fabulous monsters facing each other. These monsters are said to -be emblems of the God of Love (Kama). They are a modern introduction -borrowed from modern Hinduism. - -MAKUL: Clay used in whitewashing. - -MALABANDINA-RAJAKARIYA: The term in use in the Matale District for -the services of putting up the pole for the Perehera, so called from -flowers being tied to the pole when it is set up. - -MALASUNGE: A small detached building at a Vihare to offer flowers -in. These buildings are also found attached to private houses, where -they serve the purpose of a private chapel. - -MANDAPPAYA: Covered court or verandah. - -MANGALA-ASTAKAYA OR MAGUL-KAVI: Invocation in eight stanzas recited -at Dewale as a thanks giving song. - -MANGALYAYA: A festival, a wedding. The four principal festivals are -the Awurudu (old year) the Nanumura (new year), the Katti (feast of -lights) in Il (November) and the Alutsal (harvest home) in Duruta -(January). Some reckon the old and new year festivals as one, and -number the Perehera in Ehala (July) amongst the festivals. In Ninda -villages it is at one of the festivals, generally the old or new -year, that the tenants appear with presents before the proprietor -and attend to the ordinary repairs of his Wala, awwa. In temple -villages they likewise present their penuma, repair and clean the -buildings, courts-compounds and paths, put up decorations, join in -the processions, and build temporary sheds for lights and for giving -accommodation to worshippers on these occasions. They pay their -Ganpandura, have land disputes etc. settled and the annual officers -appointed. Tenants unable to attend by reason of distance or other -causes make a payment in lieu called Gamanmurakasi. - -MANNAYA: Kitchen knife. Knife commonly used in tapping Kitul. - -MASSA: An ancient Kandyan coin equal to two groats or eight -pence. Massa is used in singular only; when more than one is spoken of -"Ridi" is used. - -MEDERI OR MENERI: A small species of paddy grown on hen. Panic grass -(Clough). - -MEDINDINA MASE: The twelfth month of the Sinhalese year (March-April.) - -MEKARAL: A long kind of bean. - -METIPAN: Clay lamps supplied by the potter for the Katti-Mangalyaya. - -METIPANDAMA: A bowl, made of clay to hold rags and oil, used as -a torch. - -MINUMWI: Remuneration given to the Mananawasam tenants for measuring -paddy. The rate is fixed by custom in each village but varies -considerably throughout the country. - -MINUMWASAMA OR PANGUWA: The office of a Mananna or the holding held -by the Manana people; their primary service as their name denotes is -measuring out paddy given to be pounded as well as the paddy brought -in from the fields and rice brought in after being pounded, but as -the office has come to be held by low caste people and by Vellala -of low degree the service has become analogous to those of the -Uliyakkara-Wasam class such as putting up privies, mudding walls, -carrying palanquins, baggage Penumkat and Adukkukat and serving -as torch bearers at festivals. The Mananna is as much the Vidane's -messenger as the Attapattu Appu is the messenger of the proprietor. He -together with the Lekama keeps watch at the threshing floor, takes care -of the buffaloes brought for ploughing and threshing and assists the -Vidane, Lekama, and Kankanama in the collection of the dues such as, -Ganpandura etc. - -MIPENI: Honey. It is given as a sort of forest dues by tenants of -villages in the wild districts. - -MIRIS: Chillies given as a rent or proprietor's ground share of hena -land cultivated with it. - -MOHOTTALA: The same as Lekama q. v. - -MOLPILLA: The iron rim of a pestle or paddy pounder. - -MUDUHIRUWA OR MUDUWA: A ring. It is the penuma given by silver-smiths -and gold-smiths. - -MUKKALA: Three-fourths. A Tamil word used by certain tenants in the -Seven Korala for three-fourths of the service of a full Panguwa. - -MULTEN OR MURUTEN: Food offered to a Deviyo in a Dewale by a Kapurala -daily, or on Kenmura days. The Muttettu fields of the Dewalaya -supply the rice for it, and the tenants of the Malumura-panguwa -the vegetables. It is cooked in the temple, mulutenge or kitchen, -sometimes as often as three times a day. It is carried from the kitchen -with great ceremony on a Kada by the proper Kattiyanaralas. All thus -engaged in cooking, carrying and offering it should be of the Kapu -family, by whom it is afterwards eaten. - -MULTEN-MEWEDAMAWIMA: The carrying of the Multen Kada from the Multenge -(kitchen) to the sanctuary. The term is in use in the Badulla District. - -MUN: A sort of pea forming one of the chief products of a hena, -and largely used as a curry. - -MURA-AMURE: An ordinary turn and an extraordinary turn of service. A -term applied to a holding which, in addition to its proper or ordinary -turn of service, has to perform some extra service on account of -additional land attached to the mulpanguwa. The term is used in -Kurunegala District. - -MURA-AWUDAYA: A lance. The weapon in the hands of the Hewawasam or -Dunukara tenant on guard. - -MURA-AWUDA-RAJAKARIYA: The service of a guard holding a lance. - -MURAGEYA: Guard-room. - -MURAYA: A general term for the turn of any service. The Muraya is of -different lengths, 7, 10, or 15 days being the common periods of each -mura. In some mura the tenant receives food, in the others not. - -MUSNA: Broom; brush. - -MUTTEHE-PENUMA: presents of sweetmeats or raw provisions given -by tenants of some villages in the Sabaragamuwa District after the -harvesting of a middle crop between the ordinary Yala and Maha crops, -known as the Muttes harvest. - -MUTTETTUWA: A field belonging to the proprietor, whether a chief -or temple, and cultivated on his account jointly by tenants of -every description. The proprietor usually finds the seed-paddy, -and bears all costs of agricultural implements, and sometimes gives -the buffaloes; the service of the tenants is reckoned not by days, -but by the number of the different agricultural operations to which -they have to contribute labour, and they are accordingly spoken of as -"Wedapaha" and "Weda-hata," which are--1, puran ketuma or puran-hiya -(first digging or first ploughing); 2, dekutuma or binnegunhiya -(the second digging or ploughing); 3, wepuruma (sowing including the -smoothing of the beds); 4, goyan-kepuma (reaping including stacking); -and 5, goyan-medima (threshing including storing). These admit of -sub-divisions. Hence the number of agricultural operations differ in -different districts. All the tenants take a part in the cultivation, -and are generally fed by the proprietor or by the Ganwasam tenants on -his behalf. The sowing of the seed-paddy is the work of the Gammahe -as requiring greater care, and irrigation that of the Mananna, unless -special arrangements are made for it with a Diyagoyya who is allowed -in payment, a portion of the field to cultivate free of ground-rent, -or the crop of a cultivated portion. The Muttettu straw furnishes -thatch for buildings, the tying and removing of which is also a service -rendered by the tenants. The services of the different classes of the -tenantry on an estate are centred in its Muttettu field. Hence the -passing of the Muttettuwa from the family of the landlord into the -hands of strangers is invariably followed by the tenants resisting -their customary services in respect of the Muttettu. They have -generally succeeded in such resistance. See first Report of the -Service Tenure Commission P. 9. "In only a few cases have estates -been sold away from the families of the local chiefs, and in these -cases with the almost invariable result of the loss of all claim to -service by disuse, the Kandyan tenant being peculiarly sensitive as -to the social status of his Lord. A few years ago one of the leading -Advocates in Kandy acquired three estates, and after several years' -litigation, he was compelled to get the original proprietor to take -back the largest of the three, and the claim to services from the -other two had to be abandoned. On the original proprietor resuming -procession, the tenants returned to their allegiance." - -MUTTIYA: The same as heliya (q.v.) - -MUTU-KUDE: Umbrella of State, made of rich cloth, and carried in -procession by one of the higher tenants over the insignia of the -Deviyo, or over the Karanduwa of the Maligawa which is borne on -an elephant. - - - -N - -NAMBIRALA OR NAMBURALA: A headman corresponding to an overseer. It -is a term in use in Moorish villages in the Kurunegala District. - -NANAGEYA: A bath-house. On the visit of the proprietor or some -other person of rank, the nanage and atuge (privy) are put up at the -lodging prepared for him by a tenant of the Uliyam or Nila panguwa, -or by the mananna of the village. - -NANU: Composition generally made of lime juice, and other acids -for cleansing the hair. In temples it is made of different fragrant -ingredients the chief of which is powdered sandal-wood. - -NANUMURA-MANGALYAYA: The festival immediately following the Sinhalese -new year on which purification with nanu is performed (see above). - -NATA-DEWALE: The temple of Nata Daviyo, who is said to be now in the -Divyalokaya, but is destined when born on earth to be the Buddha of -the next kalpa under the name Mayitri Buddha. - -NATANA-PANGUWA: It is one and the same with the Geekiyana-panguwa -q. v. The service of this section of the Geekiyana-panguwa is the -Digge-netima by females on the nights of the Kenmura days and of -festivals. They likewise perform the Alattibema and dance during the -whole night of the last day of the Perehera and one of their number -accompanies the Randoli procession. Dancing taught by the matron of -the class, called Alatti-amma or Manikkamahage. This panguwa is also -called the Malwara-panguwa. One of favourite dances of the Alatti -women is "Kalagedinetima" (dancing with new pots) the pot used at -which becomes the dancer's perquisite. - -NAVAN-MASE: The eleventh month of the Sinhalese year (February-March.) - -NAYYANDI-NETIMA: The dance of the Yakdesso (devil-dancers) during -Perehera in Dewale. - -NAYAKE-UNNANSE: Chief priest. - -NELIYA: A seer measure. - -NELLI: One of the three noted myrobalans (Clough). - -NELUNWI: Paddy given as hire for weeding and transplanting in a field. - -NEMBILIYA: A vessel used in cleansing rice in water previous to being -boiled. It is of the size and shape of a large "appallaya" but the -inside instead of being smooth is grooved, or has a dented surface -to detain sand and dirt. - -NETTARA-PINKAMA: The festival on the occasion of painting-in the eyes -of a figure of Buddha in a Vihare. The offerings received daring -the ceremony are given to the artificers or painters as their hire -(see Barapen.) - -NETTIPALE: A penthouse, or slanting roof from a wall or rock. - -NETTIMALE: The ornamental head dress of an elephant in processions. -NIKINIMASE: The fifth month of the Sinhalese year (August-September). - -NILAKARAYA: A tenant liable to service, more particularly the term -is applied to tenants doing menial service. - -NILAWASAMA: The tenement held by the Nilawasam tenants. The services, -as those of the Uliyakwasam embrace all domestic and outdoor work of -various and arduous kinds some of which, as those already enumerated -under the Minumwasama, are the supplying of fuel and water to the -kitchen and bath, the pounding of paddy, the extracting of oil, -the mudding of walls and floors, the dragging of timber and other -building materials, the preparation of clay and the supplying of -firewood for the brick and tile kiln, blowing the bellows for the -smith and supplying him with charcoal for the forge, the breaking -of lime stones, the cutting of banks and ditches, putting up fences, -clearing gardens, sweeping out courtyards and compounds, joining in -all agricultural operations on gardens, fields, and hen, removing -the crops, tying straw and assisting in thatching, the carrying of -palanquins and baggage on journeys, conveying to the proprietor the -penumkat, adukkukat, pehindumkat, mahekat, wasdankat, etc., supplied by -the other tenants, joining in the preparations for festivals, carrying -pandam in processions, and serving at the proprietor's on occasions, -of importance such as weddings, funerals, arrival of distinguished -visitors, and at Yak and Bali ceremonies. Nilawasam tenants for -the most part, are of a low caste or belong to the lower classes -of the Vellala caste. Hence their yearly penuma to the proprietor, -instead of being a kada of sweetmeats consists of vegetables and a -contribution of raw or uncooked articles of food. Besides services -as above, rendered to the proprietor, the Nilawasam tenants work for -the proprietor's Vidane, and for the Ganwasama, a few days in fields -and hen and carry their baggage on journeys. - -NILA-PANDAMA OR KILA-PANDAMA: The same as Kalapandama. q. v. - -NINDAGAMA: A village or lands in a village in exclusive possession -of the proprietor. Special grants from kings are under sannas. - -NIYANDA: A plant, the fibres of which are used in making cords, -strings for curtains and hangings and carpets or mats. - -NIYAKOLA: The leaves of a shrub used for chewing with betel. - -NULMALKETE: A ball or skein of thread. - - - -O - -OTU: Tax, tythe. - -OLONGUWA: A long bag or sack having the contents divided into two -equal portions so as to fall one before and one behind when the bag -is slung over the shoulder. - -ORAK-KODIA OR OSAKKODIYA: Small flags on arches or on sticks placed -at intervals. - - - -P - -PADALAMA: A floor, foundation. - -PADIYA: Water to wash the feet on entering the sanctuary of a Dewale. - -PADUWA: A palanquin bearer. This class carries the palanquins of males, -those of females being carried by Wahunpura tenants. - -PAHALOSWAKADA: Full-moon day. - -PALLEMALERALA: The chief officer of the Pallemale (lower temple in -the Dalada Maligawa.) - -PANAMA: A fanam, equal to one-sixteenth part of a rupee. - -PANALELI: Horns cut into shape for combs, and given as penum. - -PANDAMA: A torch, candle, see atpandama. - -PANDAM-DAMBU: It is sometimes written Dāmbu. The same as Dambu q. v. - -PANGUWA: A holding, a portion, a farm. - -PANGUKARAYA: The holder of a panguwa, a tenant, a shareholder. - -PANHARANGUWA: An ornamented arch or support for lights at festivals -in temples. - -PANIKKILA OR PANIKKALA: Elephant keeper. He has the charge of temple -elephants used in processions, in which service he is assisted by a -grass-cutter allowed by the temple, and is besides fed when on duty -at a temple. - -PANIKKIYA: The headman of the tom-tom beater caste. A barber. - -PANMADUWA: The festival of lights occasionally held at a Dewale in -honour of Pattini Deviyo, in which all the tenants of a village join -and contribute to the expenses. - -PANPILI: Rags for lights or lamps. The same as Dambu. - -PANSALA: The residence of a priest. Lit. hut of leaves. - -PANTIYA: An elephant stall. A row of buildings. A festival. - -PAN-WETIYA: A wick. - -PATA: A measure corresponding to a hunduwa. One-fourth of a seer. The -same as Awaliya. - -PATABENDI: Titled. There are in some villages a superior class of -tenants called Patabendo, doing nominal service, such as occasionally -guarding the proprietor's house. In temple villages, however, they -perform services similar to those of the Ganwasama. - -PATHISTHANAYA: A lance with an ornamented handle, carried in -processions or on journeys of state by the Hewawasam or Atapattu -tenants. - -PATHKADAYA: A priest's kneeling cloth or leathern rug. - -PATHKOLAYA: A piece of a plantain leaf used instead of a plate. It -is called Pachchala in Sabaragamwua. In temples there is a special -tenant to supply it for the daily service. - -PATHTHARAYA: The alms bowl of a priest, sometimes of clay but generally -of iron or brass, or, rarely of silver. - -PATTAYA: The sheath of an arecanut branch. It is very commonly used -by way of a bottle for keeping jaggery or honey in. - -PATTINIAMMA: The female attendant in the Pattini Dewale. - -PATTINI-NETUMA: Dance held by Nilawasam tenants in charge of -temple cattle, who serves at the giving of fresh milk called -"Hunkiri-payinda-kirima" and at the "Kiri-itirima" ceremony of boiling -milk in Dewale at the new year, and sprinkling it about the precincts, -in expression of a wish that the year may be a prosperous one. - -PATTIRIPPUWA: An elevated place, or raised platform in the Widiya of -Dewale, as a resting place for the insignia during procession. - -PAWADAYA OR PIYAWILLA: A carpet or cloth spread on the ground by the -dhobi on duty for the Kapurala to walk upon during the Tewawa, or at -the entry of a distinguished visitor into the house of the proprietor. - -PEDIYA: A dhobi. A washerman. - -PEDURA: A mat. It is given for use at a threshing floor or for a -festival or public occasion by tenants as one of their dues. - -PEHINDUM: Uncooked provisions given to headmen, generally by low -class tenants. - -PELA: A shed, a watch-hut. - -PELDORA: Perquisite to the watcher of a field, being the crop of the -paddy around the watch-hut. See Hiwelande. - -PELELLA: A screen made of leaves and branches to answer the purpose -of a wall in temporary buildings. - -PELKARAYA: A sub-tenant. See Dalu pathkaraya. The Mulpakaraya (original -or chief tenant) frequently gets a person to settle on the lands of -his panguwa, in order to have a portion of the services due by him -performed by the person so brought in, who is called the pelkaraya; -lit. cotter. - -PELLAWEDAGAMAN: The service turns of tenants. A term in use in the -Kegalle District. - -PENPOLA: A priest's bath. - -PENUMA: The same as dekuma. q. v. - -PENUM-KADA: A pingo of presents, provisions, vegetables, dried fish -or flesh, chatties, etc., given annually or at festivals by tenants -to their landlords. - -PENUMWATTIYA: Presents carried in baskets. - -PERAWA: A measure equal to one-fourth of a seer, in use in the -Kurunegala District, corresponding to a Hunduwa. - -PERAHANKADA: A piece of cloth to strain water through, used by priests, -being one of their eight requisites. A filter; vide "delipihiya" supra. -PEREHERA: A procession; the festival observed in the month of -Ehela (July), in Dewale, the chief ceremony in which is the taking -in procession, the insignia of the divinities Vishnu, Kataragama, -Nata and Pattini for fifteen days. All the Dewala tenants and -officers attend it; buildings and premises are cleansed, whitewashed, -decorated, and put into proper order. The festival is commenced by -bringing in procession a pole and setting it up at the Temple in a -lucky hour. This is done by the Kapurala; during the first five days -the insignia are taken in procession round the inner court of the -Dewale; the five days so observed are called the Kumbal-Perehera, -from Kumbala, a potter, who provided the lamps with stands called -Kalas generally used in some Dewala at the festival. During the next -five days, called the Dewala Perehera the procession goes twice daily -round the Widiya or outer court of a Dewale. During the third or last -five days, called the Maha or Randoli-perehera the procession issues -out of the temple precincts, and taking a wider circuit passes round -the main thoroughfare of a town. The festival concludes with one of -its chief ceremonies, the Diyakepima, when the insignia are taken in -procession on elephants to the customary ferry which is prepared and -decorated for the occasion; and the Kapurala, proceeding in a boat -to the middle of the stream, cuts with the Rankaduwa (golden sword) -the water at the lucky hour. At that very instant the "Rankendiya" -(the gold goblet) which is first emptied of the water preserved in it -from the Diyakepima of the previous year, is re-filled and taken back -in procession to the Dewala. It is customary in some temples for the -tenants to wash themselves in the pond or stream immediately after -the Diyake-pima. This is a service obligatory on the tenants. After -the conclusion of the Perehera, the officers and tenants engaged in -it, including the elephants, have ceremonies, for the conciliation of -lesser divinities and evil spirits, performed called Balibat-netima, -Garayakunnetima and Waliyakun-netima. The Perehera is observed in all -the principal Dewala such as Kataragama, the four Dewala in Kandy, -Alutnuwara Dewale and Saman Dewale in Sabaragamuwa etc. The following -notice of the Kandy Perehera is taken from a note to the first report -of the Service Tenures Commission:--"The most celebrated of these -processions is the Perehera, which takes place at Kandy in Esala -(July-Aug.) commencing with the new moon in that month and continuing -till the full moon. It is a Hindu festival in honor of the four deities -Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama (Kandaswami) and Pattini, who are held in -reverence by the Buddhists of Ceylon as Deviyo who worshipped Goutama -and are seeking to attain Nirwana. In the reign of King Kirtissiri -(A. D. 1747-1780) a body of priests who came from Siam for the purpose -of restoring the Upasampada ordination objected to the observance of -this Hindu ceremony in a Buddhist country. To remove their scruples, -the king ordered the Dalada relic of Buddha to be carried thenceforth -in procession with the insignia of the four deities. Nevertheless, -the Perehera is not regarded as a Buddhist ceremony." - -PERUDAN: Food given to priests according to turns arranged amongst -tenants. - -PETAWILIKARAYA: A tavalan driver. It is the Moor tenants who perform -this service. - -PETHETIYA: A vessel for measuring an hour. A small cup of brass or -silver, or sometimes a cocoanut shell, having a small hole in the -bottom, is put to float in a basin of water, the hole is made of -such a size that the water which comes through it will be exactly -sufficient to make the cup sink in the space of a Sinhalese hour or -peya, equal to twenty-five minutes or one-sixtieth part of a day. - -PETMAN: Foot-paths. They are to be kept free of jungle by the tenants, -with whom it is a principal duty. - -PILIMAGEYA: Image-repository, the chamber in Wihare for images. - -PILLEWA: A bit of high land adjoining a field, called also "Wanata". - -PINBERA: The beating of tom-tom, not on service but for merit at -pinkam at the poya days, or after an almsgiving. - -PINKAMA: In a general sense, any deed of merit, but more particularly -used for the installing of priests in "Was" in the four months of -the rainy season (July to November) for the public reading of Bana. - -PIRIWEHIKADA: A pingo made up of "piriwehi" wicker baskets filled -with provisions or other articles. - -PIRUWATAYA: A cloth, towel, sheet etc., supplied by the dhobi and -returned after use. - -PITAKATTALAYA: The exterior of a Dewale or the portion outside -the sanctuary. It is also a term applied to all the classes of -tenants whose services are connected with the exterior of a Dewale, -as distinguished from the Etul-kattale, tenants or servants of the -sanctuary. - -PIYAWILLA: The same as Pawadaya. q. v. - -POKUNA: A pond, or well, or reservoir of water, resorted to at a -Perehera for the Diyakepuma. - -POLÉ: The present given to the Vidane of a village by a sportsman on -killing game within the village limits. It is about four or five pounds -of flesh. In some districts the custom of giving the pole, apart from -the Gangate, has ceased to exist, but it is kept up in Sabaragamuwa. - -POLGEDIYA: The fruit of the cocoanut tree. - -POLWALLA: A bunch of cocoanuts used in decorations, and the supplying -of which forms a service. - -PORODDA: The collar of an elephant. - -POSONMASA: The third month of the Sinhalese year (June-July). - -POTSAKIYA: The button fastened to the end of a string used in tying -up and keeping together the ola leaves and wooden covers of native -manuscripts. - -POTTANIYA: A bundle larger than a "mitiya." - -POYAGEYA: A detached building at a Wihare establishment within proper -"sima" (military posts). It is used as a confessional for priests -on poya days, as a vestry for convocations and meetings on matters -ecclesiastical, and for holding ordination and for worship. - -PUJAWA: An offering of any kind--e. g. food, cloth, flowers, incense, -etc. - -PULLIMAL: Ear-rings. - -PURAGEYA: The scaffolding of a building or the temporary shed put -up to give shelter to the workmen and protection to the permanent -structure in course of erection. - -PURANA: A field lying fallow, or the time during which a field lies -uncultivated. - -PURAWEDIKODIYA: A flag. A term used in the Four Korale. - -PURAWASAMA: See Ganpandura. A term in use in the Kurunegala District -for ground rent. - -PURUKGOBA: Tender cocoanut branch for decorations. It is called -Pulakgoba in Sabaragamuwa and Pulakatta in Matale. - -PRAKARAYA: A rampart, a strong wall. - - - -R - -RADA-BADDARA-RAJAKARIYA: Dhoby service. It consists of washing weekly -or monthly the soiled clothes of a family, the robes, curtains, flags, -and vestments of a Temple; decorating temples with viyan (ceilings) -for festivals and pinkam, and private houses on occasions of weddings, -Yak or Bali ceremonies, and arrival of distinguished visitors; the -supplying on such occasions of "Piruwata" for wearing, "etirili" or -covers for seats, tables etc., "piyawili" or carpets, and "diyaredi" -or bathing dresses; the making of "pandam" torches and "panweti" -wicks and the supplying of "dambu" tow. The "Heneya" (dhobi) has -also to attend his master on journeys carrying his bundle of clothes -and bathing requisites. He supplies the Kapurala and Yakdessa with -piruwata, the former weekly when on duty at a Dewale and the latter for -dancing at festivals. He gives piruwata for the Muttettu, for serving -out the food, for penum-kat and tel-kat as covers, and for the state -elephant during festivals. The penuma he presents consists generally -of a piece of wearing apparel or of a "sudu-toppiya" (Kandyan hat) -or in some cases of Panaleli (horns for combs.) His prerequisites -vary according to the occasion calling forth his services. Thus -at the Sinhalese new year besides the quota of sweetmeats and rice -given on such an occasion every member of the family ties up a coin -in the cloth he delivers to him for washing. At "kotahalu" (occasion) -of a female attaining puberty, festivities the dhoby is entitled to -the cloth worn by the young woman and to her head ornaments, and at -a funeral to all the clothes not allowed to be burnt on the pyre. - -RADAYA: A washerman of an inferior grade. - -RADALA: A chief, an officer of rank. - -RAHUBADDA: A general term for small temples or dependencies of the -Kandy Pattini Dewale. It is sometimes used of a kind of dancers. It is -also sometimes taken as one of the nine "Nawabadda" the nine trades, -which are, possibly, the following, but it is difficult to find any -two Kandyans who give precisely the same list: 1, Kottal, smiths; 2, -Badahela, potters; 3, Hakuru, jaggery makers; 4, Hunu, lime burners; -5, Hulanbadde, or Madige, tavalam-drivers, who are always Moors; 6, -Rada, dhobies; 7, Berawa tom-tom-beaters; 8, Kinnaru, weavers; 9, -Henda or Rodi, Rodiyas. - -RAJAHELIYABEMA: The distribution of rice boiled at a Dewale at the -close of the Perehera, among the servitors who took part in the -ceremonies. - -RAJAKARIYA: Service to the king. The word is now used indiscriminately -for services done to a temple or Nindagam proprietors, or for the -duties of an office. - -RAMBATORANA: An arch in which plantain trees form the chief decoration. - -RAN-AWUDA: The golden sword, bow, and arrows etc., belonging to a -Dewale. The insignia of a Deviyo. - -RANDOLIYA: A royal palanquin, the palanquin in which the insignia -are taken in procession during the Maha Perehera. - -RANHILIGE: The royal howdah in which the insignia are taken in -processions on the back of an elephant. - -RANKAPPAYA: A plate made of gold. See ranmandaya. - -RANMANDAYA: A circular plate or tray for offerings in the sanctuary -of a Dewale. - -RATHAGEYA: The building for the car used in processions. - -REDIPILI: Curtains, coverings, etc. of a temple; clothes. - -RELIPALAM: Decorations of an arch made of cloth, tied up so as to -form a kind of frill. - -RIDISURAYA: Rim of silver by a smith tenant for the Ehela tree. - -RIDIYA: An ancient coin equal to eight-pence, or one-third of a rupee. - -RIPPA: Called also Pattikkaleli are laths forming building material -annually supplied by tenants. - -RITTAGE: Resting place for the insignia during the procession round -the courts of a Dewalaya. See Pattirippuwa. - - - -S - -SADANGUWE-PEHINDUMA: A pehinduma given by a village in common, not -by the tenants in turns. The term is in use in Sabaragamuwa. - -SAMAN DEWALE: Temple of Sumana or Saman deviyo, the tutelary god of -Sripadastane. The one in Sabaragamuwa is the richest and largest of -the Dewale dedicated to this Deviyo. - -SAMUKKALAYA: A cover for a bed or couch forming a travelling requisite -carried by a tenant for the use of his superior. - -SANDUN-KIRIPENI-IHIMA: A sprinkling of perfumes at festivals to denote -purification, tranquility. - -SANNI-YAKUMA: A species of devil-dance to propitiate demons afflicting -a patient. - -SARAKKU: Curry-stuff. Drugs. - -SARAMARU-MOHOTTALA: A mohottala over service villages, holding his -office during the pleasure of the head of the Dewale. - -SATARA-MANGALYAYA: The four principal festivals in the year. See -mangalyaya. - -SATTALIYA: An ancient coin equal to about one and-a-half fanam, -or two-pence and a farthing. - -SEMBUWA: A small brazen pot generally used on journeys for carrying -water or for bathing. The service of carrying it on journeys devolves -on the dhoby. - -SEMENNUMA: Remuneration given originally to an irrigation headman, -which in lapse of time began to be given to the proprietor, and called -"Huwandiram" or "Suwandirama". When given to a Dewale, it is sometimes -called Semennuma. - -SESATA: A large fan made of talipot or cloth and richly ornamented, -with a long handle to carry it in processions. It was once an emblem -of royalty. - -SIHILDAN: Priest's early meal at daybreak. The same as Hildana q. v. - -SINHARAKKARA-MUHANDIRAMA: A rank conferred on the headman over the -musicians of a temple. - -SINHASANAYA: A throne. An altar, A seat of honor. It is also a name -given to the "Pattirippuwa." - -SITTARA: A painter. He is a tenant generally of the smith caste, and -mends and keeps in repair the image and paintings of temples. The -temple supplies the requisite pigments and food during work. The -completion of an image or a restoration or construction of a Vihare -is observed with a pinkama; and the offerings of moneys, etc., for -a certain number of days are allowed as perquisites to the painters -and smiths in addition to the hire agreed upon called "Barapen" -(q. v.) The painter, likewise, supplies ornamented sticks as handles -for lances, flags, etc., and presents to the head of the temple a -penuma of an ornamented walking-stick or betel tray. - -SIWURUKASI OR SIWURUMILA: Contribution for priests' robes, being a -very trifling but a regular annual payment during the Was Season, -and given with the usual dankada. - -SRIPADASTANE: The place of the sacred foot-step-Adam's peak. It -is yearly frequented by crowds of pilgrims, has a separate temple -establishment of its own, presided over by a Nayaka Unnanse, and held -in great veneration second only to the Dalada Maligawa or shrine of -the eye-tooth of Buddha. - -SUDUREDI-TOPPIYA: The white hat commonly worn by Kandyan headmen -forming the annual penuma of a dhoby tenant. - -SUWANDIRAMA: See Semennuma. - - - -T - -TADUPPUREDDA: Country-made cloth of coarse texture, which forms with -the tenants of the tom-tom beater caste their annual penuma to the -proprietor. - -TAHANCHIKADA OR TAHANDIKADA: A ponumkada given to a Dissawa. A term -in use in the Kegalle District. - -TALA: Sesamum. - -TALA-ATU-MUTTUWA: Two talipots sown together and ornamented. It is -used as an umbrella, and on journeys of the proprietor it is carried -by the proper tenant, generally of the Atapattu class. - -TALAM-GEHIMA: To play with the "Taliya" cymbals as an accompaniment -to the tom-tom. - -TALATTANIYA: An elder in a village. - -TALIGEDIYA: A large earthen-ware pot. - -TALIMANA: Blacksmith's apparatus for a pair of bellows generally made -of wood, sunk in the ground and covered with elk-hide. - -TALIYA OR TALAMA: A kind of cymbal. - -TALKOLA-PIHIYE: A small knife with a stylus to write with. - -TAMBALA: A creeper, the leaves of which are used with betel. - -TAMBORUWA: A tambourine. - -TANAYAMA: A rest-house. A lodging put up on the occasion of the visit -of a proprietor or person of rank to a village. - -TANGAMA: Half a ridi, equal to one groat or four-pence. - -TANTUWAWA: Any ceremony such as a wedding, a devil-dance, a funeral, -etc. - -TATUKOLA: Pieces of plantain leaves used as plates. The same as -Patkola q. v. - -TATTUMARUWA: The possession of a field in turns of years; a system -leading often to great complications e. g., a field belongs to A and -B in equal shares, and they possess it in alternate years. They die -and leave it to two sons of A, and three sons of B. These again hold -in Tattumaru (A1, A2) (B1, B2, B3,). In fourteen years the possession -is A1, B1, A2, B2, A1, B3, A2, B1, A1, B2, A2, B3, A1, B1, and so -on. A1 leaves two sons, A2 lives, B1 has three sons, B2 has four sons -and B3 has five. A2 gets his turn after intervals of four years, -but A1a and B1b have to divide A1's turn. Each therefore gets his -turn after intervals of eight years, but each of the B shareholders -gets his turn at intervals of six years and B1a, B1b, B1c now have -a turn each at intervals of eighteen years, B2a, B2b, B2c, B2d, at -intervals of twenty-four years, B3e at intervals of thirty years, -as in the following table:-- - - - 1 A1a 11 A2 21 A1b - 2 B1a 12 B3b 22 B2d - 3 A2 13 A1b 23 A2 - 4 B2a 14 B1c 24 B3d - 5 A1b 15 A2 25 A1a - 6 B3a 16 B2c 26 B1b - 7 A2 17 A1a 27 A2 - 8 B1b 18 B3c 28 B2a - 9 A1a 19 A2 29 A1b - 10 B2b 20 B1a 30 B3e - - -TAWALAMA: Pack-bullock. - -TELGEDI: Ripe or dry cocoanuts to express oil from. - -TEMMETTAMA: A kettle-drum. One of the five musical instruments of -a temple. - -TEMMETTANKARAYA: A tenant playing on the Temmettama and belonging to -the tom-tom beater caste. His service is in requisition for the daily -services of a temple at its festivals, perehera, and pinkama and when -the incumbent proceeds on journeys of importance such as ordinations, -visits to the prior, and pinkam duties. Under a lay proprietor, -the Temmettankaraya attends at weddings, Yak and Bali ceremonies, -funerals, and on journeys on state occasions. He occasionally assists -in agricultural and building works, and presents a penuma of a towel -or piece of cloth with betel. At the four festivals in temples he -takes a part in all the preparations and decorations. - -TETAMATTUWA: A towel or piece of cloth to rub the body dry after a -bath, which it is the service of the dhoby to supply. - -TETIYA: A metal dish used for the purposes of a plate. - -TEWAWA: The daily service of a Dewale, morning, noon, and evening, -when muruten is offered. - -TIRALANU: Cords for curtains. - -TIRAPILI: Curtains. - -TITTAYAN: A kind of small fresh-water fish having bitter taste. It -is dried and given with other articles as penum. - -TORANA: An ornamental arch put up on public and festive occasions. - -TUPPOTTIYA: A cloth of ten yards worn round the waist. The ordinary -wearing cloth of a Kandyan. - -TUTTUWA: A pice, equal sometimes to 3/8d. sometimes one half-penny; -when it contains four challies it is called the "Mahatuttuwa." - -TUWAYA-TUNDAMA: A towel given by the tom-tom beater tenants as -a penuma. - - - -U - -UDAHALLA: A hanging basket of wicker-work. - -UDAKKIYA: A small kind of drum carried in the hand and used to play -for dance music. Its use is not restricted to any caste. - -UDUWIYANA: A canopy held over the muruten in the daily service of -a Dewale, or over the insignia at processions, or over any sacred -thing taken in procession, such as Alutsal, Nanu, Bana books, Relics, -etc. The word also means ceilings put up by the dhoby. - -UGAPATA: Vegetables, jaggery, or kitul-peni etc., wrapped up in leaves, -generally in the sheath of the arecanut branch. Six ugapat make a kada, -or pingo-load. - -ULIYAMWASAMA: The holding of land by the Uliyamwasam tenants who -perform all kinds of menial service. The same as Nilawasam q. v. - -UL-UDE: Trousers worn by dancers. - -UNDIYARALA: A Dewala messenger. - -UNDUWAPMASA: The ninth month of the Sinhalese year (December-January). - -UPASAKARALA: Persons devoted to religious exercises. - -UPASAMPADAWA: The highest order of Buddhist priests. The ceremony of -admission into the order. - -USNAYA: A smith's forge. The same as idinna. q.v. - -UYANWATTA: A park, a garden. The principal garden attached to a temple -or to the estate of a proprietor, the planting, watching, gathering -and removing the produce of which forms one of the principal services -of tenants. - - - -W - -WADANATALAATTA: A richly ornamented talipot. In ancient times its -use was restricted to the court of the king and to temples; but now -it is used by the upper classes on public occasions, being carried -by the Atapattu tenants. The same as Kumaratalatta. q.v. - -WAHALBERE: The same as Magulbere. q.v. - -WAHALKADA: The porch before a temple or court. - -WAHUNPURAYA: A tenant of the jaggery caste, which supplies the upper -classes with domestic servants, chiefly cooks. This class has to -accompany the proprietor on journeys and carry the palanquin of female -members of the proprietor's family. When not engaged as domestics the -Wahumpurapangu tenants supply jaggery and kitul-peni. They likewise -supply vegetables, attend agricultural work and carry baggage. - -WAJJANKARAYA: A tom-tom-beater. A general term for a temple -musician. The five wajjan of which a regular Hewisia is made up are: -1, the Dawula (the common drum); 2, the Temettama (kettle-drum) 3, -the Boraya (drum longer than a Dawula) 4, the Taliya (cymbals) and 5, -the Horanewa (the trumpet.) - -WADUPASRIYANGE: The same as "Anamestraya." - -WAKMASE OR WAPMASE: The seventh month of the Sinhalese year (Oct. Nov.) - -WALANKADA: A pingo of pottery, usually ten or twelve in number, -supplied by the potter as a part of his service, either as a penumkada -or as the complement of chatties he has to give at festivals, etc. - -WALAN-KERAWALA: Half a pingo of pottery. - -WALAWWA: A respectful term for the residence of a person of rank. The -manor-house. - -WALIYAKUMA: Called also "Wediyakuma." The devil-dance after a -Diyakepuma. See "Hiro hinetima." - -WALLAKOTU: Sticks, the bark or twigs of which are used in place of -string. It is supplied by tenants for Yak or Bali ceremonies. - -WALLIMALE: A poem containing the legends of Valliamma, the wife -of Kataragama. - -WALUMALGOBA: The cluster of young fruit the flower and the sprout -(tender branch) of the cocoanut tree used in decorations, and supplied -by tenants. - -WANATA: A clearing between a cultivated land and the adjacent -jungle. The same as "Pillowa". - -WANNAKURALA: An accountant. Tho officer of a temple whose duties -correspond to those of a Dewala Mohattala or Attanayakarala. - -WAPPIHIYA: A knife little larger than a Wahunketta (kitchen knife) -with the blade somewhat curved. - -WARAGAMA: A gold coin varying in value from six shillings to seven -shillings and sixpence. - -WASAMA: An office. A service holding. - -WASKALAYA: The season in which priests take up a fixed residence, -devoting their time to the public reading and expounding of Bana. It -falls between the months of July and October. Sometimes a resident -priest is placed in Was in his own Pansala, which means that he is to -be fed with dan provided by the tenantry during the season of Was. The -practice originated in the command of Buddha that his disciples should -travel about during the dry season as mendicant monks, but that in the -rainy season they should take shelter in leaf huts. The modern priests -now desert their substantially built monasteries to take up their -residence for the Was-lit: rainy season--in temporary buildings. The -object of the original institution was to secure attention during -part of the year to the persons living near the monastery--in fact -that for this period the monks should serve as parish priests. - -WAS-ANTAYA: The close of the Was-season. - -WATADAGE: Temporary sheds for lights, sometimes called "Pasriyangewal" -or "Wadupasriyangewal." - -WATAPETTIYA: A circular flat basket to carry adukku and penum in. - -WATATAPPE: Circular wall round a temple. - -WATTAKKA: The common gourd generally grown on hen. - -WATTAMA: A round or turn. In Nuwarakalawiya it is applied to the turn -in a Hewisimura service. - -WATTIYA: A flat basket for carrying penum, flowers etc. - -WATTORURALA: The tenant whose duty it is to open and close the doors -of the sanctuary in a Dewale, to sweep it out, to clean and trim -the lamps, to light and tend them, and to take charge of the sacred -vessels used in the daily service. - -WENIWEL: A creeper used as strings for tying. - -WESAK: The second month of the Sinhalese year (May-June). - -WESIGILIYA OR WESIKILIYA: A privy for priests. - -WESMUNA: A mask worn at a Devil or other dance. - -WIBADDE-MOHOTTALA: The writer who keeps the account of the paddy -revenue of a temple. - -WIDANE: The superintendent of a village or a number of villages. The -agent of a proprietor. - -WIHARAYA: A Buddhist temple (from the Sanskrit vi-hri to walk about), -originally the hall where the Buddhist priests took their morning walk; -afterwards these halls were used as temples and sometimes became the -centre of a whole monastic establishment. The word Wihara or Vihara -is now used only to designate a building dedicated to the memory of -Gautama Buddha, and set apart for the daily offering of flowers, -and of food given in charity. To the Wihara proper there has been -added in modern times an image-house for figures of Buddha in the -three attitudes standing as the law-giver, sitting in meditation, -reclining in the eternal repose of unbroken peace and happiness; -and these figures now form prominent objects in every Wihara, and it -is before these figures that pious Buddhists make their offerings -of rice, flowers, money, etc. It should not be confounded with the -"Pansala" which signifies the monastic buildings as distinguished -from the temple or place of worship around which they are clustered. - -WILKORAHA: A large chatty used in soaking seed paddy. - -WITARUMA: An inferior Vidane, but the office has lost its original -dignity. The duties formerly consisted of mere general superintendence -of Muttettu-work and carrying of messages to Hewawasam tenants. The -Vitaranna now is only a common messenger doing ordinary service as -a petty overseer. - -WIYADAMA: Anything expended or issued for use, whether money or -stores. It is generally used for provisions given to a headman or -person of rank. - -WIYAKOLAMILA: Hire of buffaloes employed in threshing paddy. - -WIYANBENDIMA: The hanging up by the dhoby of clean cloths in temples -for festivals or in private houses on festive and other occasions. - -WIYAN-TATTUWA: A canopy; a coiling. - - - -Y - -YAKDESSA: A tenant of the tom-tom beater caste who performs Devil -ceremonies. - -YAKGE OR YAKMADUWA: The shed in which is performed a devil ceremony. - -YAKADAMILA: Hire or cost of agricultural implements for Muttettu -cultivation, given by a proprietor. - -YAKADAWEDA: Hard-ware. Blacksmith's work. - -YALA: The second or the smaller of the two yearly harvests. The -season for it varies according to the facilities which each part of -the country has in respect of irrigation. Sometimes the word is used -in a general sense to mean a crop. - -YAMANNA OR YAPAMMU: Smelters of iron. Their service consists of giving -a certain number of lumps of iron yearly, the burning of charcoal -for the forge, carrying baggage, assisting in field work, and at -Yak or Bali ceremonies. They put up the Talimana (pair of bellows) -for the smith, and smelt iron. - -YATIKAWA: A Kapurala's incantation or a pray uttered on behalf of a -sick person. - -YATU: Half lumps of iron given as a penum by the Yamana tenants. - -YOTA: A strong cord or rope. - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -[1] An account of the Interior of Ceylon (1821) Page 119 Davy. - -[2] Eleven Years in Ceylon (1841), Vol. II, p. 81 Forbes. - -[3] An Historical Relation of Ceylon 1681 Page 75 (Knox) - -[4] Ancient Ceylon (1909) pp. 191, 196 (Parker) - -[5] The Friend (Old Series) Vol. IV. (1840-1841) p. 189. (David -de Silva.) - -[6] Eleven years in Ceylon (1841) Vol. II, page 104 (Major Forbes.) - -[7] Taprobanian (1887) vol. 2 p. 17 (Neville). - -[8] The Veddas (1911) p. 252 (Seligmann). - -[9] Ancient Ceylon (1909) p. 169. (Parker). - -[10] Govt. Gazette No. 6442 of 19th May 1911. - -[11] The Aryan village in India and Ceylon (1882) p. 205 (Phear). - -[12] The Friend (old series) Vol. IV (1840-1841) p. 211. David de Silva -(Ambalangeda). - -[13] Vide:-- - -The friend (old series) (1840-1841) Vol. IV p. 189 (David de Silva). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1848-1849) Vol. II No. 4 p. 31 (R. E. Lewis). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1880) Vol. VI No. 21 p. 46 (Ievers). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1883) Vol. VIII No. 26 p. 44 (Bell). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1884) Vol. VIII No. 29 p. 331 (J. P. Lewis). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1889) Vol. XI No. 39 p. 17 (Bell). -J.R.A.S. (Ceylon) (1905) Vol. XVIII No. 56 p. 413 (Comaraswamy). -J.R.A.S. (Great Britain) (1885) Vol. XVII p. 366 (Lemesurier). -Taprobanian (1885) Vol. I p. 94 (Neville). -Orientalist (1887) Vol. III p. 99 (Bell). -Spolia Zeylanica (1908) (Parson). -North Central Province Manual (1899) p. 181 (Ievers). -The Book of Ceylon (1908) p. 382 (Cave). - -[14] Vide glossary in the appendix. - -[15] For hunter's jargon vide Taprobanian Vol. 2 p. 19. - -[16] For Rodi jargon vide Taprobanian Vol. 2 p. 90. - -[17] For cultivator's jargon vide Taprobanian Vol. 1 p. 167. - -[18] For Veddi dialect vide Taprobanian Vol. 1 p. 29. - -[19] J.R.A.S.(C. B.) 1881 Vol. VII p. 33. - -[20] Illustrated Supplement to the Examiner (1875) Vol. I p. 8. - -[21] J. R. A. S. (C. B.) vol. V. No. 18 p. 17 (Ludovici.) - -[22] Ancient Ceylon (1909) p. 587 (Parker.) - -[23] From Revd. Moscrop's translation of the song of the Thresher in -the "Children of Ceylon", p. 53. - -[24] From Mr. Bell's translation in the Archęological Survey of -Kegalle, p. 44. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Sinhalese Folklore Notes, by Arthur A. 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