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40 chapters
SINHALESE FOLKLORE NOTES. CHAPTER I. THE EARTH AND THE SKY.
SINHALESE FOLKLORE NOTES. CHAPTER I. THE EARTH AND THE SKY.
“The spirit of Kuvêni 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 sp
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CHAPTER II. THE VEGETABLE WORLD.
CHAPTER II. THE VEGETABLE WORLD.
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
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CHAPTER III. THE ANIMAL WORLD.
CHAPTER III. THE ANIMAL WORLD.
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 ( lenô lenô me data aran venin datak diyô ). Goblins are afraid of cattle with crumpled horns; a stick of the leea sambucina ( burulla ) is not used to drive cattle as it makes th
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CHAPTER IV. HUMAN BEINGS.
CHAPTER IV. HUMAN BEINGS.
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 Billâ or Gurubâliyâ. 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
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CHAPTER V. THINGS MADE BY MAN.
CHAPTER V. THINGS MADE BY MAN.
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. When a person dies everything is done to prevent the disembodied spirit being att
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CHAPTER VI. THE SOUL AND ANOTHER LIFE.
CHAPTER VI. THE SOUL AND ANOTHER LIFE.
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 Yakâ, Kalu Kumâra Yakâ, Sanni Yakâ. 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 dysent
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CHAPTER VII. SUPERHUMAN BEINGS.
CHAPTER VII. SUPERHUMAN BEINGS.
The spirits of poverty—Garâ Yakku—are twelve in number viz. , (1) Molan Garavva; (2) Dala Râkshayâ, (3) Yama Râkshayâ; (4) Pûranikâ; (5) Ratnakûtayâ; (6) Nîla Giri; (7) Nanda Giri; (8) Chandra Kâvâ; (9) Mârakâ; (10) Asuraya; (11) Nâtagiri; (12) Pelmadullâ. 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 Garâ Yakuma. A shed ( maduva ) is
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CHAPTER VIII. OMENS AND DIVINATION.
CHAPTER VIII. OMENS AND DIVINATION.
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
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CHAPTER IX. THE MAGIC ART.
CHAPTER IX. THE MAGIC ART.
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 animat
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CHAPTER X. DISEASE AND LEECHCRAFT.
CHAPTER X. DISEASE AND LEECHCRAFT.
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 i
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CHAPTER XI. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS.
CHAPTER XI. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS.
The third group are the Dureyâs who work as labourers besides attending to their special caste duties—a kandê dureyâ makes molasses, a batgam dureyâ carries palanquins, a hunu dureyâ burns coral rock in circular pits to make lime for building; a valli dureyâ weaves cloth and a panna dureyâ 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 devi
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CHAPTER XII. RITES OF INDIVIDUAL LIFE.
CHAPTER XII. RITES OF INDIVIDUAL LIFE.
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
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CHAPTER XIII. OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES.
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
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CHAPTER XIV. FESTIVALS.
CHAPTER XIV. FESTIVALS.
“This (anointing) is done by the hand of Maha Brâhma; 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 Ẹhẹla 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
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CHAPTER XV. GAMES, SPORTS AND PASTIMES.
CHAPTER XV. GAMES, SPORTS AND PASTIMES.
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 ti
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CHAPTER XVI. STORIES.
CHAPTER XVI. STORIES.
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
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CHAPTER XVII. SONGS AND BALLADS.
CHAPTER XVII. SONGS AND BALLADS.
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, Brin
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CHAPTER XVIII. PROVERBS, RIDDLES AND LOCAL SAYINGS.
CHAPTER XVIII. PROVERBS, RIDDLES AND LOCAL SAYINGS.
You may escape from the god Saman Deviyo but you cannot escape his servant Amangallâ. 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 kabaragoyâ a talagoya when you want to eat it. It is like wearing a crupper to cure dysentery . Like the man
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A
A
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
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B
B
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 princ
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C
C
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 a
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D
D
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
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E
E
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, Bat
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G
G
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 Kankana
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H
H
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 Y
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I
I
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. JAMMAKKARAYA : A low-caste man. This is the sense in which the word is at present used in the Kandyan
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J
J
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
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K
K
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
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L
L
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 supplie
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M
M
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 Jul
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N
N
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.
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O
O
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, se
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P
P
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 Dâmbu. 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 us
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R
R
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,
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S
S
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. Th
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T
T
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 vil
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U
U
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 pr
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W
W
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
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Y
Y
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....
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