The Veddas / by C.G. Seligmann and Brenda Z. Seligmann ; with a chapter by C.S. Myers ; and an appendix by A. Mendis Gunasekara.
- Charles Gabriel Seligman
- Date:
- 1911
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The Veddas / by C.G. Seligmann and Brenda Z. Seligmann ; with a chapter by C.S. Myers ; and an appendix by A. Mendis Gunasekara. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![“ The invaders, or rather settlers, from the valley of the Ganges intermarried with these more advanced natives, and became the Sinhalese of the present day (with a later mixture of Tamil or Indian blood). “ The wilder natives continued to lead the life of their primitive ancestors, and only to a very limited extent inter- married with the Sinhalese. “ Three or four centuries ago the Vaeddas were spread over the Matale district and the North-western Province, and I believe Sabaragamuwa1.” discrimination, established the slave born of the yakkha tribe, who had formerly rendered him great service, at the southern gate of the city. He established within the garden of the royal palace the mare-faced yakkhini, and provided annually demon offerings to them as well as to others. “ In the days of public festivity, this monarch, seated on a throne of equal eminence with the yakkha chief Citta, caused joyous spectacles, representing the actions of the devas as well as of mortals to be exhibited “ This monarch befriending the interests of the yakkhas, with the co-operation of Kalavela and Citta, who had the power (though yakkhas) of rendering themselves invisible (in the human world), conjointly with them, enjoyed his prosperity.” Mahavansa, Chapter x, p. 44 (Tournour’s translation). Further, the same king “ provided...a temple [or “tala tree,” the readings differ] for the Vyadha-deva ” which Mr Parker states must refer to the Vedda God. 1 Additional evidence for this is given by Nevill who says—“ I have unpublished MSS. which represent the Vaeddas as found in the forests north of Putlam at the time of Bhuwaneka Bahu Raja of Kotta (about 1466 a.d.), and another which represents Vaeddas as the chief inhabitants of the Matale district in the region of Raja Sinha, about 1635 A.D.” (Taprobanian, Vol. II, April 1883, p. 30). With regard to Veddas in Sabaragamuwa, Bailey notes that—“Though traces of their former existence there are evident and numerous, there is every reason to believe that many centuries have passed since they were there. Fields, villages and families yet retain the name Veddahs, as Weddeya pangoo, Wedde coombore, Wedde watte, Wedde ella, Wedde gala, Weddege etc Indeed, Saffragam, or Habara gamowa, means the district of Veddahs, or barbarous people : and in this form of the word, the former existence of Veddahs again can be traced, as Habara goddege, Habara kadowa, etc. It is traditional throughout Saffragam, that once Veddahs predominated over Sinhalese in that district, and that, as the latter gained ground, the former withdrew towards Bintene and Wellasse Mr Macready, of the Civil Service, has given me very important proof of the existence of Veddahs ‘near the Sumanta mountains’ [Adam’s Peak]. He has given me the translation of some stanzas from a Sinhalese poem, written about 400 years ago, called the Pirawi Sandese, or the dove’s message. The poem treats of a message sent, by means of a dove, from Cotta (near Colombo) to Vishnu at Dondera, at the extreme south of the island. The dove takes its course exactly over the district lying below Adam’s Peak. The poet addresses the dove, and tells her she will see ‘ the daughters of the Veddahs ’ clothed in Riti bark, their hair adorned with peacock’s plumes. So wild are they that the poet describes the herds of deer as being startled at the sight of them.” (“Wild Tribes of the Veddahs of](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24851474_0039.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
