Chapter XVIII: Part 18

[194] When money stolen from me was buried, the leader of the thieves removed it during the same night, and buried it at a fresh place in the jungle.

[195] Lit., having killed, gave.

[196] That is, at the front end of the pole; the other man held the rear end on his shoulder, and was thus guided by it along the path which his eyes could not distinguish.

[197] Or nobleman.

[198] Puta saha Maeniyo; in the folk-tales the word meaning "son" is always spelt thus, with long a.

[199] Pitimma

[200] That is, as a punishment for some fault of theirs they had killed the wrong person.

[201] Aet maet.

[202] That is, blowing the glowing fire-sticks into flames.

[203] A demon expeller of low caste.

[204] Manuksa duwek: in the reply the first of these words is manussa.

[205] Yodi, an expression often applied jestingly to a child, or a person who thinks herself strong.

[206] In Sagas from the Far East, p. 22, a Khan's son with a friend had killed two serpent deities which ate the people, when he went to be their prey in the place of his father. His friend then suggested that they should return home, but the Khan's son replied, "Not so, for if we went back to our own land the people would only mock us, saying, 'The dead return not to the living!' and we should find no place among them." In vol. i, p. 77, of these Sinhalese tales, a man asks, "Can anyone in the other world come to this world?" But other Sinhalese stories show that there is, or was, a belief that people who have died may sometimes reappear on earth immediately, in their previous form, and not merely as new-born children, the common idea, as on p. 308, below. See Nos. 191 and 210. For the text of the sentence see p. 416.

[207] Siti tanaturak.

[208] Evidently a post in which he had the title of Raja, and not the general government of the whole country. A ruler termed "the Eastern King" (Pacina Raja) is mentioned in an early inscription (Dr. Müller's, No. 34A); as no such title is found in the histories, he may have been a district governor. The hero of this story appears to have received a somewhat similar post.

[209] The Sinhalese title is, "The Story of the Ship and the Hettiya."

[210] A quarter of a rupee, which in Ceylon was subdivided into one hundred cents about forty years ago.

[211] Or, "having been in a great astonishment, speedily having gone," etc. The text is Mahat pudumayakin inda wahama gos.

[212] In the paintings on the walls or ceilings of Buddhist temples, many Yakshas are represented as having the heads of animals, such as bears, dogs, snakes, and parrots, with bodies like those of human beings.

[213] Lit., "these," hal, rice, being a plural noun.

[214] Sitanan kenek.

[215] Rilawa, the brown monkey, Macacus pileatus. A variant terms it a Wandura (Semnopithecus).

[216] The title of a superior chief in the Low-country, equivalent to the Ratemahatmaya of the Kandians.

[217] Baeri-wela tiyenawa.

[218] That is, the spaces in the stick walls were merely closed with leafy twigs.

[219] Jatiya-jamme.

[220] Talattaeni minissu.

[221] Kasi aettek, wansadipotiyek.

[222] Narakatiyak.

[223] The deity of the planet Saturn.

[224] Daboia russelli.

[225] Laebunu wahama.

[226] There being several thirsts besides that caused by want of water,--such as thirsts for spirituous liquor, power, knowledge, happiness, etc.--the villager usually defines the former as water-thirst, diya or watura-tibbaha.

[227] Tejase daeka.

[228] Paen is-nanayata. It includes the bathing of the whole body.

[229] E giya wahama.

[230] That is, the fire burned into the midst of the heap, where the sword was placed.

[231] A very respectful form of affirmative.

[232] Maerum kaewoya, ate dying.

[233] It is evident that some kahawanas were golden ones. See also vol. i, p. 348, and the Appendix, p. 454.

[234] In the MS. the words are gañga-pahalata, 'down the river,' an evident mistake, as the hair passed down with the current.

[235] The Sinhalese title is, "The Royal Prince and the Minister-Prince" (aemati-kumaraya).

[236] This means here, "No matter."

[237] Mata ahuwela tiyenne.

[238] Akuru ganan, that is, "Can you keep accounts?"

[239] The third person used honorifically instead of the second.

[240] Bade gayak saedunaya.

[241] Mita palamuwenut.

[242] The Sinhalese title is, "Concerning the Royal Prince and the Minister-Prince."

[243] Soka + eka, the one of sorrows; he was not aware that the sorrows were to be his own.

[244] This incident occurs in Folklore of the Santal Parganas (Rev. Dr. Bodding), p. 261, the young man being a servant who was playing tricks on a farmer and had burnt his house down.

[245] Anda bera gaesuwaya, beat the proclamation tom-toms.

[246] Ambuñda gahagana.

[247] Ceylon was formerly sometimes termed Tri-Sinhala, because it was divided into three districts, Pihiti-rata, the northern part, containing the capital; Malaya-rata, consisting of the mountainous part; and Ruhunu-rata, the southern part, round the hills. It is very doubtful if the supreme King ever wore a triple crown that symbolised his rule over the three districts; on the other hand, a triple head-covering like the Pope's tiara was certainly known, and is represented in the frontispiece to Ancient Ceylon.

[248] Tun pas-wissak, lit., three [times] a five [and] twenty.

[249] Compare No. 225.

[250] Welawe ho awelawe ho.

[251] Æt-muhunin bat munu bindinta epaya.

[252] Because he thought the elephant was supernaturally prevented from killing him.

[253] Apparently from Skt. kal, to impel, hold, fasten. (See p. 340.)

[254] The narrator thought that Rodiyas are Kinnaras.

[255] That is, she said the word with a mental reservation that he should be unable to act accordingly.

[256] Gini gediyak.

[257] Piyaneni.

[258] Uman-miyo. Compare p. 81, vol. ii.

[259] Para-teratama, completely, from top to bottom.

[260] Lit., ties.

[261] The God of Death.

[262] Compare the similar incident in vol. i, p. 133.

[263] Lit., that was near the Prince.

[264] Lit., "For me [there is] much hunger-weakness."

[265] Moorman, a Muhammadan trader.

[266] Mara, the God of Death, or Death personified.

[267] Compare the Kala spell in No. 245 of this vol., and the notes, p. 342, vol. ii. and p. 70 in this vol.

[268] Baeri taena, in a position of inability [to do anything].

[269] Bada gala, that is, by clasping his arms round it and rubbing his body on it, as he "swarmed" up it.

[270] Prayoga parannawanta gaeni.

[271] Mangulak, a word which usually means a [wedding] feast, but is often used in the villages to signify the bride.

[272] Kasade, literally "marriage," here also used to signify the bride.

[273] That is, merely because he was inclined to go.

[274] The narrator omitted to make the woman explain the last two cryptic sayings. The final one, that he was to go mounted on the back of two dead ones, of course means that he was to wear a pair of shoes or sandals.

[275] Puseka, also puse later on. Doubtless this is the Tamil pusei (Skt. puja), one meaning of which is food given as a religious offering. Puseka is puse + eka, one, used in such instances to express the definite article, as in koteka, the coat.

[276] Kapiwata in the text. The meaning is uncertain, kapi being a monkey, a sacred animal at Hindu temples.

[277] Perhaps because she would acquire sanctity through cooking the consecrated food.

[278] That is, made a vow to present or cook a food offering.

[279] Not given by the narrator.

[280] A jungle bush or small tree on which lac is formed, Croton lacciferum.

[281] Lit., much flavour having fallen.

[282] This story appeared in The Orientalist, vol. ii, p. 54.

[283] The son's father's brothers are called his fathers in Sinhalese, the father's sisters being, however, his aunts, not mothers.

[284] Kot vilakku panak.

[285] Lit., "short person."

[286] Buddhist Scriptures, and other religious works.

[287] Bala-aeti mudda, power-possessing ring.

[288] That is, recite the Buddhist Scriptures, apparently with a view to their parents' recovering their sight as a reward for his religious zeal.

[289] Magulak aehaewwa.

[290] Hura. To screen herself she blamed him for leaving her alone with the younger brother, thus suggesting that he had behaved improperly to her.

[291] Male, mehe waren ko; ko is intensitive, making the order more imperative, like our "I say."

[292] Kapala hitan.

[293] Budiya-ganin.

[294] Yanda giya.

[295] Waeradeyi, will go wrong.

[296] Onaenne = onae wenne.

[297] Naga-kanyawo.

[298] Aeradi-wuna ahakata; I am not sure of the exact meaning.

[299] Balapuwama.

[300] In these stories I have translated wastu as "goods," this being in the plural number, and wastuwa as "wealth."

[301] Ambude gahagantawat. Compare p. 297, note.

[302] Up to this point the story is a variant of the tale called "Sigiris Siñño the Giant," in vol. i, p. 312.

[303] The meaning is, "Can you take my war army and defeat the enemies?" To express this in Sinhalese the narrator should have said, "Taking my war army, can you," etc.

[304] Noka nombi.

[305] Numba-wahanse.

[306] Kiri-maw, milk-mother.

[307] Sword, spear, bow, battle-axe, and shield (Clough).

[308] Situ gedaraka.

[309] Lit., leave place to them.

[310] A similar episode occurs in vol. i, p. 163.

[311] Naew-patunak.

[312] Pradha stri.

[313] Otunna-himi-kumarayek, lit., a Crown-Lord-Prince.

[314] Eka maluwakata malu dekayi. The chief ingredients of curries are all termed malu or malu by villagers, whether meat, fish, or vegetables. The same word also means "curry."

[315] Gold, according to a variant of the N.W. Province. Some of these coins were made of gold. See Appendix.

[316] Pottayata hemin.

[317] Seyilamakata.

[318] Saw-saranak, refuge from all things.

[319] Deviyane, honorific title of a King.

[320] Lit., to cut the Hettiya's neck.

[321] Widi lokuda madi lokuda, lit., Is Destiny great or insufficiently great?

[322] The word in the text is golle, "O party."

[323] Attara pini-diya.

[324] Gettuwa.

[325] Anacara darmme yedi. In the two later instances the second word is darmmayehi.

[326] Leaving a red mark like blood, owing to the areka-nut he had chewed.

[327] Bassia longifolia.

[328] A form, kawadda, may indicate the intermediate stage; I think it occurs only once.

[329] See Gunasekara's Grammar, p. 180.

[330] Thup., quoted in the next paragraph. See vol. iii, p. 169, line 18.

[331] Although Mr. Gunasekara states (Gram., p. 162, footnote) that ti is not used colloquially, the word is several times found in these tales, and I have heard it employed by villagers.

[332] Corrected in MS., from Mini; apparently either word is correct.

[333] This is the intrinsic value compared with our money; the purchasing value may have been thirty times as high in the stories, in which a masurama was paid for a day's food of rice and curry, and a country pony was bought for fifty.

[334] A pound of copper was priced at 9.8d. of our money; the present wholesale values (July 9, 1914) are--silver, 25 7/8d. per oz. (Troy); copper, £62 5s. per ton, the ratio being 41.566.

[335] Numismatic Chronicle, 1895, p. 221.

[336] Apparently the same as the hunduwa (Tamil sundu), the colloquial term.

[337] Eli-bahinda, a word which when thus used is well understood to refer to a necessary natural function.