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Vedda songs exude love, intrigue, and jealousy

by Gamini G. Punchihewa

Jealousy, intrigue and murder were rampant in the savage sanctuary. Handuna and Randunna were two brothers. Handuna the younger, was secretly in love with his elder brother's pretty wife.

Offering poojas

On seeing a swarm of bees, he attracted his brother's attention and called him singing this song:

Ela yaddi male nan
Yanne man yanne
Endo mo enne man
Ela milla gase ila adiye sitinne.
Bees are buzzing around yonder flowers,
I am going there,
Thou art going there, come,
For bees are swarming near the foot of the Milla tree.

Payata vara varen
Umbe me sagini nivanna
Malli nam malli umbe me sagini nivanna.

Come, come quickly,
And appease your hunger,
My brother, my brother,
Satisfy your hunger.

Deli gamata yanne mo
Re venda issarin yando mo
Umbe me meli mo karadarayen sitinni.

Art thou plodding home,
Come ere it is darkness to go,
Your wife is suffering.

As his brother Randunna climbed the Milla tree to cut the honeycomb, Handuna seized his bow and arrow and shot him. After ripping his brother's body, he took his liver and gave it to his sister-in-law. When she had eaten it, he sang thus:

Meli nam meli - tho pan vannige
Akumav umbama - mo kevada?
A woman, is a woman like you,
And you ate your own husband's liver!

Custom

In those good old days when the Veddas hunted the deer and sambhur with bow and arrow, there existed a strange custom where a Vedda used to carry with him in his betel pouch a piece of dried human liver. This is said to have given him courage and patience.

For instance, a Vedda who found his wife unfaithful might not kill his wife, but to give vent to his feelings, he might bite a piece of that dried-human liver. In other words, such an enraged Vedda would bite the piece of liver, and say to himself thus: Theege akumava kaviladamanawa (I am eating your liver).

Dr. Seligman in his book 'Veddas' says of this mystic custom thus: "This custom appears to have ceased about three generations ago, but the following instance said to have occurred about 50 years ago was given to us at Bandaraduwa.

The headman of a small group of Kovil Vanni Veddas killed a Sinhalese, because he required a piece of human liver to keep in his betel pouch. In spite of this example, the Bandaraduwa people could not tell us how it was used.

It was at Sitala Wanniya (in Pollebedda village) that it was ascertained that the purpose of the dried liver was to make them strong and confident to avenge insults. A man could bite a piece of the dried liver and chew it saying to himself "I have killed this man, why should I not be able to be strong and confident and kill this other who has insulted me." A Vedda is only infuriated by very serious insult as when his wife is carried off, or has been unfaithful or when his bow and arrow had been stolen, or an attempt made to deprive him of his land or caves. The folk song described above, might have arisen from this mysterious custom.

Tale

Many are the tales and folk-songs that tell us about the Veddas of old. Here is one tale where to covet his brother's wife, he had killed her husband. Such outlandish tales are told by these folk songs. On seeing an elephant in their language mole motta. Goba sang thus to his elder brother Poromola:

Atha pi dala dapinan
Paya pi dala dapinan
Val puranak nethi nethi
Pana gopilak nethi nethi.
Set free they hands,
Set free thy legs,
As there is no mana grass,
As there is no low jungle.

Aiye ran aiye
Ola mottala belinan
Mola lan kellama ennath,
My beloved brother - you fool,
Behold the elephant,
He is advancing slowly.

Poromola to Goba, sings thus:
Atha pi dala dupuden
Paya pi dala dupuden
Val puranak nethi piden
Paya kellam duvapan.

Let it advance moving its legs,
Let it advance moving its hands,
Let there be no mana grass,
You run as fast as your legs can carry you.

And thereby hangs a bizarre tale, charms were concealed in locks of hair. These amulets served as protection against attacks by wild animals. It was the custom to give these charms to the elders of the family. Poromola's mother was knotting his mother.

His younger brother Goba saw the charm concealed in it. On the pretext of cleaning his brother's hair, Goba stole the hidden talisman. As they hunted together, as elephant advanced towards them. Goba cunningly cautioned his brother who immediately told him to run for his life. The charging elephant trampled Poromola to death. Goba escaped as the stolen charm was with him. So he was able to take his brother's spouse.

Spirits

The Veddas believed in the spirits of the dead whom they worshipped as their 'saviours'. In time of distress, famine, and other hazards, they invoked the blessings of these spirits which had their own names.

These poojas (offerings) were accompanied by ceremonial dances. When game failed, they attributed it to a curse by Kande Yakka (Mountain Spirit). Saffron was applied to the body. Usually five to six persons participated in the dancing and made the following invocation to Kande Yakka (Mountain Spirit).

Nakola vanniya - bo kola vanniya
Adahas bilinda - udahas bilinda
Le bilinda - mas bilinda
Mahama ma lokumaya - kiri amma.

To the Yakkas of Na trees (demons)
To the Yakkas of Bo trees,
To the child of understanding,
To the conceived child,
To the infant,
To the child and infant,
To the great-grandmother.

After reciting these words, they fell into a trance. Later they went hunting, and were assured of success. When an epidemic raged, they made offerings dedicated to Gale Yakka.

Branches of Na and Nuga trees were taken. To poles were planted in the ground and another was tied across them horizontally. Clusters of leaves, branches, were hung on the cross poles. Clinging to these branches, they recited stanzaas, invoking the blessings of Gale Yakka (Rock Spirit). These performances continued for three days. Offerings or poojas were made of game flesh. Usually, the heart, brain, and the fleshy part of the spine of the monkey, betel leaves, kurakkan, and coins were placed on a messa, (trestle).

These were some of the incantations, they sang:

Le van galahitha gena
Le van thoppiya demma mana
Le van hette demma vana.

Saffron brought from the grinding stone,
With head sprayed with saffron,
With the chest sprayed with saffron.

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