ftb. 24. — 1881.] SINHALESE KALAWA. 



85 



ON THE SINHALESE OBSERVANCE OF THE 

 KALA'WA. 



By L. Nell, Esq. 



Some time ago my attention was drawn to the belief of the 

 common people amongst the Sinhalese in the kaldwa (253(53©). 

 This, according to the impression left on my mind, was some 

 moveable principle or predisposition, moving in a certain 

 course in the human body in accordance with the lunar calendar. 

 The believers in the kaldwa assert, that when it is in position 

 on the crown of the head, the scratch of a pin on that part 

 would be sufficient to cause death ; so, on the day of this 

 ^kaldwa, women in some parts of the interior of the Island 

 will decline to carry loads of firewood on the head. In like 

 manner, on the new moon day labourers will not go into the 

 jungle to clear it, on account of the risk of injuries to the toe 

 of the foot. On the 6th day of the first half, and the 10th 

 day of the second half, of the lunar month, it is considered 

 dangerous to take a purgative medicine, the seat of the kaldwa 

 being then supposed to be in the belly. On the 7th day leeches 

 should not be applied to the region of the chest. 



In the case of a man, the kaldwa rises, with the moon, from 

 the big toe of the right foot, from part to part, till, on the 

 loth day of the moon, it reaches the crown of the head. It 

 then descends in corresponding parts on the left side, till, on 

 the 30th day, it reaches the big toe of the left foot, ready again 

 to ascend on the right side. In the case of a woman, the 

 movement is reversed, since it ascends on the left side and 

 descends on the right, the positions being otherwise the same : 

 that is, the kaldwa ascends from the left great toe upwards 

 to the crown of the head, then descends by the same degrees 

 to the right toe. This corresponds to a principle in native 



