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JOURNAL, K.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. IX. 



at least must not overlook the fact that it is also close upon 

 the borders of Nihilism. Gillings says they believe the 

 souls of their departed relations to be devils, who have power 

 to hurt them, and therefore they perform ceremonies to them 

 at regular seasons, and especially when they are sick. 

 Bailey and Hartshorne described these matters in detail. 



The former* distinguishes the conditions as they were in 

 Bintenna from those of the more barbarous inhabitants of 

 Nilgala. There, he says, they had mourned and buried 

 their dead for a long time ; here they had only just begun to 

 do so. Formerly they threw their dead into the jungle, f or 

 left them just where they died. After covering the body with 

 leaves they laid a heavy stone upon the breast, and sought 

 for themselves another cavern, giving up the one where 

 death had entered to the spirit of the departed. This spirit 

 (yakun) watches over the welfare of those left behind. The 

 spirits therefore of their ancestors, like those of children, 

 are good spirits (nehya yakun) ; they come to their relatives 

 when they are ill, visit them in dreams, and grant them 

 flesh of the chase. In every trouble the Veddas invoke 

 these spirits, especially the spirits of children (bilindu 

 yakun or vitera yakun). Among their ancestors the great 

 grandmother (mahakiriamma) seems to have occupied the 

 first place, although Mr. Bailey is not quite sure whether 

 this distinction is to be understood in the good sense. The 

 spirits are invoked with dance and song, around an arrow, 

 which is planted upright (Maha kiri ammo). 



The description given of all this by Sir E. TennentJ 



* Bailey, I. v., pp. 296-301. t D avy, I. c, p. 117. 



J " When sick, they send for the devil dancers to drive away the evil 

 spirit who is believed to inflict the disease. The dance is executed in 

 front of an offering of something eatable, placed on a tripod of sticks, the 

 dancer having his head and girdle decorated with green leaves. At first 

 he shuffles with his feet to a plaintive air, but by degrees he works himself 

 into a state of great excitement and action, accompanied by moans and 

 screams, and during this paroxysm he professes to be inspired with 

 instructions for the cure of the patient." (Tennent, II., p. 442.) 



