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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



elephant stands confused by the strange sounds and the 

 jumping, and quietly submits, as if it was bewitched. Then 

 they bring a big bucket full of water, pour it over the body, 

 and christen it therewith, giving it the name of the lord of 

 the land, or of any other noble, and take it to its stable : 

 after that it takes six months, sometimes even a year, to 

 become quite tame, so that it can be trusted and let free.* 



* The following interesting particulars have been communicated by 

 €. J. Hulugala, Ratemahatmeya of Wanni-hatpattu, North-Western 

 Province : — 



From the day a herd has been surrounded, and the drive started, the 

 elephants are invariably subjected to charms, either in the way of enforcing 

 their march, or whenever they attempt to charge at the beaters, or break 

 through the line of watchers. Certain charms used on these occasions are 

 supposed to have dangerous or even fatal effects on the particular 

 elephants to which they are applied, unless these effects are dispelled by 

 counter charms employed in different prescribed forms. The form generally 

 known and adopted by the people of this District (Kurunegala) is to charm 

 a potful of clear fresh water, and sprinkle some of it on every one of the 

 captured elephants, either before they are taken out of the kraal, or at the 

 stable (pdntiya). 



The " christening " spoken of by the writer is performed occasionally 

 even at the present day, but at no particular stage, or in any set form. 

 Originally the christening appears to have accompanied the sprinkling 

 of the charmed water. The person who undertakes the ceremony inquires 

 what name the elephant's owner desires it called by, and, addressing the 

 animal by the name thus assigned, sprinkles some of the water, repeating 

 certain appropriate incantations ; but, so far as can be gathered, there 

 would seem to be no particular phraseology used. 



The elephant is supposed after this to be not only secure from the effects 

 of the original charms, but also to be free for the future from influence on 

 the part of the dewatawa, or guardian-spirit, who is supposed to have 

 possessed it in its wild state — there being a strong belief among the natives 

 that every wild elephant has a dewatawa. to protect it, so much so, that 

 there are special charms directed to be used only at such hours that the 

 dewatawa is believed to have supreme control over the elephant. These 

 hours are midday, and evening between 5.30 P.M. and 6.30 P.M., and then 

 the ordinary charms are considered to be powerless. 



Every village has a prominent tree, held sacred next only to the bo, in 

 some conspicuous spot, either on a bund of a tank or elsewhere, which the 

 people believe to be occupied by the dewatawa, or guardian-spirit, of the 

 village, and at the foot of which they make different kinds of offerings in 

 the way of milk, rice, &c. There is a " peschar " tree of this kind in every 

 village, and it is possible that it was formerly the habit to take the captured 

 elephants before such trees out of respect to the dewatawa, as also to 

 secure his protection for the elephant, and in order to exercise the devil 



