In the Realm of Sri Lanka’s Mythical Creatures
Ancient cultures around the globe are rich in curious tales about the wisdom, the wit and the power of fascinating half- humans and beautiful yet intriguing creatures. Myths and mythical creatures have left their mysterious signatures in Sri Lankan art and literature, especially during the Kandyan era. The King’s eyes fell upon a wonderful sight. The two were engrossed by each other and oblivious to the rest of the world. Their faces and busts depicted perfect human beauty while they were covered in delicate brown feathers from waist below, supported by two pairs of legs that could have belonged to a couple of ostriches. The beautiful female danced her ethereal dance while her equally stunning mate played his flute. These creatures are known as ‘Chanda Kinnera’, which literally translates as ‘Moon maids and men’, the land inhibiting counterparts of mermaids and mermen.
Legends of the Mythical Creatures That Haunt Sri Lanka
As human beings, we all have our own set of superstitions that we try not to believe or choose not to believe but even with that, somewhere in the back of your mind, those superstitions still make the hairs on the back of your neck raise. These fears and superstitions aren’t just specific to one location either… there are different superstitions all over the world and the country of Sri Lanka has no shortage of them. Sri Lanka is a country that has been deeply rooted in superstition and folklore for centuries. Its historical background blurs the lines between natural and supernatural while magic and mystery are one and the same. But today, with all the technology and developments, the days of fearing ghosts and spirits have somewhat diminished and but there are still rural areas of Sri Lanka where the young men still fear the legendary Mohini.
There is the popular but mistaken belief among Sri Lankans and elsewhere that “Mahavamsa”, a chronicle composed and written by Mahanama Thera in the sixth century is a record of the history of Ceylon. Anyone who reads Mahavamsa will find, besides various historical data, stories of miracles and supernatural happenings on various auspicious occasions, like instant earthquakes, floods, storms etc. However, discarding these fables, one will notice the author devoting nine chapters, (out of thirty three chapters) on Dutugamini, the Naga Buddhist king who defeated the Tamil king Elara in Anuradhapura in BC 101. While concentrating on Buddha’s visits to Sri Lanka, it has to be pointed out that Mahavamsa’s author Mahanama Thera concluded each chapter by stating, “ that this chapter is compiled for the serene joy and emotion of the pious”.
Sri Lanka, Cultural Triangle, Sigiriya, Unesco World Heritage
Sri Lanka may be known for palm-fringed beaches, but it also houses a treasure trove of archaeological sites, the most magnificent of which lies in the geographical heart of the country – an area known as the Cultural Triangle. The region is home to no fewer than five [Unesco World Heritage sites](http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/LK/), including the soaring rock fortress of Sigiriya (pictured), built in the late 5th Century. The Sri Lankan government launched the Cultural Triangle Project in 1982 to restore, conserve and promote Sigiriya and the area’s other ruins, but the project ground to a halt– and tourism fizzled — less than a year later when a bloody civil war erupted. In 2009, the Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil insurgency and, as a result, tourism has been growing – visitors to Sri Lanka increased 25% in the last year alone. With the high season kicking off in December, visitors will likely be flocking to the Cultural Triangle – and Sigiriya, in particular. “It’s the main attraction in the triangle and probably all of Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka’s Fantastic Beasts And The Mythologies Behind Them
Five of the most fascinating mythical creatures associated with Sri Lanka
Sinha
According to Ramayana, the name Ravana means the “one who screams” or “one with the terrifying roar”, the name was given to him by the god Shiva along with an invincible sword and a lingam, Ravana made a veena called the ‘Ravana haththa’ to praise the god; it is said that Ravana sang hymns known as the ‘Shiva thandava stotra ‘ which pleased the angry god so much that he danced in joy. Ravana is considered the greatest devotee of Shiva , when Ramas’ army was building the (Adams’ bride) to rescue Sita and needed to praise Shiva ; Ravana willingly performed the yagha and gave Rama his blessing.
The folk story is a tale passed down from generation to generation typically by verbally, unwritten literature about myths, fairy tales, traditional beliefs, fables, and cultural practice among peoples handed down between generations by telling stories to each other out loud. Srilanka is a country that has great Historial records and a great civilization and a rich culture dates back to thousands of years. So it was blessed with good oral and written literature. Many of the folk stories in Srilanka have buildup by illustrating this historical value. Below you can find some folk stories popular in Sri Lanka.
KALAS STORY
In Ancient times in Sri Lankan, King Dhatusena built a great Tank in the Northern Province. There was a boy near this tank called “Kala”. On a rainy day while he was walking in the Bank of the Tank he noticed a tiny leak on the Embankment. He noted this tiny leak was increasing. He didn’t have enough time to take people to repair. He put his head to the hole and stayed the whole night. He died of this incident. People believe that he was reborn as a God, also the tank was named after Kala by to this day it is called “Kala wewa” (Kala tank).
Indigenous Peoples Literature 