Ancient Ceylon: An Account of the Aborigines and of Part of the Early Civilization |
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Page v
... given me opportunities of acquiring some information of the interior of the island , I have therefore prepared the present work , which describes some phases of the early civilisation , beginning with the history , life , and religion ...
... given me opportunities of acquiring some information of the interior of the island , I have therefore prepared the present work , which describes some phases of the early civilisation , beginning with the history , life , and religion ...
Page 19
... given respecting the Yakkhas have some foundation in fact . If so , they must necessarily refer , not to any supernatural beings who had made Ceylon their home , but to the aborigines , who in any case must have been driven out of the ...
... given respecting the Yakkhas have some foundation in fact . If so , they must necessarily refer , not to any supernatural beings who had made Ceylon their home , but to the aborigines , who in any case must have been driven out of the ...
Page 23
... given already . They are next mentioned in the tale of the arrival of Wijaya , the first Sinhalese king ; and the story , even if partly or chiefly fictitious , is valuable as an illustration of some of the notions which the invaders or ...
... given already . They are next mentioned in the tale of the arrival of Wijaya , the first Sinhalese king ; and the story , even if partly or chiefly fictitious , is valuable as an illustration of some of the notions which the invaders or ...
Page 24
... In this and all other transliterations the letter c represents the sound ch , as in church . 2 The words in brackets are only given in Turnour's Mahawanso . Paṇḍukābhaya , the nephew of the king , who had 24 ANCIENT CEYLON.
... In this and all other transliterations the letter c represents the sound ch , as in church . 2 The words in brackets are only given in Turnour's Mahawanso . Paṇḍukābhaya , the nephew of the king , who had 24 ANCIENT CEYLON.
Page 27
... bell in shape , with a terminal spire ; but there are other forms , of which an account is given in a subsequent chapter . Dagaba dhātu - garbha , ' relic - chamber . ' sented as applying to the ' eight and twenty war THE ANCIENT VAEDDAS ...
... bell in shape , with a terminal spire ; but there are other forms , of which an account is given in a subsequent chapter . Dagaba dhātu - garbha , ' relic - chamber . ' sented as applying to the ' eight and twenty war THE ANCIENT VAEDDAS ...
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Common terms and phrases
Abhaya aborigines ancient Anuradhapura appears arrow Ayiyanar Baṇḍāra bangles Billhook bricks Buddha Buddhist built called carved cave ceremony Ceylon chiefs coins counters cross dāgaba dance deity demons Dēvatā Deviyā district dome Duṭṭha-Gāmiņi early elephant embankment emblem evidently face Forest Vaeddas four Galē Goddess Gods hill holes honey inches wide Indra inscription island Jātaka jungle Kandian Sinhalese Kataragama Keliya king Kiri-Ammā Kumāra later length Maha Mahāvansa mentioned miles monks Nāgas Nevill North-central Province North-western North-western Province northern offering Parumaka Pattini pillars player pre-Christian probably Purānas Rakshasas Rāmāyana reign reservoir rice Rig Veda rock round Ruwanwaeli sagasa Sambar deer second century B.C. side Siva sluice Southern India square stone Swastika symbol Tamil tank temple termed thick third century B.C. Thūpārāma Tissa tree upright usual Vaedi Village Vaeddas Vishnu Wanni Wanniyas wihāra Wijaya word worship Yakā Yakkhas
Popular passages
Page 284 - The bricklayer, filling a golden dish with water, and taking some water in the palm of his hand, dashed it against the water (in the dish) ; a great globule, 'in the form of a coral bead, rose to the surface ; and he said, " I will construct it in this form.
Page 27 - Dominions there are many of them, that are pretty tame, and come and buy and sell among the people. The King once having occasion of an hasty Expedition against the Dutch, the Governour summoned them all in to go with him, which they did. And with their Bows and Arrows did as good service as any of the rest but afterwards when they returned home again, they removed farther in the Woods, and would be seen no more, for fear of being afterwards prest again to serve the King.
Page 202 - ... sick. 48. To the strong Rudra bring we these our songs of praise, to him the Lord of Heroes, with the braided hair, That it be well with all our cattle and our men, that in this village all be healthy and well-fed.
Page 108 - Before the sun above the dawning skies, *Tis time to reap ; and when they sink below The morn-illumined west, 'tis time to sow.*' Thus, in all ages, have the stars been observed by the husbandman, for
Page 299 - Buddha came to this country *, wishing to transform the wicked nagas, by his supernatural power he planted one foot at the north of the royal city, and the other on the top of a mountain 2, the two being fifteen yojanas apart.
Page 299 - ... the two being fifteen yojanas apart. Over the footprint at the north of the city the king built a large tope, 400 cubits high, grandly adorned with gold and silver, and finished with a combination of all the precious substances.
Page 115 - ... person marry one of the same family, even though the relationship was lost in remote antiquity. Such a; marriage is incest. The penalty for incest was death. Thus the daughter must marry either her father's sister's son, or her mother's brother's son, neither of whom would be of the same clan name. Failing these she may marry any of their name and should no such bridegroom be available marriage into a third family becomes necessary.
Page 121 - is to a great extent the colloquial Sinhalese tongue, but it is slightly changed in form and accent. Yet closely as it resembles the latter, these differences and the manner in which it is pronounced render it quite an unknown language when it is spoken to one who has not a special acquaintance with it. Besides this, the Vaeddas use their own terms for the wild animals and some other things about which they often find it necessary to converse. Such words are usually a form of Sinhalese, or admit...
Page 540 - The fifth caste among the Indians consists of the warriors, who are second in point of numbers to the husbandmen, but lead a life of supreme freedom and enjoyment. They have only military duties to perform. Others make their arms, and others supply them with horses, and they have others to attend on them in the camp, who take care of their horses, clean their arms, drive their elephants, prepare their chariots, and act as their charioteers. As long as they are required to fight they...
Page 576 - O true believers, surely wine, and lots, and images, and divining arrows are an abomination of the work of Satan; therefore avoid them, that ye may prosper. Satan seeketh to sow dissension and hatred among you, by means of wine and lots, and to divert you from remembering God, and from prayer; will ye not therefore abstain from them...