Ancient Ceylon: An Account of the Aborigines and of Part of the Early Civilization |
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Page 3
... half of the pre - Christian millenium , the Ordinances of Manu confirm the statement that the Rāk- shasas were flesh - eating demons , and that night was the special time of demons ' activity ; they also place them in a position of high ...
... half of the pre - Christian millenium , the Ordinances of Manu confirm the statement that the Rāk- shasas were flesh - eating demons , and that night was the special time of demons ' activity ; they also place them in a position of high ...
Page 4
... half - brother Ravana , the Rakshasa king , by means of thousands of years of austerity obtained from Brahma the boon of indestructibility by all beings of a higher class than man . This enabled him to re - occupy Ceylon , which once ...
... half - brother Ravana , the Rakshasa king , by means of thousands of years of austerity obtained from Brahma the boon of indestructibility by all beings of a higher class than man . This enabled him to re - occupy Ceylon , which once ...
Page 11
... half later than the earliest local events of which they preserved the story . Some of these early chroniclers may have seen , or have known per- sons who had seen , the great king Paṇḍukābhaya , the record of whose reign is of the ...
... half later than the earliest local events of which they preserved the story . Some of these early chroniclers may have seen , or have known per- sons who had seen , the great king Paṇḍukābhaya , the record of whose reign is of the ...
Page 30
... half the island ' many thousands ' could be enlisted as soldiers , have certainly not been exterminated . They , like the Vaeddas of preceding centuries , have simply settled down as Kandian villagers . An insignificant number still ...
... half the island ' many thousands ' could be enlisted as soldiers , have certainly not been exterminated . They , like the Vaeddas of preceding centuries , have simply settled down as Kandian villagers . An insignificant number still ...
Page 36
... half of the island . They are usually divided into three classes , which I shall distinguish as follows : - ( 1 ) The wild Forest Vaeddas , few in number , who live en- tirely by hunting , and dwell in the depths of the forests near the ...
... half of the island . They are usually divided into three classes , which I shall distinguish as follows : - ( 1 ) The wild Forest Vaeddas , few in number , who live en- tirely by hunting , and dwell in the depths of the forests near the ...
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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...