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Sokari of Sri Lanka

Those who have lived in or have visited Sri Lanka might have had the good fortune of witnessing various age-old ritualistic pageant or “ritual dramas” conducted with great solemnity and ceremony by the village folk. Of these ritualistic and dramatic spectacles Devil Dancing and Kolam which are performed mainly by masked dancers, are two of the traditional Sinhala dances which have survived to this date in the Western littoral strip of the island (Goonetilaka, 1970).

Yet another variety of rural theatre called Sokari which is ascribed to the cult of Goddess Pattini (Goddess of purity and fidelity), is still performed on rare occasions mostly in the mountainous areas of the country. Even in this form of spectacle two or three characters wear masks as a means of disguise.

Places like Laggala, Hanguranketa, Uda Peradeniya, Hewaheta, Meeruppe, Talatu Oya, and Matale have been famous for Sokari performances. Of late, Sokari appears to have survived in such distant places as Dambulla and Badulla.

Sokari is the name of a woman. She is of Indian origin. She is barren. Sokari comes to Sri Lanka for the purpose of praying to God Kataragama for the born of a child. The story of Sokari and her husband Guru Hamy is the Sokari narrative.

There are several verse scripts on the story of Sokari, popularly known as Sokari Amma (Barnett, 1917; saratchandra 84-94; Nevill, 1954). Although these scripts differ in the details the kernel of the story is the same.



Sokari, Kolam and Nadagam are some of the most popular cultural dramas in Sri Lanka. From these, Sokari is the most popular because it was very close to the day-to-day life of villagers. This is an independent cultural event which is also conducted to bless the people.

The main purpose of performing this drama is to give priority to the religious connection between people, bring prosperity and provide some fun to the people.

This type of drama is very popular in hill country areas such as Badulla, Hanguranketha, Matale and suburbs. Its origin differs from province to province. According to Professor Ediriweera Sarathchandra's book Sinhala Gami Natakaya, the origin is as folows:



In the country named Kasi, there was a man named Guruhami. He got married to a beautiful woman named Sokari and hired a servant named Pariya. They started moving from country to country in search of a job.

At some point, they decided to come to 'Sinhala Deshaya' (Sri Lanka). They left their home at an auspicious time and after passing seven oceans, arrived in Sri Lanka.

First of all, they went to worship Sri Pada. Then, they went to a village named Thambaravita where they decided to settle down and build a house. Then, Guruhami went to the village in search of some rice, but because he didn't know the language, he faced a lot of difficulties. However, he managed to find some rice, but suddenly realised that there was no water to cook it with. Thus, he had to go to the village again.

This time, a dog which lived in the house of the village doctor, bit Guruhami. He somehow managed to come home . He lay down and rested a while. Pariya, who thought that Guruhami was dead, tried to use the opportunity to get closer to Sokari. Sokari got angry with Pariya,and ordered him to call the doctor.

When Pariya went to the doctor, the doctor refused to pay a visit unless Sokari herself came and asked him to see the patient.

Then, Sokari went and brought the doctor. The doctor treated Guruhami until midnight, and left the house with Sokari at dawn.

Guruhami, who was heart-broken, complained to God Kataragama about the tragedy. Then, he was given a sign to find Sokari. Guruhami traced her to the doctor's place. He took her back home and beat her, but after sometime, he forgave her and advised Pariya to take care of Sokari from then on.

Where and how it is staged

Usually, Sokari is staged in a 'kamatha' (in the paddy field). A pestle is kept in the middle of the stage and a lantern is lit on it to light up the place. The place where the drama is staged is marked with cords.

A 'malpala' is prepared on a side. 'Gurunnanse' is there with a book, while a horane player, thalampota player and drummer help the Gurunnanse to read the story.
 
 He introduces all the characters and when he introduces them, they come and dance around the pestle.

Characters of the drama

1. Guruhami

2. Sokari

3. Pariya-Rama

4. Doctor

5. Soththana

6. Hettiya

7. Carpenter

8. Matchmaker

9. Snake charmer

10. Kali amma

Language and communication used...

All conversations in the drama include a mix of Tamil and Sinhalese. They use words with double meanings most of the time. Similar funny phrases are used in the 'Daha Ata Sanniya', 'Kola Sanniya', 'Kohomba Kankariya' and 'Gammadu'. Some events in the above dramas are very similar to those of Sokari'.

This is a very interesting cultural drama which was staged more often during the good old days. But it is very rarely seen nowadays. Some of our old cultural rituals are dying out now and that's why we are carrying these articles to increase your awareness about them.

 

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Naga Raksha is the mirror of the soul
On the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, only eighty miles south of the metropolis Colombo, is a small place Ambalangoda. In him are hidden demons of all kinds just looking for demons of the struggle in vain - after the end of the Civil War are the peacemakers instead at a premium. Centuries-old traditions and the spirit of Buddha here in the old-established families Maskenschnitzerei their expression. The workshop of Wijesuriya clan, which is now owned and run by the fifth generation, looks like a larger garage. Before her stands Shashika Perera. The petite lady is solely responsible for the permanent exhibition in Ambalangoda mask, which is sponsored by the Museum of Ethnology in Berlin and the Foreign Office.

Shashika speaks softly, and, more to herself: "If a traveler from very far away from America or Europe, only to wave or riding elephants coming to our small country that is Buddha, who is Sri Lanka, who will understand the Sinhalese and Tamils never . This applies also and especially for the Maskenschnitzen. Selecting the bright, fast growing and very easy to work kaduru-wood was for the people here, like the drying of the material in the sun, smoking against pests and editing with a saw, hammer and chisel natural routine. "But there is a secret behind it," says Perera Shashika. "I observe daily how our artists are buried in each mask again her own soul."

Beauty and Philosophy

Shashika Perera explains what she means by this: If the face mask wear an angry expression, then the artist will also be up to the angry intolerable. He cut about a vengeful eye in the head of Prince Maha Kola, take on the traits of the carver, the expression of blood thirst. Shashika reiterated her words once again when she could not even quite believe what she says: "No, it's not the technology, it is the special spirit that the highly complex philosophy of Buddha, which separates the bungler, the dilettantes from the true artist . The great genius of the family Wijesuriya are of course not just any mask carver. They are as dancers, musicians and teachers. you love and cherish their philosophy and they pass on from one generation to the next. " 
In the exhibition space for the masks, it is pleasantly cool. Among other things, are on the walls of the eighteen-issued Sanni demons. Pride Shashika Perera posing in front of the gorgeous carvings. The viewer can not escape the beauty of the masks. For a brief moment the plight of thousands of Tamils recedes into the background. Beginning of the year was the civil war in the north of the island, only a few hundred kilometers from Ambalangoda finally ended. Yet there is silence, people have not always found in Sri Lanka: Tamils, Sinhalese still harassed, they say. And of course the hatred of the oppressed Tamils has not disappeared overnight. A communication of understanding between the two ethnic groups is hardly possible.

Transformed into poisonous snakes 
Demon of peace are needed in these times. But the masks in the museum in Ambalangoda radiate not only joy and gentleness. There is Maru Raksha, the death mask of the demon, and there is Naga Raksha, the brutal Cobra mask. Legend has it that Rakshasas transformed into poisonous snakes, which captured their enemies and made them slaves. Only the mighty bird of prey Gurulu finally succeeded in driving the Nagas too bad.

Anyone who can inspire not only from the masks, but also by the ancient dances of the Sinhalese, who will realize very quickly that this is about much more than just about the representation of the rice harvest by graceful girl. He suffered through the death and the masked devil dances emerge. And who, after having admired the fifty feet high, and thus the country's largest Buddha statue in the temple of Dikwella, strolling through the "Schaudergang" the annex, to convey an impression of the mural, which is capable of torture, phantasies, man.

Dancing around the patient 
The stranger to meet the inhabitants of Sri Lanka as an exception, smiling, friendly and helpful people. But when people cook the soul you think is better than foreigners out, saying we get from the German Embassy in Colombo. The many soldiers and roadblocks in the city to be built even a few months after the war again and again, speak their own language.

In Sri Lanka there are demons specialists for almost all situations. They are called around to the bed of a fever patient, and then ask the competent demon Ginijala Sanniya to himself. The demon is sacrificed, so he quickly leaves the patient's body. After the demon must dance before the assembled family, he was released with a lot of great debt of gratitude in all honor and all courtesy. But what triggered this terrible disease demons Ayurveda, celebrated on the island of the doctrine of salvation? In the Ayurvedic physician Dr. Danister L. Perera, they are far cheaper voodoo magic. Rather, the expression of a demon viewing and mode of treatment are sick people is fundamentally different from Western medicine. "Many Westerners define the body as a purely mechanical machine. By contrast, we see in each patient an individual being, the family is placed in the society. Every person is unique even in his illness," he says.

The theory of harmony 
For Dr. Perera is the heart of any "vile mechanical pump but the center of the mind and energy booster." Ayurvedic medicine is a very personal healing, as might be quite different despite the same symptoms, the actual cause of disease in each patient. This reason applies to discover it and the medication on it, and adjust to exactly this and no other patients. For Dr. Perera, who has studied his craft at a prestigious university in Sri Lanka, Ayurveda is a doctrine of harmony, which is always in harmony with nature. It is a medicine of physical and mental-touch: "Ayurveda is basically karma, the absolute belief in a holistic spiritual approach," he says.

According to this philosophy, all work Ayurvedic physicians in Sri Lanka. The choice of food, the healing oils, cleaning powders and pills, special herbal baths, massage is to bring the individual in conjunction with meditation and yoga body and soul to unity and hence to harmony and accord. The Europeans often mysterious looking for Ayurvedic medicine, it is as well, which contributes to the moment that Western tourism to the poverty-stricken Sri Lanka has once again become a top prospect.

Memories of war 
In Muthumuni Ayurveda spa in Moragalla where Danister L. Perera has been working, dangling especially foreign visitors, the female soul. Four or five times a day they are treated by a therapist. During breaks, you can rest under umbrellas or bathe in the sea. Whoever thinks of the just ended war? Only on the way home, on the way to the airport Bandaranaike, he will present again for the visitor. We see checkpoints, where long queues form of Tamils. Heavily armed soldiers are everywhere. With "Ayubowan" - "A healthy, happy and long life" - welcomes you to Sri Lanka but still.

Courtesy: faz.net

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Wooden dolls of Sri Lanka from ancient to modern times

 
Wooden dolls of Sri Lanka from ancient to modern times
 
  

A cherished exhibit on shelves in gift shops in Sri Lanka is the country’s indigenous wooden doll. There are made of single scraps of wood with the limbs painted on the torso. The head is moulded into a smooth round top on which the details of the face, the head-gear, hair, beard and moustache and bun are carefully crafted and painted.

As structurally each one is similar to the others, it is through the careful use of paints and brush strokes that each doll is given its individuality. The dolls are miniature representations of history and society. They portray social and cultural classes from royalty to the common man practicing various occupations. Colourful men and women in sarongs and reddai hatte are favourite gifts in Sri Lanka.

Representations of figurines on wood can be traced to ancient times. Motifs on walls and roofs of timber constructions were common in Sri Lanka in ancient times. The carvings on wood pillars in Kandyan buildings have a geometrical layout. They have floral patterns, the lotus being the commonest floral pattern used in wood carving. But there is a great deal of variation. There are male and female figures. The scenes depicted are from day-to-day life. Animals like the elephant, the lion, the horse, the bull, the peacock and the swan are commonly represented.

Sri Lanka has had the wooden mask, which is another form of folk art in the Western and South Western coastal areas of the country. The exact origin of the Sri Lankan mask art cannot be put into a timeframe. But the timeframe definitely spans several centuries and across many generations.

The masks can be classified as Raksha, Kolam and Sanni. All the three varieties are used in dancing as well as decorations. The Raksha mask is often seen in processions and festivals. The Kolam mask is used in comic plays and depicting stories from everyday village life and enacting different village level characters. Each social section, profession and occupation is portrayed apart from royalty. The Sanni mask is associated with devil dancing for the purpose of curing illnesses.

There are about twenty-four kinds of Raksha masks known by different names such as Naga Raksha, Gurulu Raksha, Maru Raksha, etc. The masks depict gods, human beings, rakshaya, yakka, and animals. There are interesting oral traditions associated with the masks.

 

 

Wooden dolls have become popular in the last few decades. The pattern of the masks changed during the colonial period. Traditional designs gave way to more modern patterns. The works started to reflect various occupations and social divisions under colonial rule. The upper garment corresponded to a jacket or a colonial uniform and the lower garment corresponded to a traditional sarong. A favourite amongst the many dolls are local rulers across different historical phases. Rulers depicted range from Dutugamunu, also known as Dutthagamani from Anuradhapura (161 -137 B.C.) to the last Kandyan ruler Sri Vikarama Rajasinghe (who ruled from 1798 to 1815 A.D.).

The careful articulation of the attire is noteworthy as these dolls represent different phases in the history of Sri Lanka and its various parts. Some of the wooden dolls have feet with large shoes ,showing the influence of the Dutch klomp. Though often compared to the Dutch peg-wooden dolls, Sri Lankan dolls differ in the structural pattern and in bodily features. In the former, limbs were sewn to the wooden body through pegs, and thus the name.

Multiple cultural influences are evident. They are Sri Lankan dolls resembling those from Channapatna town Ramanagara district of the State of Karnataka in South India. Others resemble the Japanese Kokeshi wooden dolls. Quite similar to the Sri Lankan creations, these wooden peg dolls form India as well as the Japanese Kokeshi dolls are traditionally made of single blocks of wood and do not possess separate hands or legs. All the limbs are painted within the body of the doll and the heads of these dolls have a smooth round shape.

Made from scraps of wood like mahogany, teak, ebony, and even softwoods, the dolls are hand-painted with non-toxic paints and together with other wooden toys from the country, form an important part of Sri Lanka’s export basket.

Dolls are made in several parts of Sri Lanka. The villages of Moratuwa, Boralesgamuwa, Angoda, Peliyagoda, Mount Lavinia, Pannipitiya, Colombo, Nugegoda, Kesbewa, Malabe, and Ratmalana in Colombo district; in the villages of Kalegana, Kumbalwella, Wekunegoda, Kapugampola, Wataraka, Peduruwa, Milidduwa, and Osanagoda in Galle district; in the villages of Mahara, Negombo, Pelawatta, Weboda, Ganegama, Mirigama, Attanagalla, Kadawata, Gampaha, Weliya, Kopiwatta, Udugampola, Katana, Weke, and Minuwangoda in Gampaha district; in the villages of Puttur West, Irumparai, Pathamani, Kopay North, Puttur East, Atchuveli, and Madduvil South in Jaffna district; and in the villages of Garagoda, Angunwela, Utuwankanda, Karandupaha, and Ambulugoda in Kegale district.

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Greek and Roman historical annals on literature reveal that comic and tragic satirical dramas and verse had been used since time immemorial in exposing the human vices, folly, abuses and other forms of social injustice. The Greek poet Aristophanes and Roman poets such as Horace and Juvenal had exploited this genre as comic satire and tragic satire.

 

The Sinhala word Kolam is commonly used in the day-to-day parlance throughout Sri Lanka which connotes some comical, crazy or unusual behaviour which provides endless entertainment through fun and humour.

The origin of the Kolam dance form is shrouded in mythology but it could be traced back to the era of mask dances in Sri Lanka. Some historians are of the opinion that the Kolam dance form originated in the west and south west coastal belt of Sri Lanka in the beginning of the 19th century.

Kolam Dance Traditions

There are two traditions of Kolam dance known as the Maha Ambalangoda School of Kolam and the Nambimulla School of Kolam. Both traditions flourished in Ambalangoda, a town of cultural significance on the south coast of Sri Lanka famous for traditional mask dance, arts and crafts. A master craftsman of masks known as Tukkawadu Oinis Gurunnanase was the founder of Kolam dance in Ambalangoda. Tukkawadu Oinis Gurunnanase’s son Tukkawadu Palis Gurunnanse inherited the Kolam dance form from his father.

Tukkawadu Palis Gurunnanse’s son Tukkawadu Gunadasa Gurunnanse was a nationally and internationally reputed Kolam dancer from Maha Ambalangoda. Juwan Wadu Ondiris de Silva Wijesooriya Wadu Arachchi was a pupil of Oinis Gurunnanse of Maha Ambalangoda. The Nambimulla tradition of Kolam dance and mask-carving was founded by Juwan Wadu Ondiris de Silva Wijesooriya and developed separately. According to historical evidence the founder of mask carving and Kolam dance in Ambalangoda was Tukkawadu Oinis Gurunnanse.

Tukkawadu Palis Gurunnanse was born in 1856 and his father Tukkawadu Oinis Gurunnanse who was considered the founder of the Kolam dance tradition of Ambalangoda could go back to the era of 1800 when Sri Lanka was under British colonial administration. Tukkawadu Gunadasa Gurunnanse of Maha Ambalangoda maintained the family tradition and further developed Mask Carving, Kolam and other forms of mask dances.

index

Episodes

Kolam dance performance is comprised of numerous episodes and diverse characters perform their roles representing the traditional rural setting of Sri Lanka in addition to their sufferings under the colonial administration.

Members of the traditional hierarchy of Sri Lankan royalty and all categories of servants appear on the stage where the Kolam dance is performed. Before the arrival of the King and Queen the Headman, Arachchi, the Chief of the district, the Mudali, King’s Guard and the soldiers make suitable arrangements on the stage for the arrival of the royalty.

A pregnant woman narrates how she became pregnant in one of the episodes of Kolam Damce full of humour. Gama Kathawa (Village Story) In this episode, the Village Headman abusing his powers made amorous advances towards a married woman known as Ethna Hami. There were two foolish brothers in the village and the elder brother got married to Ethna Hamy. In order to get rid of her husband the Village Headman said that the King had ordered to send the two brothers every night to look after some far away fields.

One day when they were guarding the fields these two foolish brothers mistook moonlight as sunlight and came home thinking it was morning. Ethna Hamy did not open the door at once but first covered her lover the Village Headman with a cloth. Next she covered herself with the cloth to cover up her identity. She pretended to be mad and an exorcist who happened to be a friend of the Village Headman appeared to drive away the evil spirits. During the ritual the Village Headman appeared disguised as a demon and frightened the two brothers who ran away from the scene. Later Ethna Hamy and the Village Headman started dancing together.

Arachchi Kolama

The Village Headman was known as Arachchi who appeared on the stage to get a count of the exact number of people gathered in the audience to welcome the royalty. Arachchi assigned the job of counting the number of people present to his clerk who happened to be a funny character and he was very keen on embarrassing his master. He kept on counting the unborn babies in the wombs of the women who were in the audience.

Finally, Arachchi orders all those who were in the audience to behave well as the royalty was about to arrive.

Anabera Kolama. The drummer known as Pannikakkala who is drunk appears on stage accompanied by his children. He starts vomiting and his children could be seen beating him on his back. A dialogue that ensued between the narrator or the Kariyakarawana Rala and Nonchi Akka the wife of the drummer was full of pun on words. Sometimes words having different meanings were been used as a strategy to bring in humour to the audience.

Nonchi Akka: “I went to Moratuwa to collect some green leaves.”

Kariyakaravana Rala : “You went to Moratuwa to collect green leaves?”

“No, went to the koratuwa to collect green leaves.”

 

Nochchi Akka: “The paula (family) which was hung on the horn was not there.

Kariyakarawana Rala: “How can you hang a paula on a horn? ”

It must be the daula (drum)

”Nochchi Akka: “Yes, yes, the Kadipuka (the back side of Black Ant) was not there.

Kariyakarawana Rala: “You are talking nonsense. How can you beat a drum with a kadipuka? It must be Kadippu (drum stick) and not kadipuka.

Nochchi Akka: “When all these items are missing the reeds caught fire”.

Kariyakarawana Rala:“It was not reeds that caught fire (pangas asse gini gattha) You have felt that your whole body was burning. (Panchaskanda gini gatta.)

In Kolam dance form, Nochchi Akka is a very popular character mostly due to the traditional costumes and the mask worn giving a very old appearance to the actor who performs the role of a typical old woman in the rural sector of Sri Lanka.

Hewa Kolama

Many preparations had been done before the arrival of royalty. It is the duty of the soldiers and the King’s Guard to ensure that the roads are clean and tidy. There were many wounds on the faces of these soldiers. Kariyakaravana Rala (narrator) questioned them on what happened to their faces. The soldiers replied that they had to fight with the British soldiers at Gampola. The soldiers revealed that they used their faces as shields. Later they soaked their heads in the Kandy Lake to get some relief. The leeches found in the lake had attacked their faces enlarging the wounds.

Just after the narrator raised questions about their faces the soldiers looked at each others’ face and started laughing. They demanded toddy and food from the people and left the stage. Pedi Kolama (Washerman cleans the white cloth, a carpet for the King):

An elderly washerman called Jasaya who is by nature a lazy person appeared on the stage accompanied by his assistant and started his duty but the Kariyakarawana Rala found his inefficiency and requested to get down his wife for assistance. Mudali who was the Chief of the district was fond of pretty women At first sight, he was interested to have an intimate chat with the pretty young wife of Jasaya. Jasaya’s wife who did not like him made numerous complaints against him .

She said Jasya was in the habit of drinking. Jasaya said his wife had several lovers and one of them happened to be the attendant of Mudali. Later it was Jasaya who was punished instead of Mudali’s attendant. He was thoroughly beaten by the attendant.

Badadaru Kolama

A pregnant woman appears on the stage crying and complaining of pregnancy pains. Kariyakaravana (narrator) asked her to stop her crying. She responded saying that all men in the audience were responsible for her condition.

They promised to give her clothes and jewellery wishing to marry her but they never kept to their promises. Kariyakarawana Rala (narrator) admitted that she had been cheated by the men and her suffering was also due to their misbehavior.

Arrangements were made to get down a midwife who helped her to give birth to a child. She appeared once again on stage this time with the new born baby in hand.

Sinha Kolama

Two men wearing masks depicting the face of lions appeared on the stage and they performed a beautiful dance to the satisfaction of the Queen. Raja Kolama (The arrival of the King and the Queen):

The King and the Queen arrived on the stage with one of the Ministers. Kariyakarawana Rala (narrator) joined them. The Royal couple was ushered in to their seats.

Raksha Kolama (Dance of the Rakshas):

The Rakshas wearing a mask- (Naga Raksha) comprised cobras who appeared on the stage and performed a dance to please the Royalty. These Rakshas appear as the followers of King Wesamuni.

Gurulu Raksha Kolama

This dance is performed wearing a mask depicting an eagle. The mask carries a cobra in his beak. Gurulu Mask Dance is believed to have dispelled fear and all poisonous serpents in Sri Lanka had been destroyed. Usually, a Kolam Dance comprises 24 Raksha Dance performances. Kolam Dancers perform their dances wearing a series of masks depicting the pantheon of Rakshas. The ghastly appearance of these Rakshas and their dancing add fear and terror to Kolam Dance Performance.

Suramba Vallia and Somiguna Kolama:

This dance is performed wearing a mask depicting a Makara. It highlights the qualities of the fisher folk living on the coastal belt.

Maname Kathawa

The Kolam Dance form is didactic and a moral lesson is taught through a Buddhist Jataka Story. Danuddhara Jataka story has been enacted depicting a tragical end of Prince Maname. Prince Maname was killed by the Vedda King due to his unfaithful wife.

Gara Yaka Kolama

Gara Yaka appears on the stage to dispel the effects of evil mouth, evil eyes and thus end the Kolam Dance performance.

All the episodes of Kolam Dance were performed to the tune of the beatings of drums and the recitations of verses. The intermittent dialogue between the narrator and the characters of the episodes of Kolam Dance comprised of humorous expressions and punning on words.

In the past, Kolam Dances were performed mostly in the rural sector and this genre of dance form was exploited to highlight the shortcomings of the British colonial administration and the common social evils such as the abuse of power by those who are in the higher echelons.
 

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Behind the Mask

 
Handmade craft still alive in Ambalangoda
Handmade craft still alive in Ambalangoda

Juliet Coombe looks at why masks have long held a fascination for mankind, used both for fun and mystery but also to cover up heinous deeds and, metaphorically, to use as a disguise for more sinister intentions

Many of us first wore masks at school for a play or festival, and later in life perhaps at a masked party or ball, where, suddenly you are confronted by your voice recognition skills and awkward conversations, but masks can also allow people to open up in a way they might feel too timid to otherwise.

Casual observers

And so it is the case with the Kolam masks, originally developing from the south but later spreading all over Sri Lanka as part of dancing entertainment going back to colonial times, where one way to deal with the sometimes oppressive and strange behaviours of the colonial peoples, was to make fun of, in a subtle and nuanced way, their foibles through plays and dancing – a humorous tonic after a hard week of work on the plantation or whatever other industry might be being exploited. Often such masks would have bulging eyes, terrible stares and weird smiles that helped satirise the objects of their frustration in those days, much in the same way that Spitting Image puppets produced in Britain satirised politicians not so many years ago for precisely the same purpose – to make more bearable the frustrating behaviours of people in power with fixed and eccentric views that made no sense to the average person. It is sad however to think that this art form was designed to highlight a fundamental difference between colonial and indigenous village attitudes towards other people – the latter recognised the value of all persons and how they served the community in an equal way while the former accentuated a hierarchy clearly based on status and the value of different jobs that unfortunately seems to pervade the world today, causing large swathes of the population to feel undervalued and unappreciated.

The masks are normally upon near full-size puppets that are made to dance on strings as well as convey a sophisticated array of emotions. There might be as many as ten puppeteers in a show or drama playing traditional musical instruments, singing and giving speeches. Perhaps, the most notable of puppeteers was Gurunnanse who produced many plays and who, at the peak of his career, performed before the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria’s son, when he visited Ceylon in the late 19th century and who gave Gurannanse a gold medal and cash prize of five hundred rupees, which was a great deal of money in those days.

Wonderful creations

The third type of mask made in Sri Lanka, the Sanni, is a generally a more disfigured and strange creation that is used mainly for healings and exorcism rituals. So, both mind and body are served by this mask in rituals designed to heal anything from insanity, disturbed sleep through to digestive disorders. There are 18 such masks defined for each type of illness and again they represent a battle against the bad spirits that bring about such illnesses and are used in conjunction with relevant dancing and chanting to bring about a cure, in much the same way that prayer is believed to bring healing to the sick in other cultures and religions.

The masks are made all over the island but the greatest concentration of production and skills is around Ambalangoda where they are carved out of a kind of balsa wood called kaduru, which has been smoked for a week before crafting – the wood is still not fully dry when the craftsman takes it up as it can only be carved in a slightly moist and soft state. A mallet and various sized chisels are used, starting with the largest first and going smaller as the mask increasingly resembles the finished product and needs only finer chiselling. The masks are carved according to ancient and prescriptive writings, which have been handed down through many generations and in the case of the other types of masks, the Sanni and the Raksha, many centuries ago, probably dating back to the time of the Buddha.

There are only a few families left who have the real knowledge and skills necessary to produce these wonderful creations but there is a sense that demand may rise with the new wave of tourism that has thrived since the end of the Civil War along with a renewed interest in the mysteries of Sri Lanka, a country that is both one of the most highly educated and advanced in many fields of engineering and science while also being steeped in a tradition of witchcraft considered second only to Haiti in the world.

  1. Carved to Heal
  2. Shawl Dance
  3. The Dying Art of Puppetry
  4. Dying Tradition of Sri Lankan Mask Making
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