________________
AUGUST, 1904.]
GLIMPSES OF SINGHALESE SOCIAL LIFE.
GLIMPSES OF SINGHALESE SOCIAL LIFE. BY ARTHUR A. PERERA.
(Continued from p. 147.)
(9) Amusements and Pleasures,27
DURING the New Year and other festive days strolling players (men and women) amuse themselves at open places in the village: they skilfully twirl metal-plates (neti) or small tambourines (raban) on their fingers or pointed stakes; they keep time to a merry dance by striking together sticks (likeliya), by tossing pitchers up in the air and catching them (kalagedi netima), or by thudding their arms against the sides (dingi gahanava); and they ealogize the hamlet and its people in extempore verses (viridu kiyanava) with the meaningless refrain, "Tana tanamda tánénd, taná, tamda tanend, tana tanamda, tana tanamda, tana tanamda, tánêná."
207
The people also enjoy themselves on the merry-go-round (katuru onchillava) a large revolving wheel on a tall wooden superstructure with seats attached; at theatrical representations called kôlan netum, rûkada netum, and nádagam; and at divers forms of out-door games.
Kôlan netuma is a series of dances of a ludicrous character by actors dressed like animals and demons, wearing masks and sometimes perched on high stilts; and the rûkada netuma is a marionette show of village life.
The nadagama is the drama, and for its performance a circular stage is erected with an umbrella-shaped tent over it (karalia); booths are erected all round for the audience, who, though admitted free, willingly contribute something into the collection-box brought by the clown (konangiya) at the end of the play. Before the drama begins, each of the actors, in tinselled costume, walks round the stage singing a song appropriate to his character, and the subject usually represented is either the landing of Vijaya, the Conqueror of Ceylon, or the tragic and insane deeds which led to the deposition of the last of the Royal line.
Buhukeliya (playing at ball, a kind of stump cricket) is a popular out-door game; the youngsters take sides, choose their captains, and each party places at a distance of 20 or 30 yards a piece of stick on two cocoanut-shells; a member of one team bowls an unripe citrus decumana (jambolaya) to knock down the opposite wicket and the opponents try to catch the ball, above the knee-cap, as it comes past the wicket; if the bowler knocks the wicket over, one of the other side has to retire, while the bowler himself goes out if the ball is caught; this goes on alternately till one or other of the teams is all dismissed, and the victory is celebrated with a pleasant mixture of railiery and wit..
A.
Q.
A.
For the game of multé (rounders) a post is erected as a goal, and one of the players stands by it and has a preliminary conversation with the others:
Q.- Kkkiyo.
A. - Muddaré.
Q.-Dehikatuvada batukatuvada - Is it a lime-thorn or a brinjal-thorn?
Batukatuva-Brinjal-thorn.
Man endada umba en lala - Should I come or would you come ? Umbamava, en-You yourself had better come.
As soon as the last word is uttered, he gives chase, and they dodge him and try to reach the post without being caught; the one who first gets out succeeds the pursuer.
27 For other out-door and in-door games not described in this article, vide Ceylon Asiatic Society's Journal, Vol. V. No. 18 (1873), p. 17.
