“The Shooting of the Boar” and the Social Divisions of the Sinhalese

Extract

A Description of several social grades of the Sinhalese occur in the rite called the Ūrā Yakkama (Shooting of the Boar) contained in the Kohombā-kankāriya. Its context is as follows: The chief performer enacts the killing of the boar and the sharing of its flesh among the various craftsmen. From the remarks made about each recipient and the treatment which the representative of each trade receives, one sees what value was attached to the work of each from the point of view of the dancer. The function of each in the social order is also mentioned. Below is given the text of this part of the ceremony as it has been gathered, from oral tradition from different districts in Ceylon. As may be expected, many variant versions exist, but only a few have been noticed here.