, 1884-05-02
CEYLON DEVIL DANCE.
A Curious Performances in h DARK.
ness of a Colombo Jungle
A Weird scene and DiassIicaI hasis
---Amazons OF sInkhaIess So
observation-disclosures of
the serpent King.
[Moncure d. Conway

lMoncure ID. Conway.
The first sign OF what was coming was q
flare OF torches approaching from various
quarters irregularly, held by men nearly
naked. Then there was a loud beating Of
tom-toms-drums of long hollow wood, st
each end of which is a skin beaten with the
hand alone. Presently a man began todrawl
out a wild, wailing chant. with which an
other and then another Joined. Thess were
words, but the gentlemen present who know
the languages Of this region could not make
out their sense, and one Of them thought the
singers themselves did not know. By this
time a considerable crowd Of people bad
gathered around the outer column Of the por-
tico, and the faring of the torches upon
their shining black bodies and eager faces
made a scene of wondrous picturesqusness.
Presently there was something distinctly
diabolical in the notes, which, in combine
ton with the silent throng Of nearly naked
people, their white eyes lighting up their
dusky faces along with the livid torches,
caused strange sensations to shoot through
ones nerves. A deafenings succession Of TOM
tom thunps accompanied the entrance before
US of the serpent king Maya RsJab). His
mask-fnce and crown together-representsd
every terrible and beautiful curve aud con-
tortion of the cobra. Serpents coIled out Of
the corners Of his many-toothed mouth and
about his huge protruding eyes; they made
he pendants Of his ears and ave blended
Ibra hoods and heads rose into a canopy for
is crown. With him was his prime minis
ter, who also had an ingeniously horr-
BILE decoration OF serpents, three monster
hoods rising above his head and three smaller
ones being erect over his forehead. With
them was n third parsonage, crowned with
live cobrns. Tho three faces were blood rcd,
soggle-eyed, dusky, the forms dressed In rod,
Ittl. N,,.ylaa al raa han..th -hs,h ..e,k.-
Of dark skin were occasionally revealed as
they drew themselves about in sinuous costa.
sizes. Though no word was uttered the theme
Of their dance was evidently the serpent, and
| do not doubt that VIC were looking upon an
ancient rite Of serpent worship. or what Is
allied such, my own opinion being that pro
~pitiation of a dreaded object is not worship"
They cooled, twined, twisted and wrung their
necks SO long as TO make one uneasy.
| recognized an interest ing legendary psr-
sonage in a fiery figure that followed the
Nagas already described. They called him
Kalu Cumara, the black prince, but none
present seemed to know his legend, with
which | met some years ago In the AsiAtio
society's journal. The manager Of the show
told me, through a gentleman kindly inter-
p~reting for me, that this prince lived on .
mountain, surrounded by she-devns. lacked
him il 1t were not true that women At
uributed TO him all their ailments and
he promptly assured me that such wAs
the fact. The early legend, which would
thus seem to have nearly died out, was that
this prince was once beautiful and great; .
race Of female warriors (Amazons) besiesed
his kingdom, but, on seeing him, they all fell
in love with him. Each Amazon tried TO APP
propriate him, and in their competition he wac
torn to pieces. He then became q demon,
and ever since has been ayenging himself on
the female sex in the way stated The classic
Amazons nave become the "she-dsvils" Of
Singhhlese superstition. l thought / could
perceive I'M unusual shrinkage back on the
part Of the crowd when this black prince
came dashing on the scene. He Jared torches
with both hands, and burning brands Issued
from the corners OF his mouth. His mAsk
was pallid and hideouA He never rested an
instant, but danced and leaped furiously,
going through movements which expressed
con vulsions, gripings, delirium, epilspsy-
sometimes setting fire to his beard and
clothes in an alarming way. l have observed
that even educated people here-and some of
them are even learned-are rarely free from
the influence of the superstitious atmosphere
in which they dwell, and easily accept soma
rationalized modification of . popular do
fusion.
In the finale there moved before " sn
embodiment OF malaria that recalled To me
Blake's picture OF the Shiny green sower
scattering seeds. Then delirium appeared,
and finally n fearful, Evid mask, with NOV
ing saw-teeth in a cavernous mouth, In
whose face one need not look twice to recog-
nize the graveyard demon, harua-dssth.
This was the demon conceived by n village
which made a cemetery on u hill that over
hung 1t, whence came poison to the springs
from which they drank. Marua was the last
enemy. The chief doities Of the Buddhist
and Hindu heavens, Sakra and Indra, came
out to bid us goodnight and receive comph-
uants on the interesting demons provided in
their universe, for they were all demons-no
devil was among them, for devils do not 10
pei, but allure; they are not ugly, but fasai-
mating. A coolis performed somersaults and
contortions suggestive Of bonelessuess, and
then the tom-toms ceased for the first time,
The torches were e1tinguished. The dusk
crowd dispersed among the palms and man.
goes. Our revels were ended.