An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous EscapeKnox, Robert
History
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous Escape
Knox, Robert
Sri Lanka -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Sri Lanka -- Social life and customs
The several Inhabitants of the Island. The Original of the
Chingulays. Wild Men. Who pay an acknowledgement to the
King. How they bespeak Arrows to be made them. They rob the
Carriers. Hourly wild Men Trade with the People. Once made
to serve the King in his War. Their Habit and Religion. A
skirmish about their Bounds. Curious in their Arrows. How they
preserve their Flesh. How they take Elephants. The Dowries
they give. Their disposition. The Inhabitants of the Mountains
differ from those of the Low-Lands. Their good opinion of
Virtue, tho they practice it not. Superstitions. How they
Travel. A brief character of them. The Women, their habit
and nature.
CHAP. II.
Concerning their different Honours, Ranks, and Qualities.
How they distinguish themselves according to their
Qualities. They never Marry beneath their rank. In case
a Man lyes with a Woman of inferior rank. Their Noble
men. How distinguished from others. The distinction by
Caps. Of the Hondrews or Noble men two forts. An Honour like
Unto Knighthood. Goldsmiths, Blacksmiths, Carpenters, and
Painters. The Privilege and state of the Smiths. Craftsmen.
Barbers. Potters. Washers. Jaggory-makers. The Poddah,
Weavors, Basket-makers. Mat-makers. The lower ranks may not
assume the habit or names of the higher. Slaves. Beggers. The
reason the Beggers became so base and mean a People. They live
well. Their Contest with the Weavors about dead Cows. Incest
common among them. A Punishment, to deliver Noble women to
these Beggers. Some of these Beggars keep Cattel and shoot
Deer. Refuse Meat dressed in a Barbar's house, and why.
CHAP. III.
Of their Religion, Gods, Temples, Priests.
Their Religion is Idolatry. They worship Gods and Devils. And
the God, that saves Souls. The Sun and Moon they seem to repute
Deities. Some of their Temples of exquisite work. The form
of their Temples. The shape of their Idols. They worship not
the Idol, but whom it represents. The Revenues of the Temples,
and the Honours thereof. They are dedicated to Gods. Private
Chappels. The Priests. The first Order of them. The habit of
these Priests. Their Privileges. What they are Prohibited. When
any are religiously disposed, these Priests sent for in
great Ceremony. None ever used violence towards them before
this present King. The Second Order of Priests. The third
Order. How they dedicate a Red Cock to the Devil. Their Oracle.
CHAP. IV.
Concerning their Worship and Festivals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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