Lōmāfānu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lōmāfānu or Loamaafaanu, also known by the Sanskrit name Sasanam, are Maldivian texts in the form of copper plates on which inscriptions have been added. The oldest of these plates dates from the twelfth century AD.

Many Old Maldivian historical texts are found only in lomafanu form. The Divehi Akuru script used on the plates, was named "evēla akuru" by H. C. P. Bell. Bell claimed that it resembled medieval Sinhala script, but modern research has shown that it has many more common points with the Tamil Grantha script of the Pandya and Pallava periods and with Vatteluttu.

Besides the Lōmāfānu plates found in Haddhunmathi Atoll, one of the most important Maldivian copperplates is the Bodugalu Miskiy Lōmāfānu found in Male'.

[edit] See also

• Dhivehi Writing Systems
• Haddhunmathi Atoll
• Isdhoo (Laamu Atoll)
• Dhanbidhoo (Laamu Atoll)

[edit] References

• Ali Najeeb, Dambidū Lōmāfānu. Council for Linguistic and Historical Research. Male' 2001.
• Bell, H.C.P. The Maldive islands. Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy. Reprint 1940 edn. Malé 1986.
• Bodufenvahuge Sidi. Divehi Akuru; Evvana Bai. Malé 1958.
• H.A. Maniku & G.D. Wijayawardhana, Isdhoo Loamaafaanu.
• Romero-Frias, Xavier. The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999.