Maha Sona

Maha Sona (Sinhala: මහ සොනා) is a demon (yaka or yakseya or devaya) in Sinhalese folklore, who is said to haunt afterlife. The name Maha Sona means " the greatest demon"[1] or "demon of the cemetery"[2] in the Sinhala language. It is the most feared ,most famous devil in Sri Lanka.[3] Originally a giant who had been defeated in a duel, Maha Sohona has had his head replaced with that of a bear since he lost his head in the duel. He is believed to kill people and afflict them with illnesses. Traditional exorcism rituals are performed to repel the demon in such cases. Sri Lanka Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units are popularly known as the "Maha Sohon Brigade", named after this demon.[4]

Origins

Maha Sona was originally a giant named Jaya Sena or jaya sina, who had offended Gotaimbara, Jaya Sena had never been defeated in battle before, but Gotaimbara accepted the challenge to a duel. However, before enter the game by mistaken gotaimbara kicked his head off. Upon seeing this, the planet god Ginisura took off the head of a bear or tiger and fitted it onto Jaya Sina's body, bringing him back to life.

Characteristics

Maha Sona is believed to haunt graveyards, looking for human prey.[5] He also haunts large rocks and hills, surrounded by human corpses. Human entrails are said to be the demon's favourite food.[6] Junctions where three roads meet are other haunting grounds of this demon, and he is able to spread cholera and dysentery.[7] Maha Sohona is chief to 30,000 demons, and often uses various disguises, each time riding a particular animal such as a goat, deer, horse, sheep and elephant.[6]

The 122-foot (37 m) tall demon has four eyes and four hands and his skin is red in colour.[6] He has the head of a bear or tiger rides a pig and drinks the blood of an buffalo he carries in his right hand. He is also armed with a pike in his left hand.[7]

Maha Sona kills people at night by striking them between the shoulders.[1] The mark of a hand will be embossed on the flesh of the body after this.[7] Apart from killing, he is also able to possess humans.

Exorcism

In traditional exorcism rituals, dancers dressed as Maha Sona perform to cure patients of illnesses that are believed to have been afflicted by the demon. A traditional mask depicting the face of Maha Sina is used in these rituals.Also when he come to the earth as a man no one can stop him

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Stirrat, R. L. (1992). Power and religiosity in a post-colonial setting: Sinhala Catholics in contemporary Sri Lanka. Cambridge University Press. p. 90. ISBN 0-521-41555-1.
  2. ↑ Smith, Bardwell L. (1976). Religion and social conflict in South Asia. Brill. p. 92. ISBN 90-04-04510-4.
  3. ↑ Gombrich, Richard Francis; Obeyesekere, Gananath (1990). Buddhism transformed: religious change in Sri Lanka. Motilal Banarsidass Publications. p. 117. ISBN 81-208-0702-2.
  4. ↑ "The Deadly Mahasohon Brigade". Strategy Page. 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  5. ↑ Inoon, Ayesha (2007-02-25). "Unmasking the man behind the demons". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  6. 1 2 3 Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Ceylon Branch (1886). Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 4. The Colombo Apothecaries Co. pp. 22–23.
  7. 1 2 3 Senaveratna, John M. (2005). Dictionary of proverbs of the Sinhalese including also their adages, aphorisms, apologues, apothegms, bywords, dictums, maxims, mottoes, precepts, saws, and sayings, together with the connected myths, legends, and folk-tales. Asian Educational Services. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-81-206-1979-1.
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