Sanni Yakuma

DemonSri Lanka · South AsiaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A demon from the folklore of Sri Lanka. Sanni yakuma, sometimes known as Daha ata sanniyas, is a traditional Sinhalese exorcism ritual.

Origin & Background

Sanni Yakuma is a traditional exorcism ritual derived from the belief that diseases are transmitted to humans by demons. The 18 demons featured in this ritual are said to have originated during the time of the Buddha. According to legend, the king of the Rajah (Raja) kingdom suspected his wife of infidelity and executed her, but she gave birth to a child at the moment of execution. This child grew up to be Kola Sanniya, who fed on his mother's corpse. The Kola Sanni demon destroyed the city in revenge and created 18 poison lumps that transformed into demons. They killed the king and caused chaos by killing thousands in the city, but were eventually subdued by the Buddha. Each demon is believed to affect humans in the form of diseases, and the Sanni Yakuma ritual serves to summon and control these demons before driving them back to the demon world.

The Legend

Sanni Yakuma is a traditional exorcism ritual consisting of 18 masked dances, each depicting a specific disease or ailment that affects humans. This ritual is composed of the main dances of Pahata-rata, one of the three major dance forms in Sri Lanka. The ritual involves summoning the demons that affect the patient, commanding them not to torment humans, and then driving them away. Sanni Yakuma in Sinhala means 'sanniya' for disease and 'yakuma' for demon ritual, and in Sri Lankan culture, exorcism rituals are known as 'tovil'.

In Popular Culture

Sanni Yakuma is still primarily performed on the southern coast, but it has become more of a cultural spectacle than an exorcism ritual. However, it is not widely practiced due to high costs and long durations. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami also impacted the continuity of this ritual. Coastal areas have been influenced by colonial and external factors, but this art form has been best preserved in the southwestern coast.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Sanni Yakuma" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia