The Veddas / by C.G. Seligmann and Brenda Z. Seligmann ; with a chapter by C.S. Myers ; and an appendix by A. Mendis Gunasekara.

  • Seligman, C. G. (Charles Gabriel), 1873-1940.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Veddas / by C.G. Seligmann and Brenda Z. Seligmann ; with a chapter by C.S. Myers ; and an appendix by A. Mendis Gunasekara. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    come, but strangely this and the nearly related Sitala Wanniya Veddas were the only communities to the east of the Badulla- Batticaloa road in which exogamy prevailed. The Henebedda and Kovil Vanamai Veddas all married freely within the clan. It is, however, probable that this is a recent though not quite modern innovation, since at Henebedda it was said that it was particularly fitting that Morane and Unapane should intermarry. Nevill recognised the existence of exogamy, and presumably it was of the Bintenne Veddas that he made the following very definite statement, which applies equally well to the condition of things existing at the present day, even among such sophisticated folk as those of Omuni, where genealogies were taken in order to make quite certain of this matter. “The rule for marriage was stringent. The daughter represents her mother’s family, the son also represents his mother's family. In no case did a person marry one of the same family, even though the relationship was lost in remote antiquity. Such a marriage is incest. The penalty for incest is death. Thus the daughter must marry either her father’s sister’s son, or her mother’s brother’s son, neither of whom would be of the same clan name. Failing these she may marry any of their name, and should no such bridegroom be available, marriage into a third family becomes necessary1.” If the distribution of these Vedda communities in which exogamy prevails be studied on the map it will be seen that with the exception of the Sitala Wanniya and Godatalawa (Galmede) groups all the Veddas to the west of the Badulla- Batticaloa road are exogamous, whereas those to the east of the road contract marriage within the clan. As a matter of convenience we now give a list complementary to that on pp. 71 to 74 showing what wamge were represented in each of the communities we visited. Danigala: Morane, Unapane, Namadewa (the last not acknowledged). Henebedda: Morane, Unapane, Namadewa (the latter properly forming the Kolombedda community and settlement). Kovil Vanamai (Bandaraduvva): Morane, Unapane, Uru (the latter forming the settlement at Uniche). In all these settlements marriage occurs within the clan.