Anthropos: Anthropos, 90.1995

Anthropos, 90.1995

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschrift

Werks-URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-714820

Persistenter Identifier:: BV043334262

Titel:: Anthropos

Untertitel:: internationale Zeitschrift für Völker- u. Sprachenkunde

Erscheinungsort:: Fribourg

Verlag:: Ed. St. Paul

Erscheinungsjahr:: 1906

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

Wissensgebiet:: Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie > Allgemeines

Zeitschriftenband

Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenband

Werks-URN (URL):: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711884

URN:: urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-711884

Persistenter Identifier:: 1513767960782

Titel:: Anthropos, 90.1995

Erscheinungsjahr:: 1995

Signatur:: LA 1118

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

Zeitschriftenheft

Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenheft

Titel:: Bd. 90, 1995, Heft 1-3

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

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Strukturtyp:: Zeitschriftenartikel

Titel:: The "Lesser" Violence of Animal Sacrifice: A Somewhat Hidden and Overlooked (Ignored?) Reality in Sinhala Buddhism

Sonstige Person:: Feddema, J. P. (Hans)

Sammlung:: Zeitschriften und Zeitungen > Zeitschriften zur Ethnologie

142 J. P. (Hans) Feddema Anthropos 90.1995 the colour of blood - and also temporarily to the kattadiya, who is lying in the derahava, in trance or doing dapanawa, a kind of manthra in order to control the demons. Surrogate victims are in principle meant to be killed (sacrificed). Demons are supposed to do so via the hands and teeth of the athuriya. Such an act in Buddhist Sri Lanka however cannot be done in a populated area, but must happen in a more lonely or “dark” place, for instance a cemetery. (Robert Knox, writing in 1641, speaks of a “remote place in the jungle,” where the demons are given the “live cock” [Wijesekera 1987: 75].) In this case about 70 people are leaving the house for the cemetery. The possesed young man carries the thatua for Riri Yakka and Mahasona and the cock on his head. Others carry the derahava with the lying person in trance. Killing a human being is in Sri Lanka forbidden by law. At least, if it is being done in a natural way. Killing via kodivina does not fall under the law. Killing the man in the derahava seems to be a borderline case. The spirits are killing, but they act via the possessed young man. The real act is done by him, maybe not by his mind, but still by his body. And there are many witnesses around him. Ritual killing of the man in the derahava therefore is impossible since the in troduction of the modern judicial system. Although the two demons formally receive the cock as well as the man in the derahava, they understand that they can (at least today) not kill the latter. Without saying, they know that he in practice is only meant as a temporary house to live in. The red cock functions as a real surrogate vic tim. The possessed man takes the animal with his both hands in front of his face, turns its neck a few times and then bites it right through. It is a dramatic moment. The athuriya seems not to realize what he is doing. He at least stares dazedly, having in both hands a piece of the cock, while the crowd is looking at him. Finally the demons speak then for the last time through him, saying three times with the word sahatika, that they are satisfied with the sacrificial substitution, and promising - while the young man lies a hand on a Buddhist pirith-book, which the kattadiya brought with him - that they will leave him and not come back again. The kattadiya shortly before had ordered them to do so, explaining that the teaching of Lord Buddha is in that book and therefore the promise cannot be broken. It is the end of the ritual, at least at the cemetery. The people return to the house, carrying the young man on their shoulders. The athuraya looks like a different person, when he undergoes the pretha ritual - the cutting of kodivina (black magic) - and the pohul (pumpkin) ritual against evil eye and evil mouth. He does not remember what he did before, including his sacrificial act. The dead cock is left behind at the cemetery. Being a blood sacrifice, it can not be eaten by the people. Once, I came across some cynical young people, who secretly took the dead cock with them for a barbecue-party, but this was strongly condemned by the people, who also expected negative karma- effects for trespassing this taboo. Public opinion also strongly condemns the prac tice of fishermen in the Low Country, who try to get a lot of fish by putting a small pocket filled with food mixed with blood of the cockscomb, in their boat. Riri Yakka, Mahasona, and also the sea demon Gara are expected to like that very much, seeing it as a kind of sacrifice, and therefore filling the boat with fish. This small pocket of jackfruit leaves with food mixed with blooddrops is - just like the one for the yakku in the suniyama - called lay gothuwa, lay meaning blood. A kattadiya gives it an extra magic power via his manthra. A second or a real billa (sacrifice) is then given by the fisher men, who cut the fish caught first in pieces, which they then throw in the sea again. People do not condemn the animal sacrifice at the suniyama as much as they condemn the practice of lay gothuwa by the fishermen. They explain that it is, of course, against their religion to kill or torment an animal, unless for their tradition of suniyama. Therefore it is not so bad, because it is done to save a human life. But what the fishermen do is only for motives of gain. (They add stories of fishermen families, who became first rich due to this practice, but later very poor, due to many sudden deaths in their midst.) It illustrates that it is indeed the intention (Gombrich \91lb\ 257) which matters in the killing, according to Buddhism. This lay gothuwa story of fishermen shows however too, that the idea of the magical strength of blood sac rifice is still a living phenomenon in the minds of most Sinhala. Another proof of that are the many animal sacrifices given by Sinhala Buddhists at the shrines of Kali, especially in Munneswaram, Ko- tahena (Colombo), Magalle, Mutwal (Colombo), and at the Badulla Rock Hill, and at the shrine of Kadavera at Kataragama. 9 9 I did not include the Kali goddess/demoness in this study, although some of my informants call her “the leader of blood” or the leader of Riri Yakka. Her star is rising, espe cially in the cities and in the dry zone of the country. The Sinhala Buddhists are also giving sacrificial offerings to her, especially goats. This is not merely a recent phenomenon, as Gombrich and Obeyesekere suggest (1988, 139f.). My informants claim, that Sinhala Buddhists have been devo-

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