By Vijitha Yapa

In his book Ravana, King of Lanka, Sir Christopher Ondaatje – brother of Booker Prize winner Michael Ondaatje – says that the ravanahatha invented by King Ravana is the world’s first violin.

He notes that the violin as we know it today was developed in Italy in the late 15th century. However, its origins can be traced back centuries earlier. The ravanahatha is regarded as the world’s first violin – it was the first stringed instrument to be played with a bow.

At first glance, Sunela Jayewardene’s Ravana’s Lanka appears to be the first publication focussed on the king’s era in Sri Lanka. However, the majority of the chronicle delves into the country’s ancient tribes, exploring where they came from and what they achieved.

Jayewardene identifies three distinct tribes – the Yakas, Rakusas and latecomers Nagas – with the primary focus being the history of the Vedda, believed to be descendants of Kuveni and her children.

Prince Vijaya’s arrival and attraction to Kuveni – the queen who betrayed her people and made them easy prey for his accomplices – are recorded. Yet, Kuveni faced the consequences of her treachery when she was eventually chased away by Vija­ya along with her two children.

There are other areas that should have received greater attention but Jayewardene skilfully avoids any contradiction of the great chronicle the Mahāvaṃsa.

She acknowledges that the Buddha visited Sri Lanka three times to settle disputes among the tribes but doesn’t explain why there weren’t any Buddhists here until the arrival of Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa.

Jayewardene describes King Kalyanatissa (Kelani Tissa) of the Kelani area as a Naga and recounts a devastating tsunami that ravaged the Kelaniya region. The author does not mention that the king punished a venerated religious figure by boiling him due to mistaken identity.

To placate the angry gods, he sacrificed his Naga daughter Viharamahadevi to the sea and she washed ashore in the Kingdom of Ruhuna ruled by King Kavan Tissa. The union of this king and the princess resulted in the birth of Dutugamunu, the national hero of the Sinhalese who liberated the land from the Tamils.

The book contains a few details of the stories that abound in rural society of King Ravana’s successes but more space could have been devoted to exploring his legends and exploits, as these details would have created a more captivating narrative.

Her visit to Narang Thalawa, and observations of the long incisions that gridded the rockface of corresponding cable car stations and sloping plateau of Ginikeliyawa, are noteworthy.

Ginikeliyawa was known as the place for the Mayuranga community’s fire games, raising intriguing questions of whether they were these games or Ravana’s rockets taking off. There are no historical records; only the beliefs of local folk.

These are unchartered, unexplored territories awaiting discovery and exploration by archaeological experts, which the author draws attention to.

She laments and reiterates her belief that the primary reason that Ravana is officially ignored and diminished in Sri Lanka is because it dilutes the historical narrative of civilising Sinhalese and the introduction of Buddhism to the island.

And in her obsession to describe the ancient tribes of Sri Lanka, Jayewardene makes interesting observations.

For instance, she says that the Vedda – who used familiar markings such as rocks, mountains and rivers to define their territories – found their way into the surnames of well-known Sri Lankan families.

She notes that names such as Wela (field), Gala (rock) and so on can be traced to those of well-known aristocratic families including the Hulugalles, Hapugodas and Rambukwellas. And Jayewardene doesn’t hesitate to point out that her name Tudugala reflects this – and implies that these families are descendants of the Vedda.

The author says the indigenous community’s genetic links should be researched to identify the connection with the majority Sinhalese population, as she believes that most Sri Lankans “carry considerable Vedda genes.”

Jayewardene has a tendency to throw her beliefs out there and expects the masses to evaluate her theories. An example is her belief that Lakshman, brother of the invading Rama, is deified as Saman.

Ravana’s Lanka is a fascinating book by an author with the conviction to visit the places that were part of the king’s domain. She’s no armchair critic but a woman of adventure who sought to provide a glimpse of Lanka’s glory.

She views everything through her architectural prismed eyes and takes the reader on a journey that no Sri Lankan or Indian writer has to date.