Charms and Belief Used by Traditional Agricultural Communities in Sri Lanka
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Introduction
Ancient Sinhala community believed unforeseen powers. They thought that most of the troublesome come from devils in unknown world. Troubles they faced were incurable diseases of human body, devastation of crops, loss of harvest, droughts, floods, drying of water in a well, collapsed of a useful tree, death of some trees and other huge damages to communities. Some believed that these devastations come from planets in the universe.
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Therefore, in order to avoid such troubles, most of the works were started at an auspicious time given by astrologers. However, people who met these troubles went to see exorcists and obtained advices. Finally, based on exorcist’s advices, devils dances, magic events, deity worships and any other alms giving to animals or gods were emerged.
Similarly, Village communities in Sri Lanka used ‘Kem’ methods as precautionary steps for attacked by animals or insects to plants or cattle. It was sometime mixed with charms. Traditional village communities usually used “Kem’ methods to prevent some diseases to human body. Generally, Kem methods were known to only very small number of people who follows them generation by generation. Kem methods are considered as secret. Most people believe that if they are popular among societies, they will lose the quality of the Kem service. As a result of this, kem methods have been vanished from the communities living in rural areas in Sri Lanka. Preservation of Kem methods in Sri Lanka is needed to show for future generations. Some of Kem methods currently available in rural arears are noted in this section.
1. Read More about charms used in Rural community in Sri Lanka (in Sinhala) >>
2. Read More about “Kem” Methods used by Sri Lankan traditional agricultural communities (in English) >>