Lanka, the strange island as seen by Greek sailors

By Amal Hewavissenti

Even before the advent of the new phase of civilisation followed by the arrival of Wijaya, Sri Lanka had been a commercial centre with highly sailed Indian ocean surrounding it. It is extremely interesting to read the records kept by foreign sailors and travellers regarding what Sri Lanka was like during the earliest period.

Ancient map of Ceylon

Even Ramayana, that deals with events in Southern India and Sri Lanka three thousand years back has made references to this island as "Lanka." Strangely enough, the sailors and travellers to Sri Lanka never called this island "Lanka" but called it by different names from their respective languages.

The first foreign traveller's impression of Sri Lanka was recorded by Onesicretus, the naval commander of Alexander the Great. The western world by then had laboured under the delusion that "Taprobane" was a strange island - a strange world where horrible monsters and cannibals lived.

Yet Onesicretus refuted these misconceptions in his records made in the course of voyages of Alexander's imperial expansion. According as he says, Taprobane (Sri Lanka) was intersected by a river and one half had been populated by beasts such as tuskers while the other half had human settlements.

Boats

"They (the people of Sri Lanka) sail in reed boats and ships and it takes at least twenty days to sail to Taprobane from India where Persians live. The sea between Taprobane and India is around 35 feet deep but some parts of it (the sea) run much more deep.

We do not require astral indication of direction when sailing across that strip of sea because we are able to determine the direction of land by observing the landward flight of birds.

"They (people of Sri Lanka) collect stripped marbles and oysters of varied types. They, the people of Taprobane obtain pearls from Oysters. In a certain season of the year, the Oysters seek to suck, by an unexplained means, the dear produced by the moon at night and produce pearls from what they get from the moon.

"In hot season, the Oysters dive deep into the sea and protect themselves from heat and particularly from fishermen who are expert in capturing the "leader" of the Oysters and all others who never leave their leader in captivity..." Onesicretus records.

Based on the information given by Sopratus, a Greek trader, Cosmos Indicoptiustus , also a trader recorded his impressions of Sri Lanka. He wrote, "The Greek call this island Taprobane" because the island is profusely scattered with reddish yellow precious stones. The big island rises out of the Indian ocean and is called "Cila diva" by Indians trading frequently with the people in it. "The Taprobane island is surrounded by many other isles where we could see towering coconut trees and enjoy refreshing fresh water. Numerous ships from India, Persia and Ethiopia travel to this island daily.

The island of Taprobane is a commercial centre that exchanges its products with the merchandise from various countries."The King of this island imports tuskers and horses from Persia and pays the price for them according to their (animals') height. In the middle of the island rises the mountain with a foot print on a rock which is believed to have been placed by Adam. Red, purple and blue precious stones lie scattered around this sacred mountain.

Perfumes

"The beaches yield valuable pearls, precious stones, gold and giant conches which the people use as a trumpet. When a King dies, his body is smeared with costly perfumes and is laid on a hearse so as to keep his head down with his hair touching the ground. The body is then cremated after a long funeral procession and the ashes is thrown in the air. "Precious stones of red, green and yellow are abundantly found on the mountain ranges of Taprobane. The King employs miners to obtain precious stones and sometimes he makes them dig deep holes and tunnels underground in order to obtain priceless precious stones.

The King's palace is frequented by scholars and physicians from India, Persia and Rome. The visitors to the King's Palace witness a massive gold statue beside the throne and elegant carvings and decorations inside which were created with the expense of enormous amount of wealth.

"Broad plains which extend up to the sea, the health giving wind, the rocks rich fresh water, lush green meadows and luxuriant vegetation add an extraordinary appearance to the island of Taprobane. Sailors, travellers and foreign envoys are naturally compelled to stay for months on this island simply because of the pleasant atmosphere and friendliness of its inhabitants.

"People of Taprobane are really inclined to involve themselves in many forms of entertainment which exist primarily in provincial level.

"The King of the island of Taprobane is dark in complexion and wears a colourful cloak studded with different precious stones and a pair of red leather sandles with golden threads. When he goes out to his royal gardens, he uses a giant tusker or a Palanquin carried by four men.

His Palace is embellished with red, blue and yellow precious stones and a golden tree stands beside the throne.

"The Palace has been constructed in two segments namely eastern Palace and western Palace which are used by the King in the morning and the evening sessions respectively.

"The King keeps a giant precious stone of about five inches in diameter in his fist. The stone radiates when it is dark and the King habitually rubs it over his face.

"The average people are highly inclined towards certain forms of regional entertainment such as cock fighting and playing a game resembling chess. Their chief source of entertainment is cock fighting at risk of lands, paddy fields, gold and other valuables. The cocks are comparatively larger and aggressive with sharp blades attached to their feet.

The master owner of the cock that wins in the battle is entitled to all property and valuables placed at risk before fighting." Onesicretus had spent a few months in Sri Lanka and returned to Greece as Alexander the Great unexpectedly failed in the battle to capture India.