Page 60 - Vimarsha Volume 2

of years, swinging for their caste etc.“But one of the most extraordinary of these
ceremonies which I have witnessed is swinging for their caste, as it termed. A very

high and strong post, or cocoa-tree, is planted firmly in the ground, crosswise; on its
top, another beam is placed in such a manner as to turn round on a pivot, and made
fast to the upright post by ropes reeved through both like the yards to the mast of a

ship; and from the end of the transverse beam ropes and pullies are suspended to hoist
up the devotee” (Percival, 1975:75).

In addition, he describes that barren women are struggling to catch the sacrificed
sheep’s blood drops in the meantime because they believe that they can have babies
by catching the sacrificed sheep’s blood drops. Percival highly criticizes those

customs of Indians in this chapter by his own experiences. “In the meantime, a sheep
is sacrificed, and the blood sprinkled about on surrounding multitude, who are eager
that it shall fall upon them. Barren women, in particular, are anxious to catch the

drops, in hopes of being by this means rendered fruitful; and with a view to secure
the efficacy of this charm, they contrive to work themselves up, during the ceremony,

to the highest pitch of religious delirium, tearing their hair and shrieking in the most
dreadful manner” (Percival, 1975:75-76).

Percival had made a huge criticism regarding the behaviours of the Ceylonese Dutch,

Portuguese in chapter seven. He declared that these people are lazy and indolent and
they make no effort to increase their knowledge. It showed the ‘ethnocentric’ idea of
the writer and he emphasized his race is way better than Dutch and Portuguese.

Besides, he described another group of people, called ‘Malays’. According to him,
the religion, laws, manners, and customs of the Malays, as well as their dress, colour

and persons, differ very much from those all the other habitats of Asia. He further
describes their physical appearance, dress patterns, foods, religious perspectives and
other customs and traditions as well.

In chapter eight, Percival elaborates about the Ceylonese, their origin, manners,
language and state of the society. This is a very important and significant chapter
while comparing with other chapters because it describes the Sri Lankan society and

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