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51 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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location of Sri Lanka, climate, dimensions
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-southern tip of India
-very tropical -270 mi long, 140 mi wide -highest mountain peak: 8,292 ft. |
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Adam's peak
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aka Sri Pada
-depression in the stone that looks like a footprint -Sinhalese say it is a footprint of the Buddha -the Tamils say it is the footprint of the Hindu go Vishnu -Muslims say it si the footprint of Adam |
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flag of Sri Lanka
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lion ==> Sinhalese
orange stripe ==> Tamils green stripe ==> Muslim |
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Veddas
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-first people of Sri Lanka
-hunters & gatherers -there are still small numbers of them today |
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population
-Sinhalese -Tamils -Muslims |
Sinhalese: 12,430,000
Tamils: 3,000,000 Muslims: 1,000,000 |
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History of Sinhalese
-origin? -ancestors led by? -reason? |
-north Indian origin
-ancestors were led to Sri Lanka in 483 B.C. by Prince Vijaya by sea -original reason was because of Hinduism, but converted to Buddhism in 250 B.C. by Emperor Ashoka |
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Buddhist relics brought.... to Sri Lanka
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sacred tooth of the Buddha
-brought in 311 A.D. -is kept in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy -Kandy: last capital of Sinhalese |
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Tamil history
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-came from S. India about 1000 years ago
-struggle between Tamil and Sinhalese for control over the island ever since |
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Outsiders have tried to take control of Sri Lanka...
-why? -which outsiders? |
-because Sri Lanka is on Indian Ocean trade routes
-Portuguese: 1505 to 1658 -Dutch: 1658 to 1796 -British: 1798 to 1948 -1948: Sri Lanka became independent |
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Which form of Buddhism did the Sinhalese follow?
...and in the past? |
-Theravada
-in the past, Mahiano |
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Sudawatura Ara
-meaning -location -population -founded in |
-means "white water stream"
-located in Moneragala District -in the dry zone (northeast of the island) -extensive water control by ancient sinhalese -became less populated -founded in 1975 |
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Why did Sudawatura Ara become less populated?
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-climate change ==> drier
-affected by Tamil wars -1818: British killed entire male population of the district |
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After the independence of Sri Lanka the government...
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-1975: moved people into the dry zone where they would have more land
-1984: village had only 238 people |
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every day clothing
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-men: wrap around skirt, sometimes with a shirt
-women: longer wrap around skirt with white blouse |
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formal clothing or white collar jobs
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sari
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sari
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an underskirt, a short blouse, and 6 yards of cloth that are wrapped around the body and tucked into the underskirt
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housing
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-thatched roof, walls of clay over wooden framework
-kitchen is a separate little shed, all cooking & food prep is done here |
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How are the Sinhalese different from other cultures we've studied?
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they use tables & chairs
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food
-based on -varieties -meat? -drink |
-based on rice
-rice w/ 2 or 3 different vegetable sauces -very little meat in diet, except dried fish -drink tea and coffee |
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Why do Sinhalese eat little meat?
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-water buffalo is used for work only
-they have no hunting tools -there are few animals to hunt -most animals are controlled by the government |
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What do the Sinhalese grow?
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rice
mangos papayas plantains maize peanuts pumpkins eggplant sweet potato millet manioc |
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kamata
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"threshing ground" of rice
-they beat the stalks to loosen the grains of rice -treated as a sacred area |
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rice harvest festival
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rice harvest festival
-people gather at the kamata -men cook a sweet rice pudding -recite the Refuge prayer -make offerings to Prethas & katara gama |
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refuge prayer
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take refuge in the Buddha, the teaching, and the community
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Prethas
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"hungry ghosts"
-died in the midst of some strong negative emotion -very miserable -people should feel sorry for them -ceremonies are held to benefit the Prethas |
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katara gama
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pre-Buddhist non-Buddhist guardian god of Sri Lanka
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In addition to farming how to people work?
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-men may join the army or the police
-women volunteer to work as domestic servants in other countries -during harvest season, men hire themselves to cut sugar cane |
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illegal ways of making money
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-making & selling homemade alcohol
-digging for sapphires without a permit -growing hushish |
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caste system
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a system of ranked hereditary occupation
-Sinhalese: a Buddhist version of the south indian caste system 1. Govigama 2. Service castes |
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Govigama
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aka Farmer
1/2 of population -many subdivisions including nobility |
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service castes include
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washers
musicians metal workers mat makers potters snake charmers |
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Pavula
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a descent group
-subdivision of caste -trace descent bilateral (can trace by mother, father, or both) -is localized -endogamous (marry inside their Pavula) -owns rice land |
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Women's initiation
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-pre-Buddhist, non-Buddhist custom
-done for each woman individually -begins within minutes of first menstrual period -put in seclusion for 10 days (large house: small room with cloth in front of door. small house: under dining room table with a cloth over it like a tent) -father goes to astrologer who determines her lucky color & exact length of time for seclusion -parents buy her a new outfit in lucky color and new set of personal care items -she can eat only watery foods made with coconut milk -when going outside she must cover herself with a sheet -she carries a sharp nail to ward of the menstrual demon -father can talk to her but not see her |
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What happens on the last day of a woman's initiation
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-walks to tree with milky sap and meets the women of the village
-a woman of the washer caste has water with plants of good luck in it -washer woman pours pot over girl's head and breaks the pot on the ground (symbolizes ending of childhood) -women give the girl a thorough washing -she walks back home wrapped in a white sheet -met by symbols of fertility & abundance at home -puts on her new outfit -people gather at her parents home, she bows in respect to her parents who give her a gift of money -parents serve sweet foods -members of musician caste |
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Which type of marriage is preferred and why?
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-cross cousin marriage
-more likely to do this if they own a lot of rice land -inside Pavula and caste |
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dowry
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-bride gets dowry from her family
-it is a woman's share of her family's wealth & posessions -if she elopes or family doesn't approve of husband, the family may delay or cancel her dowry |
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What is dowry designed to do?
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-keep fortune-hunting men away from seducing a woman for rice land
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wedding
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-date must be approved by astrologer
-held at bride's parent's home -she wears a white sari with white flowers in her hair -groom wears white skirt & shirt -bride & groom bow down in respect to bride's parents -when leaving, bride & groom are splashed with water by someone who has just had a baby: symbol of fertility & blessing -bride & groom go to district town to register marriage with the government (derived from the British) |
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what does white symbolize?
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purity of one's intentions
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monastery?
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there is no monastery or temple because it is a new & small & poor village, so Buddhist monks are imported when needed
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2 outdoor Buddhist shrines:
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-located at community center and the school
-consist of a Bodhi tree (sacred because it is where Buddha gained enlightenment) -has a miniature house with a statue of Buddha -start Buddhist opening exercises with the Refuge Prayer and the Five Precepts |
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new moon and full moon
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Buddhists observe them by:
-wearing white clothes -not eating in the afternoon -visiting a Buddhist temple -observing celibacy |
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Wesak
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-major Buddhist holiday
-full moon day & night in May -if there are 2 full moons in May it is the second one -hang & light colored paper lanterns -people go in procession to one of the shrines -offer coconut oil, inscents, and colored paper lanterns to the Bodhi tree -people recite refuge prayer and five precepts -a village elder will recite a Buddhist sermon |
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In the case of death...
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-cremation is preferred but the village is poor
-so they bury the dead in the earth |
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funeral
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-Buddhist monks are brought over and they chant from Buddhist scriptures
-one of them will give a sermon -they are given cloth -the family serves food -happens in the morning |
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funeral ceremony
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a person close to the deceased person pours hot water from brass bucket to brass cup
-means the person will have an abundance of merit |
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Dana
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means "offering"
Dana is 3 memorial ceremonies held after the funeral -held 7 days, 3 months, and 1 year after the death -same thing as funeral: offerings, drink & food served, and water pouring |
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deva
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"gods"
-generous people but are generous for selfish reasons -believed to be powerful but don't live forever -can help people if they are on their right side -can give fertility, prosperity, & protection -most important deva: kataragama, guardian god of Sri Lanka -another god: Pattini, goddess of fertility |
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yaka
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"demons"
-horrible beings -not very bright -can be turned away by simple means |
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village herbalist
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-helps deal with demons and other problems and the evil eye
- is an amateur doctor of Ayerveda medicine -says spells over water, then person drinks it or sprinkles it -says spells over string, then person wears it around neck or wrist |
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Ayerveda medicine
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puts all foods in 3 categories: hot, cold and neutral
-good health comes from a balance of these -hot: warm, spicey, or acidic -cold: coconut butter -neutral: rice |
