Maha Sohona
Encyclopedia
Maha Sohona is a demon
(yaka or yakseya) in Sinhalese
folklore, who is said to haunt cemeteries. The name Maha Sohona means "great graveyard demon" or "demon of the cemetery" in the Sinhala language. It is one of the most feared demons in Sri Lanka
. Originally a giant who had been defeated in a duel, Maha Sohona has had his head replaced with that of a bear since he lost his head in the duel. He is believed to kill people and afflict them with illnesses. Traditional exorcism rituals are performed to repel the demon in such cases. Sri Lanka Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
units are popularly known as the "Maha Sohon Brigade", named after this demon.
of Dutthagamani
. Jaya Sena had never been defeated in battle before, so he accepted Gotaimbara's challenge to a duel. However, Gotaimbara easily defeated him and kicked his head off. Upon seeing this, the planet god Senasura (Saturn
) took off the head of a bear and fitted it onto Jaya Sena's body, bringing him back to life. However, Jaya Sena returned from the dead as a demon and took to haunting graveyards, and was thereafter called Maha Sohona, meaning "great graveyard demon".
and dysentery
. Maha Sohona is chief to 30,000 demons, and often uses various disguises, each time riding a particular animal such as a goat, deer, horse, sheep and elephant.
The 122 feet (37.2 m) tall demon has three eyes and four hands and his skin is red in colour. He has the head of a bear, rides a pig and drinks the blood of an elephant he carries in his right hand. He is also armed with a pike
in his left hand.
Maha Sohona kills people at night by striking them between the shoulders. The mark of a hand will be embossed on the flesh of the body after this. Apart from killing, he is also able to possess humans. People possessed by Maha Sohona will become boisterous and violent.
Demons of Sri Lanka
Demons, more commonly known by their Sinhala names yakseya and yakka , form an important part of Sinhalese folklore in Sri Lanka. They are under the rule of a king, who has forbidden them to kill humans. Therefore they bring down various diseases upon humans, so that they can gain the satisfaction...
(yaka or yakseya) in Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
folklore, who is said to haunt cemeteries. The name Maha Sohona means "great graveyard demon" or "demon of the cemetery" in the Sinhala language. It is one of the most feared demons in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Originally a giant who had been defeated in a duel, Maha Sohona has had his head replaced with that of a bear since he lost his head in the duel. He is believed to kill people and afflict them with illnesses. Traditional exorcism rituals are performed to repel the demon in such cases. Sri Lanka Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Sri Lanka)
The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is a covert operation unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This unit is also known as the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army and also as the Mahasohon Brigade...
units are popularly known as the "Maha Sohon Brigade", named after this demon.
Origins
Maha Sohona was originally a giant named Jaya Sena, who had offended Gotaimbara, one of the ten giant warriorsTen Giant Warriors
Much is written of the great war between Sinhala King Dutugemunu and a South Indian Invader, Tamil King Elara for the City of Anuradhapura, and the central role played by Dutugemunu’s Ten Giant Warriors or the great warriors – the dasa maha yodha...
of Dutthagamani
Dutthagamani
Dutugamunu , also known as Dutthagamani duṭṭhagāmaṇī) and Gamani Abhaya ගාමිණී අභය gāmaṇī abhaya, "fearless Gamini" was a Sinhalese King of Sri Lanka who reigned from 161 BC to 137 BC...
. Jaya Sena had never been defeated in battle before, so he accepted Gotaimbara's challenge to a duel. However, Gotaimbara easily defeated him and kicked his head off. Upon seeing this, the planet god Senasura (Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
) took off the head of a bear and fitted it onto Jaya Sena's body, bringing him back to life. However, Jaya Sena returned from the dead as a demon and took to haunting graveyards, and was thereafter called Maha Sohona, meaning "great graveyard demon".
Characteristics
Maha Sohona is believed to haunt graveyards, looking for human prey. He also haunts large rocks and hills, surrounded by human corpses. Human entrails are said to be the demon's favourite food. Junctions where three roads meet are other haunting grounds of this demon, and he is able to spread choleraCholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. Maha Sohona is chief to 30,000 demons, and often uses various disguises, each time riding a particular animal such as a goat, deer, horse, sheep and elephant.
The 122 feet (37.2 m) tall demon has three eyes and four hands and his skin is red in colour. He has the head of a bear, rides a pig and drinks the blood of an elephant he carries in his right hand. He is also armed with a pike
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
in his left hand.
Maha Sohona kills people at night by striking them between the shoulders. The mark of a hand will be embossed on the flesh of the body after this. Apart from killing, he is also able to possess humans. People possessed by Maha Sohona will become boisterous and violent.