Reeri Yakseya
Encyclopedia
Reeri Yakseya or Reeri Yakka is a demon
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...

 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. It is believed to be the most cruel and powerful demon of all. Although Reeri Yakseya has the body of a human, his head is that of a monkey. His skin is fiery red in colour, and he rides a red bull. It is believed that he can afflict all kinds of illnesses on humans, but hemorrhages and blood diseases are especially attributed to him.

When a man is on his deathbed, Reeri Yakseya is believed to be present at his side. On such occasions, he shows himself as an apparition bearing the appearance of a pygmy
Pygmy
Pygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually short; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult men grow to less than 150 cm in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed "pygmoid." The best known pygmies are the Aka,...

. He stands by the dying man holding a cock
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...

 in one hand and a club in the other, and the corpse of a man in his mouth. This apparition is said to be only one span and six inches in height. When Reeri Yakseya assumes this form, he is known as "Maru Avatar". There are 18 other apparitions or avatars that Reeri Yakseya can assume. These apparitions are known by the following names.
  1. Reeri Yakseya (in his original form)
  2. Ree Rajja
  3. Agu Rajja
  4. Pulutajja
  5. Reeri Gopalla
  6. Reeri Buddia
  7. Reeri Watukaya
  8. Reeri Billey Dewatawa
  9. Reeri Kavisia
  10. Reeri Sanniya
  11. Reeri Curumberaya
  12. Reeri Madana Yakseya
  13. Lay Avatar Yakseya
  14. Lay Caama Yakseya
  15. Marulu Dewatawa
  16. Maru Reeri Yakseya
  17. Maru Caama Yakseya
  18. Maru Avatar Yakseya


A less popular belief is that these are not apparitions of the same demon but 18 individual demons who work together.

Reeri yakseya is believed to have more than a hundred incarnations
Incarnations
Incarnations can refer to:*Incarnation of supernatural or religious entities*Incarnations of Immortality, a book series by Piers Anthony*Incarnate , a character class in a role-playing game...

, each time as a different person. He has been the son of a king named Sanka Pala, a son of the king of Lagal Pura and even a female demon called Ginimuru Yaksani in Hanumanta Desay, among others. Originally, Reeri Yakseya could not be controlled by any of the gods, and all feared him until the god Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

managed to bind him with a charmed jungle creeper.
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