Who Are the Veddah?
The Veddah (Wanniyala-Aetto, "forest dwellers") are the indigenous people of Sri Lanka, numbering a few hundred to few thousand depending on definitions, representing the island's aboriginal inhabitants predating Sinhalese and Tamil arrivals. Genetic and archaeological evidence suggests Veddah descended from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers inhabiting Sri Lanka for at least 16,000-34,000 years, possibly related to Indian hunter-gatherer populations. Traditionally, the Veddah practiced hunter-gatherer lifestyle in Sri Lankan forests, hunting deer, wild boar, and small game with bows and arrows, gathering honey (Veddah were renowned honey hunters), yams, and forest products, and living in rock shelters or simple huts. Veddah society organized through patrilineal clans with animistic spiritual beliefs honoring ancestors (nae yakka) and forest spirits. The Veddah language (Vedda), possibly a creole mixing ancient substrate with Sinhalese, is nearly extinct with fewer than 10 elderly speakers. Centuries of marginalization eroded Veddah culture—Sinhalese colonization displaced them from forests, intermarriage blurred ethnic boundaries, and agricultural settlement replaced hunting-gathering. By the 20th century, most Veddah had assimilated into Sinhalese rural society. A core group claiming pure Veddah descent maintains cultural identity, though debates exist over authenticity given extensive admixture. Modern Veddah face poverty, landlessness, and cultural erosion, though cultural revival efforts and tourism create renewed interest in heritage.