Who Are the Wanniyala-Aetto?
The Wanniyala-Aetto—meaning "forest-dwelling people" in their own language, known to outsiders as Vedda—are the indigenous inhabitants of Sri Lanka. Archaeological and genetic evidence suggests their ancestors have lived on the island for at least 16,000 years, predating the arrival of Sinhalese and Tamil populations by millennia. Today, only a few hundred to a few thousand continue to identify culturally as Wanniyala-Aetto, though many more have Vedda ancestry.
Traditionally hunter-gatherers living in the forests of eastern and central Sri Lanka, the Wanniyala-Aetto possessed extensive knowledge of the island's ecology. Their culture, language, and way of life have been devastated by colonial policies, post-independence development, and especially the establishment of national parks that denied them access to ancestral lands.
Forest Life and Knowledge
Traditional Wanniyala-Aetto life centered on hunting, honey gathering, and shifting cultivation in the dry zone forests of eastern Sri Lanka. Men hunted deer, wild boar, and small game using bows and axes. Women gathered yams, fruits, and other forest foods. Honey from wild bee colonies was particularly prized and figured prominently in trade with neighboring agricultural communities.
Their intimate knowledge of the forest included understanding of animal behavior, seasonal cycles, medicinal plants, and sustainable harvesting practices. They moved between cave shelters and temporary camps following food availability. This semi-nomadic lifestyle ensured forests remained productive over generations—a form of active conservation through traditional use.
Ancestor Worship
Traditional Wanniyala-Aetto religion centers on the yaku—spirits of deceased ancestors who must be propitiated and honored. The kirikoraha ceremony invokes ancestral spirits through a medium (kapurala) who enters trance states to communicate with the dead. Ancestors are believed to protect the living, ensure successful hunts, and maintain community welfare.
This ancestor-focused spirituality differs from both Sinhalese Buddhism and Tamil Hinduism, though centuries of contact have resulted in some syncretism. Sacred caves served as burial sites and ceremonial locations. The relationship between living and dead forms the core of Wanniyala-Aetto cosmology and social organization.
The Vedda Language
The Vedda language represents a mystery for linguists. The surviving vocabulary and grammar suggest a creole between an original language—possibly related to languages of South India or unique to the island—and Sinhalese. Many linguists believe the ancestral Vedda language has been largely replaced, with only traces surviving in ritual contexts and specialized vocabulary.
Elder Wanniyala-Aetto still use distinctive vocabulary for forest plants, animals, and traditional practices. Efforts to document this knowledge before it disappears have intensified, though language transmission to younger generations has largely ceased as communities have been forced into contact with mainstream Sinhalese society.
Displacement and Struggle
The creation of wildlife reserves, particularly Maduru Oya National Park in 1983, devastated the Wanniyala-Aetto. Forced from their forest homes, they were settled in artificial villages outside their traditional territories. Denied hunting rights, unable to practice shifting cultivation, and stripped of their forest-based economy, many fell into poverty and cultural disintegration.
Leaders like the late Uruwarige Wanniyala-Aetto (known internationally as "Vedda Chief") campaigned for land rights and cultural recognition. The community has won some legal victories, including recognition of limited forest access rights. However, their situation remains precarious—caught between conservation authorities, agricultural encroachment, and development pressures that leave little room for traditional life.
References
- Seligmann, C.G. & Seligmann, B.Z. (1911). "The Veddas"
- Brow, J. (1978). "Vedda Villages of Anuradhapura: The Historical Anthropology of a Community in Sri Lanka"
- Stegeborn, W. (2004). "Sri Lanka's Forest-People: Their Cultural and Ecological Situation"
- Knox, R. (1681). "An Historical Relation of Ceylon"