Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c6.5

c6.5

These two stories afford some evidence of the existence of more or less civilised peoples in Ceylon previous to the arrival of Vijaya and his companions. The details of the account of Vijaya’s reception and settlement afford later and further indications of the existence of an earlier civilisation in Ceylon; reference is found to cities, spinning, sumptuous beds, etc. In any case it is clear that, according to the legends, the Sinhalese cannot be of pure Aryan blood, as the first settlers married either the aborigines, or women from Southern India, and there has been a very large amount of Tamil blood introduced at many subsequent periods. Their civilisation and art are nevertheless distinctly Aryan and distinguished from, though closely resembling, that of Southern India.