Representations of Livelihood and Familial Bonds in Traditional Vedda Songs

Abstract

The Vedda community is widely regarded as Sri Lankan aborigines. Throughout the centuries, they have managed to maintain a distinct cultural identity with their own belief systems, traditions, and rituals, and close affiliation to nature. The main aim of the study is to critically evaluate traditional Vedda songs to observe how they represent the familial bonds, livelihood, hardships, and the simplicity of their needs. Using a qualitative methodology that incorporates a corpus-based approach combined with a mini-ethnographic design, the research critically analyzes early twentieth-century popular Vedda songs through data gathered from the corpus and the field visits to Dambana and Henanigala. The findings reveal that, while appearing simplistic, these songs encapsulate complex themes, including the Veddas' deep connection to nature, hunting and honey-gathering practices, reliance on forest resources, familial bonding, and spiritual affiliations. These traditional Vedda songs remain an invaluable repository of the Vedda community's heritage, offering insights into their way of life and values gradually ceasing to exist. The study underscores the urgent need for documentation and preservation of the Vedda songs to sustain this vanishing song tradition while recommending longitudinal research to explore further and safeguard the musical legacy of this Indigenous community. Further, a digital repository of the traditional Vedda songs should be created, and measures could be taken to revitalize them through activities that encourage intergenerational transmission in order to revive this dying art form.