Citation link:
https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/taprobanian1885/0135
April, 1886.]
THE HISTORY OF AL KHEDHR OR KEDAR NABI.
119
'conjecturally read raja resembles the emblem
in a similar position on the little gold coins
figured by Davids as the Iraka coin.
Another set of copper coins., Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9,
seem to belong to the Baktrian kings of the
Punjaub, Ac., and are now well-known. They
need re-examining in this light, but are in such a
worn condition they could only be identified by
an expert.
Finally, at page 79, we have descriptions of
some relic karanduwas found at the Yatthala
Dagaba; hitherto only known of crystal, these
occurred there of amethyst, chrysoberyl, and
brown crystal, as well as of crystal. In conclu-
sion, it may be said that much as Mr. Parker has
here given us, still more ought to follow from the
material provided by his researches, and we trust
he will figure many of the items of his discoveries.
We shall elsewhere revert to this paper, when
commenting upon matters included in it. It
contains material that might well have been
distributed into five or six instructive articles.
I will now append a few suggestions, which
have presented themselves after a careful exami-
nation of the collection formed by Mr. Parker.
Pottery.—This is of two classes ; a thick red
ware, with a red vegetable glaze, such as is still
in use; and a harder ware, - with a pattern
indented on the exterior, and unglazed. What
Mr. Parker terms rice plates, belong to the
former class, and may have been dishes.
The smaller ones are fairly similar to one
variety of little metal dishes for offerings of food
to the gods, still occasionally used by Tamils.
We have no warrant to suppose they were plates
for eating off, so the word dish is more suitable
than plate. No. 12, part of a kettle, is interest-
ing ; it clearly belonged to a vessel now only
used in sacrifices to some of the obscure gods.
The spouts of these are arranged in symbolical
numbers, four, eight, twelve, &c., and the vessel
is not used for domestic purposes.
The cylindrical piece of pottery, No. 20, is the
leg of a larger vessel. Similar legs are even
now occasionally made for small earthenware
ovens. Vessels on three leg’s are characteristic
of the early pottery work of South India, but
seen rarer in Ceylon, nor could I find in Mr.
Parker’s collection any specimen like those so
common in early burial grounds there.
I further found a fragment of pottery with a
true or mineral glaze, of a bright red colour, the
only piece with a mineral glaze in the collection.
Has this come in accidentally ?
No. 23. This is a copper bowl and stone cover,
carved as a tortoise, roughly. It is an ancient
arak-gala or threshing-floor charm, and is of great
interest as showing the hig’h antiquity of this
custom. The garden in the paddy-field, on which
it was found, is evidently the ancient threshing-
floor. I shall more fully notice this elsewhere.
The broken curry-stones, No. 24, seem to me
sandal-wood stones, such as are used at temples,
and not domestic articles.
The copper hair-pins, No. 2, appear to me an-
timony pins of the usual kind. Similar ones are
still used for application of antimony to the eyes.
The jade bead, and fragments, appear to me
all to be glass. Mr. Dixon has misled the author
by this identification. An oblong piece of green
glass, quite like the bead, is broken in two, and
the fracture shows the usual appearance of glass,
with a slight prismatic lustre.
Lastly what Mr. Parker’s informants identified
as rhinoceros’ horn, and said was locally still of
value, proves to be the fang of a molar tooth. It
appears to be a fossil, is very heavy, and of a
dark-brown colour. The tooth appears to have
been used for ages as a polishing tool, and the
crown is worn away. I cannot trust my memory
for identification of the mammal by this tooth.
The fossils from the Sivalik Hills in India, at
once suggested themselves to my memory, rightly
or wrongly, as resembling this tooth in a state of
preservation. No such fossils have yet been
found in Ceylon.
THE HISTORY OF AL KHEDHR, OR KEDAR NABI.1
As stated in Arabian books, Al Khedhr was
the son of Kalaho, who was the son of Gnapir,
the son of Shalaho, the son of Araphasath, the
son of Shem, the son of Noah. His real name
was Balya Ebn Malcan. He is called Al Khedhr,
because wherever he stays, there the dead trees,
dried grass, and withered herbs, become green
and flourishing. He lived in the time of
Afridun, one of those ancient kings of Persia
who preceded Dhulkeruem, and lived to the time
of Moses. He having found out the fountain
of life and drank thereof, became immortal. He
therefore further received this name of Al.
Khedhr from his flourishing and continual youth.
1 See Sale’s Koran, pages 313, 314, Chandos Edition, and notes g and i.
THE HISTORY OF AL KHEDHR OR KEDAR NABI.
119
'conjecturally read raja resembles the emblem
in a similar position on the little gold coins
figured by Davids as the Iraka coin.
Another set of copper coins., Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9,
seem to belong to the Baktrian kings of the
Punjaub, Ac., and are now well-known. They
need re-examining in this light, but are in such a
worn condition they could only be identified by
an expert.
Finally, at page 79, we have descriptions of
some relic karanduwas found at the Yatthala
Dagaba; hitherto only known of crystal, these
occurred there of amethyst, chrysoberyl, and
brown crystal, as well as of crystal. In conclu-
sion, it may be said that much as Mr. Parker has
here given us, still more ought to follow from the
material provided by his researches, and we trust
he will figure many of the items of his discoveries.
We shall elsewhere revert to this paper, when
commenting upon matters included in it. It
contains material that might well have been
distributed into five or six instructive articles.
I will now append a few suggestions, which
have presented themselves after a careful exami-
nation of the collection formed by Mr. Parker.
Pottery.—This is of two classes ; a thick red
ware, with a red vegetable glaze, such as is still
in use; and a harder ware, - with a pattern
indented on the exterior, and unglazed. What
Mr. Parker terms rice plates, belong to the
former class, and may have been dishes.
The smaller ones are fairly similar to one
variety of little metal dishes for offerings of food
to the gods, still occasionally used by Tamils.
We have no warrant to suppose they were plates
for eating off, so the word dish is more suitable
than plate. No. 12, part of a kettle, is interest-
ing ; it clearly belonged to a vessel now only
used in sacrifices to some of the obscure gods.
The spouts of these are arranged in symbolical
numbers, four, eight, twelve, &c., and the vessel
is not used for domestic purposes.
The cylindrical piece of pottery, No. 20, is the
leg of a larger vessel. Similar legs are even
now occasionally made for small earthenware
ovens. Vessels on three leg’s are characteristic
of the early pottery work of South India, but
seen rarer in Ceylon, nor could I find in Mr.
Parker’s collection any specimen like those so
common in early burial grounds there.
I further found a fragment of pottery with a
true or mineral glaze, of a bright red colour, the
only piece with a mineral glaze in the collection.
Has this come in accidentally ?
No. 23. This is a copper bowl and stone cover,
carved as a tortoise, roughly. It is an ancient
arak-gala or threshing-floor charm, and is of great
interest as showing the hig’h antiquity of this
custom. The garden in the paddy-field, on which
it was found, is evidently the ancient threshing-
floor. I shall more fully notice this elsewhere.
The broken curry-stones, No. 24, seem to me
sandal-wood stones, such as are used at temples,
and not domestic articles.
The copper hair-pins, No. 2, appear to me an-
timony pins of the usual kind. Similar ones are
still used for application of antimony to the eyes.
The jade bead, and fragments, appear to me
all to be glass. Mr. Dixon has misled the author
by this identification. An oblong piece of green
glass, quite like the bead, is broken in two, and
the fracture shows the usual appearance of glass,
with a slight prismatic lustre.
Lastly what Mr. Parker’s informants identified
as rhinoceros’ horn, and said was locally still of
value, proves to be the fang of a molar tooth. It
appears to be a fossil, is very heavy, and of a
dark-brown colour. The tooth appears to have
been used for ages as a polishing tool, and the
crown is worn away. I cannot trust my memory
for identification of the mammal by this tooth.
The fossils from the Sivalik Hills in India, at
once suggested themselves to my memory, rightly
or wrongly, as resembling this tooth in a state of
preservation. No such fossils have yet been
found in Ceylon.
THE HISTORY OF AL KHEDHR, OR KEDAR NABI.1
As stated in Arabian books, Al Khedhr was
the son of Kalaho, who was the son of Gnapir,
the son of Shalaho, the son of Araphasath, the
son of Shem, the son of Noah. His real name
was Balya Ebn Malcan. He is called Al Khedhr,
because wherever he stays, there the dead trees,
dried grass, and withered herbs, become green
and flourishing. He lived in the time of
Afridun, one of those ancient kings of Persia
who preceded Dhulkeruem, and lived to the time
of Moses. He having found out the fountain
of life and drank thereof, became immortal. He
therefore further received this name of Al.
Khedhr from his flourishing and continual youth.
1 See Sale’s Koran, pages 313, 314, Chandos Edition, and notes g and i.