Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams Weerakkody.

Your painting is recent and not taken from an historic reference dating before the Portuguese involvement.. Am I correct in assuming this?

Without wishing to get into a discussion long and difficult (impossible) about "whats in a word" I would caution that there is little evidence either way. I cannot see much of a tie up with your word association except that it is interesting.

Where I suggest a potential area of research which you may be better placed to identify is in the Martial Arts pre Portuguese weaponry style of swords used. The fact is that we are unable to identify an early enough Kastane (Kasthane) which would prove beyond doubt its earlier position.

The 16/17th century is too late....because;

In 1505 Don Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Portuguese viceroy in India, was sailing off the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka looking for Moorish ships to attack when stormy weather forced his fleet to dock at Galle. The rest as we say is history.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salaams Weerakkody ~ I have looked again at your explanation of the Kasthane word origins and I have to say it is a well thought out proposition ...what you indicate could be fact .. but unfortunately it doesn't change the equation based ion the first appearance of the Portuguese in Sri Lanka.(1505AD) The point is that even if the word Kasthane is pure Sri Lankan they(the Portuguese ) were already there ... and in the case of the word being Sri Lankan the design and manufacture may not have been, moreover, cooperation in both were likely carried out in Royal workshops, thus, the weapon itself may be a hybrid with aspects of both designers (Sri Lankan and Portuguese) including Buddhist influence etc.

Thank you for the hard work and insight on the linguistic angles.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.