Vedda

The traditional religion of the Vedda, who live as hunters and gatherers in the forests of Sri Lanka, is polytheistic and centres on the dead. The Veddas call their ancestors nae yaku and invoke them for success in hunting. These kindred spirits are held to watch over the living and give them flesh in the hunt.

The dead are neither good nor bad, and the living treat them like friends and relatives. Well-treated spirits remain kind, but neglected ones withdraw their help or turn hostile.

The Veddas share the shrine of Kataragama with their Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim neighbours, where the god Skanda is held to have met and married Valli, a Vedda girl. Over time many Veddas took on a nominal Buddhism or Hinduism, while the old rites continued.