--------
Page 434
434 TALE OF A TOOTH. [Nov.
doubtless noticed and probably wonder- prospect, not the measured music of
the
ed that not a single human habitation is waters surging along the shore, not
all
to be seen along the whole line of the the rapture one feels in the presence
of
beautiful table-land in the neighborhood the most beautiful conceptions of
God
of the group of rocks. The natrves are and the most skillful creations of
His
somewhat reticent on the subject, but it handiwork, has won the place to
human
is said that it is the strange superstition usefulness.
connected with the spot that has con- "O'er all there hangs the shadow of a
fear,
demned it to almost perpetual solitude. Which says as plain as whisper in
the ear,
Not the magnificent grandeur of its ocean`The rock is haunted."'
TALE OF A TOOTH.
HE RE is an old nursery rhyme man. But this morsel of ivory derives
which says, "We never know its sole value from its repute of being
what great things from little things may the tooth, the eye-tooth, of one of
the
rise," and if we trace the history of some greatest men ever deified - men
who
little things and consider their influence have sent their names ringing
down to
upon the great things of the world, we ages and ages, and influenced mankind
can easily verify the truth of the adage. with their special theories from
generaA tooth, for instance, is an infinitesimal tion to generation.
portion of a man; yet a' tooth has figur- The precious ivory is now
enshrined
ed in the lives of some very ancient with much religious zeal in a temple at
kings; influenced - nay, controlled - Kandy, the late capital of Ceylon.
That
their history, and played its part in one famous Ceylon - the Taprobane of
the
of the longest dynasties on record. I Greeks, Serendib of the Arabian Nights
speak of the tooth of Guatama Buddha, -sleeping in the Indian Ocean,
southwhich is considered by some fifty mill- east of the peninsula of
Hindostan, from
ions of people to be the most sacred which it is only separated by the
Straits
and heavenly object left upon the terres- of Manaar, sometimes called
"Adam's
trial globe. His tooth is certainly the Bridge," as he is reputed to have
passed
oldest in the annals of time, for it dates over to the Island of Ceylon
dry-shod,
its existence from six centuries before upon rocks, when driven from
Paradise
Christ, having passed ninety years of its by the flaming sword, and settled
upon
infancy in a man 5 mouth. the great mountain which bears his
The tale of this tooth is a romance of name.
history as marvelous as the story of the The sun was just setting over
Kandy,
great Kohinoor diamond, or the Marie as we reached it. We had come from
Antoinette necklace, yet far surpassing Point de Galle, the stopping - place
of
these in antiquity, episodes, and influ- most China-bound steamers. Visitors
ence, for the latter had their intrinsic val- to the far East are usually
contented
ue to aid them, being always convertible with a drive on shore at Galle, and
exinto hardcash-animmense advantage to cept officials and planters few
Europeromance now-a-days, for, as the modern ans travel in the interior of
Ceylon.
world wags, "~. s. d." is the great talis- The sun was setting as only a
tropical
--------
Page 434
434 TALE OF A TOOTH. [Nov.
doubtless noticed and probably wonder- prospect, not the measured music of
the
ed that not a single human habitation is waters surging along the shore, not
all
to be seen along the whole line of the the rapture one feels in the presence
of
beautiful table-land in the neighborhood the most beautiful conceptions of
God
of the group of rocks. The natrves are and the most skillful creations of
His
somewhat reticent on the subject, but it handiwork, has won the place to
human
is said that it is the strange superstition usefulness.
connected with the spot that has con- "O'er all there hangs the shadow of a
fear,
demned it to almost perpetual solitude. Which says as plain as whisper in
the ear,
Not the magnificent grandeur of its ocean`The rock is haunted."'
TALE OF A TOOTH.
HE RE is an old nursery rhyme man. But this morsel of ivory derives
which says, "We never know its sole value from its repute of being
what great things from little things may the tooth, the eye-tooth, of one of
the
rise," and if we trace the history of some greatest men ever deified - men
who
little things and consider their influence have sent their names ringing
down to
upon the great things of the world, we ages and ages, and influenced mankind
can easily verify the truth of the adage. with their special theories from
generaA tooth, for instance, is an infinitesimal tion to generation.
portion of a man; yet a' tooth has figur- The precious ivory is now
enshrined
ed in the lives of some very ancient with much religious zeal in a temple at
kings; influenced - nay, controlled - Kandy, the late capital of Ceylon.
That
their history, and played its part in one famous Ceylon - the Taprobane of
the
of the longest dynasties on record. I Greeks, Serendib of the Arabian Nights
speak of the tooth of Guatama Buddha, -sleeping in the Indian Ocean,
southwhich is considered by some fifty mill- east of the peninsula of
Hindostan, from
ions of people to be the most sacred which it is only separated by the
Straits
and heavenly object left upon the terres- of Manaar, sometimes called
"Adam's
trial globe. His tooth is certainly the Bridge," as he is reputed to have
passed
oldest in the annals of time, for it dates over to the Island of Ceylon
dry-shod,
its existence from six centuries before upon rocks, when driven from
Paradise
Christ, having passed ninety years of its by the flaming sword, and settled
upon
infancy in a man 5 mouth. the great mountain which bears his
The tale of this tooth is a romance of name.
history as marvelous as the story of the The sun was just setting over
Kandy,
great Kohinoor diamond, or the Marie as we reached it. We had come from
Antoinette necklace, yet far surpassing Point de Galle, the stopping - place
of
these in antiquity, episodes, and influ- most China-bound steamers. Visitors
ence, for the latter had their intrinsic val- to the far East are usually
contented
ue to aid them, being always convertible with a drive on shore at Galle, and
exinto hardcash-animmense advantage to cept officials and planters few
Europeromance now-a-days, for, as the modern ans travel in the interior of
Ceylon.
world wags, "~. s. d." is the great talis- The sun was setting as only a
tropical
--------
Page 435
1873.] TALE OF A TOOTH. 435
sun would dare to set, in splashes of display of form and color which
transpurple, green, amber, and crimson, which fuse oriental scenery. A long,
narrow,
described on paper may seem to denote picturesque Chinese street forms the
busvery bad taste on the part of the sun, iness portion of the town, and all
around
but in reality was a gorgeous spectacle. upon the green hills are the
planters'
The flowery hills around Kandy blushed bungalows, climbing higher and higher
a pale rose - tint, as though they were up the mountains, peeping out from a
not quite satisfied to reflect any of the perfect sea of coffee - trees,
whose white
deeper colors; but the mountains, rear- blossoms exhale a perfume which
hangs
ing their heads eight thousand feet, as a canopy over the whole country, and
plunged their purple peaks into the whose scarlet berries, when the coffee
is
azure sky. ripe, gladden the dark green of the land Few people would venture
to dispute scape.
the beauty of Kandy at any time; but, To return to the temple, now the
glowing with the brilliant sunset lights, resting-place of the ivory trifle
whose
it must win all hearts not utterly callous history I am attempting to write.
It is
to beauty. At present, it may be de- the core or nucleus of a vast
establishscribed as a congregation of handsome ment of Buddhist priests, who
lift their
objects rather than as a city. In the voices in praise, morning, noon, and
centre is a large artificial lake-one of night, with an accompaniment of
drums,
the famous tanks or reservoirs con- tom-toms, and big gongs. There is also
structed at various parts of the island, a large stable of elephants and
horses,
about two thousand years ago, to irri- and serving-men, to officiate upon
grand
gate the land, forming the glory of king occasions, when the tooth goes
abroad
and kingdom. Reflected in its waters and is exhibited to the faithful. This,
stands the Buddhist temple, with num- however, it ve~y rarely does, for its
berless colonnades and towers, under guardians understand thoroughly that
which reposes the great Dalada, the too much familiarity breeds contempt,
Tooth of Buddha; enshrined in tem- and fifty years sometimes elapse beples,
and altars, arid reliquaires, of mar- tween its appearances in public.
ble, ivory, ebony, silver, and gold; set King Kriti Sri had been the last
monwith precious stones-sapphires, pearls, arch to worship it in company
with his
rubies, topazes-for which the island is subjects, so that very few persons
in the
renowned. Around the reservoir is a island had actually seen it, though they
raised wall and promenade, shadowed earnestly believed in the potency of the
by tamarind- trees, and the male cotton relic, and that the sight alone
jwould conwith its cherry - lipped flowers, which fer prosperity upon the
beholder. Great
falling carpet the earth in a zone of preparations were, therefore, made in
the
pinky leaflets. Below is a carriage- city of Kandy; triumphal arches
erectdrive around the lake, four miles in cir- ed, and whole trees
transplanted to form
cumference. On the opposite side is bowers, altars, and avenues for the
prothe modern hotel, with its wide veran- cession to halt in or pass
through. Evdah covered with creepers of every hue, ery creature - man,
woman, or child -
and tempting long chairs. A little far- that could use its own feet, came
from all
ther on is an old Dutch church, which in parts of the island to witness the
expoits ugly simplicity is a good foil to the sition and partake in the
consequent bengraceful and elaborate pagoda opposite; efits, even as Italian
peasantry assemble
it seems to be sneering in a quiet and at Easter in the vast amphitheatre of
St.
phlegmatic way at all the vainglorious Peter's, to catch the small slips of
paper
--------
Page 436
436 TALE OF A TOOTH. [Nov.
which the Pope trusts to the wind as his to receive him, while the nobles,
priests,
messenger to convey pardon for sins and and populace bend their bodies at a
right
immunity from punishment. But the angle, lifting their arms above their
heads,
Cingalese consider that one divine ben- and joining their fingers. They
raise a
efit is enough for one life, therefore this shout of triumph appalling in
its power
festival is not often repeated. and vehemence, which is caught up by
Formerly the high priest and the king the multitude, and far and wide from
were il~e officials at the ceremony; but every throat and voice it spreads
over
since the island and the tooth have fall- the whole city-one mighty, solemn
peal
en into British hands, of course the Gov- of adoration. "Horrible idblatry!"
exernor stands in lieu of the Queen. He claims a prudish Protestant. So it
may
and the high priest, with attendant priests, appear. But what, then, is the
"Fe~e
private secretaries, and other assistants, Bieit in France, the " Holy Cross
in
etc., enter the sancf~rn sanctorarn where Rome? What is our own impassioned
~the singularly long tooth dwells in cost- embrace of a faded photograph,
not seen
ly obscurity. With the aid of a host of for years, which rouses the yearning
attendants, the various tabernacles, pa- tear? We do not all of us
understand
godas, and altars are removed, when the our own emotions-can we fathom those
sumptuous caskets of gold and jewels of the Cingalese?
are loosed. The tooth then goes into The elephant, bearing the sac red
Ba?its out-door garment, a pavilion of solid ada, and followed by the whole
retinue
silver with silver ornamented pillars, -civilized, savage, sacred and
profane,
which covers the bawsewzge, a small priest and parson (no doubt the British
octagonal cupola composed of burnish- chaplain would have to be present,
poed gold, rows of blue sapphires, and ru- litically, of course),
richly-robed Cingabies. The Ba/ada re~ses in another lese nobles, unclad
Malabars, Tamuls,
gold casket, on a velvet cushion fringed and Madras men-proceeds through the
with precious pearls, such as would make leafy avenues made for him,
trampling
the fortune of a royal princess. This with dignified tread the world of
flowers
paraphernalia is placed on the back of a spread for the feet which bear the
samost majestic elephant, richly caparison- cred load, until it reaches the
altar or
ed in crimson velvet with gold embroid- re~osoir, into which it is lifted by
the
ery. This gentleman, like many high ancient Adikar. Then the British
govofficials, has a complete sinecure, for his ernor, holding back the
velvet curtain,
exclusive duty is to carry the Ba/ada displays the relic to the ravished
multitwice or thMce in his life, for which per- tude, whose hosannas reach
the echoes
formance he lives in clover all the rest of the purple mountains, and swim
along
of his existence, which is longer than the valley, waking the nightingales
that
that of a man. Upon the occasion of pipe their exultant song to the heart of
his public appearance he is attended by every dell.
his rnaho~ts and scores of lackeys, any- All that can be effected by means
of
one of whom would hypothecate his head evergreens and flowers in our own
counfor a situation equal to that of the beast. try falls far short in
comparison with
All the high officials, clerical, civil, and what is done in the East. The
gracemilitary-the two latter British-join in ful palm-leaves, and waving
bananas -
the procession. the luscious magnolias, gorgeous sun When the elephant
carrying the Ba?- flowers and shoe-blossoms, and the wonada appears at the
gate of the temple, a derful decorative taste possessed in such
long double line of elephants kneel down an extraordinary degree by savage
over
--------
Page 437
1873.] TALE OF A TOOTH~ 437
civilized people-the glowing light, and sued orders to his generals and his
soothing perfume - the yellow - robed armies to invade that country and stop
monks, and the rich dresses of the no- the idolatry-in the name of the true
bles - the grand background of purple God to kill and slay, and give no
quarmountains, and the inner amphifl~eatre ter, but to bring back the
heretic king
of hills covered with green coffee-the and the wretched bit of human bone he
quaint old temple, and the mirror - like was adoring day and night. The
great
lake-produce a combination of scenic general marched forth, fought and
coneffect unparalleled under our duller sky. quered, captured the Dalada and
the
The Dalada, or Sacred Tooth, is a devotee, and reported them to his maspiece
of discolored ivory, over an inch ter. And now commenced the tnals of
in length, andbroa d in proportion. The the tooth. The sovereign was
resolved
owner must have measured at least from to go to extremities, and decided to
burn
seven to eight feet in height, to have up the piece of bone, and have an end
grown such a tooth; and it was declared of it. He, therefore, had prepared
in
by the Portu~uese, when they conquer- the yard of his palace a pit filled
with
ed the country, to be an ape's tooth. glowing embers, into which the Dalada
The history of this wonder-working in- was cast. In the usual course of
chemcisor, after it quitted its native jaw-bone, ical action, it would have
been speedily
is as follows: The body of Guatama reduced to powder; but the legend of
Buddha was burned, according to the this relic, like the tales concerning
othIndian custom, but before its entire de- er miraculous objects, proceeds
quite
struction on the funeral pyre a priest differently. The tooth rose from the
rushed fnrward and rescued the eye- flames unscathed, emitting from itself a
tooth fro~ the flames. It was at once radiance which ascended to the heavens
venerated as miraculous, being the act- and illumined the universe, or at
least
ual part of a body once a man, now a as much of it as the writer of that
pedeity-in fine, as a tangible piece of the riod was acquainted with. Having
thus
body of God. This took place five cent- displayed itself fire-proof and
non-comuries before our Lord's Last Supper, bustible, the king, being
disgusted at
where he gave his flesh to eat and to the open defiance of his power,
forthremain on earth. As in all religions, with ordered the tooth to be
buried deep
schisms soon arose, and kings and na- in the earth and trodden down by
eletions quarreled and went to war over a phants; but, spurning the clay
above
bit of bone as over a bit of bread or wa- it, it sprang up like the grain
sowed by
fer-one side declaring it was infamy to the planter on a lotus - leaf, the
emblem
worship an inanimate bit of rubbishy, of the spouse of the mother of Buddha,
discolored ivory; the other protesting who is reported to have conceived as
a
that it was the actual substance of God virgin. Still the king was not
satisfied.
the Omnipotent, and a sacrilege to pro- He naturally imagined some fraud had
fane it. been practiced, and ordered the tooth to
The tooth had been kept in great state be placed on an anvil. The ponderous
in a city called Dantapoora (from dan Ia, hammer was raised to crush it, but
the
tooth, and ~oora, city), and the King tooth (it must surely have been a
wisdom
Kalinga, neglecting Vishnu and Siva, tooth) sagely imbedded itself in il~e
iron,
worshiped only the tooth; for which he and the hammer fell harmlessly upon
it.
was called to account by another king, The priestly enemies then declared
that
Pandoowaf, the chief sovereign of all In- the fraud consisted not in the
relic itself,
dia, who sent forth a mandate, and is- which, no doubt, was part of the god
--------
Page 438
438 TALE OF A TOOTH. [Nov.
Vishnu, but in the assertion that it was of the fair Ranawale, the King's
daughGuatama's. To prove this, the king ter, whom he married. But scarcely
ordered them to petition that worthy to had they outlived that one blissful
perelease his own tooth from the iron riod of human existence, the
"honeyshackles into which he had put it. The moon," when the wicked nephews
of
priests commenced a series of incanta- Pandoowaf (why are nephews always
tions and supplications, enough to move wicked?) waged war against the
tooth,
any god; but the obstinate tooth, like so and came down upon the city of
Dantamany of its successors (as dentists will poora to sack and otherwise
destroy it.
vouch for), refused to be extracted. The Now, the happy pair were still
stanch
king, who appears to have been a prac- adherents of the tooth, and, fearful
that
tical,logical man, said, "Now you priests even ivory could not resist such
an arhave failed, let the Buddhists try"- my, they disguised themselves in
the
whereupon great offerings were made to garb of the despised and inimical
priestthe Da7ada, and all the saintly deeds hood, and carried the treasure
away to
and holy acts of Buddha recounted. the sea - coast, where il~ey~ buried it
in
These exertions were rewarded by the the sand. But as the war waged fiercer,
tooth getting up and showing itself again. Ranawale, with true woman 5 wit,
wove
The king, delighted, placed it in a gold it into her long, luxuriant
tresses, and,
goblet, when it was graciously pleased drawing near to the ships, awaited
the
to float on the water. These miracles result of the battle then raging
around
confirmed the wavering, and converted the doomed city of Dantapoora. A red
the king, though not the priests. Pan- flag was to be the signal of defeat
and
doowaf, however, discarded the heretics, despair, when the fair guardian of
the
and loaded the wihares (temples) with relic was to embark and proceed to
Ceytreasure. He abdicated from the throne, lon, which island had been
foretold as
and retired to a Buddhist monastery, the future home of the Dalada. Thus,
where he died in what we should de- when the setting sun cast his last lurid
nominate the odor of sanctity. He en- beams upon the bloody signal, and the
treated Buddha's forgiveness for his whole eastern heaven blushed in shame,
doubts; not failing judiciously to point the devout heroine entered the ship
and
out that his sins had, after all, a bene- passed with her sacred burden to
the
ficial result, as proving the authenticity friendly shores of Ceylon, where
she
of the relic-that all is well that ends was received by the king with royal
well-and hinted at a dogma, since term- honors. Every mark of distinction
was
ed Jesuitical, that evil might be commit- heaped upon her head, and
especially
ted that good may result. Here he upon her hair, which had performed
equivocated a little with Buddha, sug- such a wonderfiil service.
gesting that if he had not believed in History does not say so, but I have a
the happy result, he (King Pandoowaf) shrewd idea that the king married her;
would never have permitted the indigni- her spouse (Qodaini) having been
killed
ty. Thus there have been more Davids in the battle. Not that this fact was
than one. material, for a Cingalese woman has
The tooth, after this triumph, went from time immemorial been allowed to
back to Dantapoora, to the keeping of take two or more husbands. The king
Goohasina. In a short time, King Qoda- also dedicated the island to the
Dalada,
ini came to worship at the shrine of the and built for it the richest of
sj0rines.
Dalada, and made rich offerings. He Since that time, A. D. 309, it has
shared
also adored at another shrine - that the fate of the Cingalese, and under
--------
Page 439
1873.] TALE OF A TOOTH. 439
gone the vicissitudes of that country; was held as a sort of insignia of
royalty,
sometimes in triumphing over a million like the crown jewels or regalia. In
the
of heads bowed in worship or reverence rebellion in 1817, the first act of
the
-for I do not believe Buddhists wor- Cingalese was to steal the tooth. A
ship the thing they clasp their hands priest, one of the guardians of the
sancand kneel to, any more than the Catho- tuary, surreptitiously conveyed
it and
lics worship every wayside cross they himself away to the mountains, where
bend the knee before-sometimes wan- he wandered unsuspected. The people,
dering from place to place for safer aware of this, considered their triumph
keeping and to escape the ferocious on- over their new lords and masters as
a
slaught of the Malabar invasion; but foregone conclusion. But this
becomwherever its sacred presence beamed, ing known, a strict search was
made,
it influenced the destinies of the country, and the priest was eventually
taken with
and its history forms a large portion of the tooth upon him-his bald pate
afCingalese chronicles. The people place fording no concealment like the
locks of
infinite confidence in its power to pro- the fair Ranawale. The sacred ivory
cure peace and prosperity for the na- was restored to its former shrine and
tion with whom it dwells. The Portu- temple in Kandy. This being made
guese knowing il~is, sought and obtain- public, the effect was magical on
the
ed possession of it by force, and assert people, who became convinced that
the
that they ground it up in a mortar and guardians and possessors of the tooth
publicly burnt it as an idol and false must triumph, and that it was the
will of
god; that the Adikar Buddhist priests Buddha that the British should rule
offered for its redemption three hundred over Ceylon. When peace and
tranthousand ducats, which were refused by quillity was restored, the
guardianship
Constantine de Braganza, the Portu- of the tooth was divided between the
guese leader. Nevertheless, another governor of the island and the high
tooth is said to have been manufactured priest, and the reliquaire was so
conso closely resembling the Dalada, that structed that it required two keys
to
the priests were deceived and accepted open it.
it.The Cingalese, however, declare In 1828 the Dalada was publicly exhibthat
the real Buddha dental was care- ited for the benefit and adoration of the
fully hidden away, and that Constantine faithful; and the Queen of England,
sitde Braganza was deceived by an ape's ting high upon her Protestant throne
in
tooth, palmed off upon him, which he the far- advanced nineteenth century,
is
burned. The latter story is much more virtually the showman to a deluded
mulprobable than the former. This was in titude, of a very large-sized
tooth-much
the sixteenth century. too monstrous for any human mouth,
In i8i5, when the British became unless that of a giant-and which they
rulers of the island, they also became reverence as the actual person of the
guardians of the sacred Dalada, which Deity!