ආතුරයා – aathurayaa
Roughly meaning “patient,” aathurayaa is a word used, particularly in Pahatharata contexts, to denote the person or people on behalf of whom a ritual is enacted. All the attendees may be aaturayoo (plural), as, for example, when the ritual is done to ward off the misfortunes of a natural disaster such as famine or drought that is harming an entire community. Alternatively, there may be just one aaturayek, such as someone who has fallen ill in some way, for whose healing the ritual is prepared and performed.
බෙරවා – berevaa
With bera meaning drum, the beravaa are a social group within the old Sinhalese caste system, literally ‘those who play drums.’ In addition to being drummers, the beravaa were specialists, knowledgeable in all ritual arts (dancing, drumming, oral recitation of poetry and chants/mantras, mask-making, astrology, medicine, etc.), which they passed on from generation to generation.
ගමන් තාලෙ – gaman thaale
From the Sinhalese gamana, meaning “journey,” and thaala, meaning rhythm or beat, the gaman thaale is a fundamental element in traditional Sinhalese dance vocabularies. Essentially a stylized stroll around the entirety of the stage, the gaman thaale typically occurs in the middle of a dance sequence, as an interlude. It is a chance for the dancer to gather his or her energy while both gauging and engaging the entire performance space.
ගැට බෙරෙ – gaeta bere
The gaeta bere is the drum usually used in the udarata tradition. It is a long drum tied horizontally at the waist, wider in the middle and tapering slightly on the ends. It is traditionally made with a cow skin on one side; the other side is stretched with goat or monkey skin, which allows that side to have a higher pitch.
ගොඩ සරඹ – goda saramba
The goda saramba are twelve basic Udarata exercises/drills taught within a formal/institutional context. Following the paa saramba (see below), which focus on the legs, the goda saramba include arm movements to further condition the body. Like the paa saramba, goda saramba are practiced at three speeds.
මැන්ඩිය – maendiya
The basic first position in all forms of Sinhalese dance. To take the position, one turns the feet outward, shoulder width apart for udarata dance and a little wider for pahatharata dance, with knees bent. For the former, the back is kept straight, while the chest is bent slightly forward at the waist for the latter. (The position is comparable to a ballet plie in second position.)
පහතරට – pahatharata
literally “low country,” refering broadly to the dance traditions that developed in the the coastal regions of Southern and Southwestern Sri Lanka.
Major similarities between Udarata and Pahatharata are the maendiya, and arms held up at approximately chest height. In addition, Pahatharata keeps the fingers lightly spread out, with index and thumb touching. The torso is tilted forward at all times. Movements tend to be less restricted than in the Kandyan form, with dancers encouraged to keep a springiness in their knees and sway in their waist and hips. The drum that accompanies pahatharata dance is called the yak bere.
පා සරඹ – paa saramba
Translating roughly to “foot exercises,” these are the first 12 steps taught when learning Udarata in a formal/institutional context. In village schools, these were occasionally taught and practiced with the aid of a dhandiyama (a long bar of wood set up parallel to the ground, acting as a barre), which allowed dancers to condition their legs and torsos into the maendiya position. When a dhandiyama is not present, the paa saramba are usually practiced with hands pressed against the waist. Paa saramba are taught and practiced at slow, medium, and fast speeds.
කෝලම් – koolam
Koolam is a tradition within pahatharata dance which uses masks to depict characters and tell stories.
According to the mythic origin story of this genre, it was created to appease a queen during her pregnancy, in response to her cravings (dola duka). Koolam depicts archetypal characters (a beautiful but vain maiden, a soldier, an old wife, a drunk husband, a big-headed government official, etc.) that one might find in a kingdom.
The word koolama is also used in general speech to refer to something silly or crazy. Appropriately, the koolam dance/theatre genre emphasizes laughter and comedy.
රබාන – rabaana
A one-sided drum with a frame made of woods like jak, mara, suriya, or margosa, and a face covered with goat skin. Rabana vary in size, with the ath (hand) rabaana being about 12 inches, and banku (bench) rabaana being up to 48 inches. Musical traditions and elements associated with the rabaana include virindu kavi as well as raban sural accompanied by raban kavi, waram, or pada popular at New Years celebrations. Rabaana are also incorporated into dances and performances such as raban naetum folk dances and raban kaerakeema (raban spinning – similar to plate spinning).
ශාන්තීකර්මය – shaanthikarmaya
With shanthi meaning “good,” “benefaction,” or “blessing,” a shanthikarmayak can be understood as something undertaken to do good. The word refers to a ritual in the low country tradition.
There are 3 types of such rituals in Pahatharata:
–madu shaanthikarma: performed to honour Gods, and seek protection for the community at large against natural harms
–bali shaanthikarma: performed to ward off the negative effects of planets (aka graha apala)
–thoovil shaanthikarma: performed to ward off malevolent spirits and demons (yakku), including the Daha Ata Sanniya exorcisms.
A shanthikarmayak is often an all-night affair, and aside from dancing and drumming, includes building elaborate structures and altars, including seats for deities and presenting offerings to gods, demons, and deities.
තට්ටුව – thattuwa
Drumhead. The udarata and pahatharata drums have two drumheads each (ie. two sides of the drum). The side which produces a higher pitch, called the sural (සුරල් ) thattuwa, is typically played by the dominant hand. On the udarata drum, this higher pitch is produced by using monkey or goat skin, as opposed to cow skin (which produces a lower tone). On the pahatharata drum, the sural thattuwa usually has a slightly thinner membrane. The side of the drum which produces a lower sound is called the hal (හල් ) thattuwa.
උඩරට – udarata
One of the main streams of Sri Lankan Sinhalese dance, “udarata” literally translates to “Up-country,” and refers to the hilly area of Kandy, where it is said it originate (the style is also called Kandyan, for this reason).
Notable elements of this traditional style include the basic positions maintained at all times (ie. maendiya; open palms with fingers held together and thumbs pressed downward; movements based on creating circular formations with the body) and the usage of geta bera. The udarata tradition includes some of the most popular traditional Sinhalese dances, including the ves dance and the Kandyan vannams.
In the past, knowledge of udarata dance was preserved within certain castes particularly for ritual contexts such as the Kohomba Kankaariya; since Sri Lankan Independence, the form has been revived within a nationalist framework, and is now part of a treasured cultural heritage.
යක් බෙරෙ – yak bere
The yak bere is the drum associated with the pahatharata tradition. It is a cylindrical drum with a low, rumbling or booming tone, created both by its shape and material (the sides of the drum are covered over by skins made of cow intestines). The yak bere takes on different names depending on its context. Often just called a pahatharta drum, the use of the word “yak” readily brings up associations with the yak thovils. The drum is also called the “Devol” bere when used in the madu shanthikarmaya on behalf of the god Devol Deviyo. Other names include gosaka beraya, mihingu beraya, and Ruhunu beraya.
Gaman Thaale 