It is a story familiar to all Maldivians. The vicious monster that rose from the fury depths of blue. The terrifying murders of the innocent women. The wise Muslim Moroccan who emerged as the savior and slayed the demon. And the grateful king who bowed to the acumen of Islam. The story of ‘Rannamaari’ has been the folklore that surrounded the conversion of Maldivians to Islam for centuries.
It is a story of a demon that beset Male’ during the time of a Buddhist King (some believe it to be the King Koimala, a foreign prince who united our nation, but historical research suggest that it was a King by the name Dhovemi Kalaminja). Every fortnight a demon rose from the sea and bloodied the soil of Male by murdering young girls. Legend has it that locals called it ‘Rannamaari’ and it looked nothing like the ordinary demons we see in the cinema but like a huge ship with thousands of bright lights who had insatiable appetite for virgin girls. In some islands such as Maafaru, the locals interpret the demon to glitter like radium when it rose, accompanied by a horrifying sound.
For months this demon plagued the island, hunting and murdering girls night after night. Then the King built a temple on the shores (of what is now the ‘raalhugandu’) and kept a young virgin there. Just as predicted that night when the demon rose it did not rampage the island but raped and murdered the girl in the temple. And so it went on. Every fortnight a girl was selected from the island and placed in the temple for the demon. Next morning the islanders discovered what was left of her body. According to legends she was dressed as a bride; the ultimate sacrifice to prevent its wrath upon a terrified nation.
During this desolate time a Muslim Moroccan traveler Abul Barakathul-Yoosuful-Barbaree visited Maldives. He stayed with a local family whose only child was a young daughter and they provided him with heartwarming hospitality. Coincidentally during his stay this girl was selected to be the next sacrifice. A very grateful Barbaree decided that he would take her place in the temple to find out what is happening. At night he dressed as a woman and trekked to the temple. As believed by many he sat reciting the Holy Quran while he waited for the demon.
Next morning when the islanders came to collect the body they found him, alive and well, sitting and reciting the Quran. Flabbergasted, they took him to the King where he stated that demon went back when he heard the verses of the holy book and held out a proposition to the King. If Barbaree would banish the demon then the King and his subjects would denounce their ways and convert to Islam. The King accepted this deal.
A fortnight later Barbaree went to the temple and waited for Rannamaari. As customary to the books Rannamaari rose from the sea and came towards the temple. When it heard the verses of Quran it led out an immense uproar. According to some books the demon put up a battle and Barbaree drove it all over the island before capturing it and sinking it for the fathomless ocean thus banishing it for eternity. The Maldivian people rejoiced at the elevation of the malevolence from their lives and the grateful King and his people accepted the power of Quran and embraced Islam. Legend has the King changed his name from Muhammad ibn Abdulla and on ‘Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu’ (benevolent King) was bestowed upon him.
And so this story has been told for centuries. But as in most folklore the story is far from the reality. Despite celebrating the conversion to Islam for hundreds of years (2nd of Rabuil-Akhir 1158 AD) the truth about our conversion is still unknown. As entertaining the story of Rannamaari is it clearly doesnot add up to the facts unearthed and revealed. In accordance to the Loamaafanu copper plates (ancient scripts) found in the island of Isdhoo, the conversion was ordered by the King and he met fierce resistance to it. Monks from monasteries of the Southern Atoll of Haddhunmathi were brought to Malé and beheaded. In fact it took years for the whole of Maldives to convert. And it is safe to judge that these were not the actions of people who were so grateful that they were ready to abandon their faith.
Moreover the King has also been accused of pretending to be the ‘Rannamaari’ with the help of his henchman priests and tales have been told about how the King converted in fear of exposure because Barbaree discovered the truth. Doubts have also been raised about the knowledge of this wise traveler since cross-dressing is a sin in Islam. Ofcourse there is much to doubt since folklore is doubtable and since every nation has its own set of folklore stories it is fair that Maldives has its own share as well. The reason why Rannamaari is so important because behind the façade likes the truth about the most significant and imperative event of our lives. It is unlikely that the truth will ever be revealed but it is undoubtedly hard to accept that a group of people would give up the gods that they had venerated and worship for 1400 years because of a virgin hunting sealike-ship monster.
pic by: deviantart.
