author
Arthur A. Perera
A little-known early 20th-century writer from Ceylon, he preserved Sinhalese beliefs, customs, and stories in a book that still gives modern readers a vivid window into Sri Lankan folklore. His work feels both scholarly and full of curiosity about everyday life.
1 Audiobook
Sinhalese Folklore Notes, Ceylon
by Arthur A. Perera
About the author
Arthur A. Perera is known for Sinhalese Folklore Notes, Ceylon, published in 1917. In the book itself, he is identified as an advocate in Ceylon, and the work gathers Sinhalese beliefs, customs, stories, proverbs, and everyday traditions into a single volume.
The introductory note explains that much of this material grew out of articles he had contributed earlier to The Indian Antiquary under the title Glimpses of Sinhalese Social Life. That background helps explain the book's tone: it is careful and observant, but also interested in how ordinary people understood nature, religion, superstition, and community life.
Reliable biographical details about Perera appear to be scarce online, so it is safest to remember him chiefly through this surviving work. Even with that limited record, his book remains a valuable snapshot of early documented Sri Lankan folklore and a useful source for readers interested in oral tradition and cultural history.