Hitihami the Giant: The Legendary Strength of the Wanni

In the northwestern region of Sri Lanka, in a village called Andara-waewa, a remarkable child was
born. Hitihami was considered a true giant by size and strength. From an early age, he displayed
extraordinary strength and an insatiable appetite. By the time he was seven, he was consuming four
quarts of cooked rice daily. As he grew, his strength became legendary, effortlessly catching hares
and mouse-deer with his bare hands.

At just twelve years old, Hitihami asked his mother for food before setting out to clear a chena.
Armed with two bill-hooks, he completed the task in a single day. He then instructed his father to
set fire to it and continued working tirelessly single handedly building fences, sowing millet, and
even preparing a tawalla large enough for one and a half amunas of paddy. His method was true to
the traditional sprinkling of water over the field with his own foot.

With time, word of his immense strength spread, eventually reaching the King of Kandy, who was
searching for a worthy challenger to face his champion wrestler—the fearsome Mallawa giant. The
King’s ministers traveled to Andara-waewa, where they found Hitihami effortlessly watering his
fields with his foot. He was invited to Kandy for the match.

Before leaving, Hitihami feasted on five quarts of meneri and drank the milk of seven buffalo cows.
On the way, he casually plucked and devoured four pumpkins from a passing chena. Upon arriving,
he confidently assured the King, “Putting one Mallawa person out of consideration, should seven
come, I am not afraid.”

When the match began, Hitihami wasted no time. With a single move, he seized his opponent and
broke his bones. The King, alarmed, shouted, “Aye! Kill not my Mallawa one!” But it was too late
—the Mallawa giant was dead. Displeased, the King ordered Hitihami to be taken across the
Mahaweli Ganga, effectively exiling him.

On Hitihami’s way back to his village, he encountered sixty men gathered at the foot of a tree,
preparing for a paddy kayiya. He asked if he could join them for a breath (husmak) and, borrowing
their sickles, promptly broke them all. Instead, he used his betel-cutter from his bulat-payiya and cut
down two amunas of ripe paddy before moving on to the green ones, ignoring the field owners’
protests. The men attempted to stop him using a magical bolak baendd, but nothing could contain
his strength.

Continuing his journey, Hitihami faced another challenge: a wild buffalo charged at him. Without
hesitation, he seized its horns and tore them from its head, carrying them home as proof of his
strength. When he recounted his adventures to his mother, she advised him, “Son, except that you
have said that word to me, do not say it for anyone else to hear.” She then prepared a feast of cakes
and milk-rice in his honor.

The story of Hitihami the Giant lives on, a testament to the legendary strength of Sri Lanka’s past.
His tale, deeply rooted in folklore, reflects the indomitable spirit of the people of the Wanni region
—where giants once walked the land, leaving behind stories of unmatched power and resilience. In
addition to this the tale depicts the agricultural traditions and customs of the people in the region.

-Rtr. Sheiha Mariyam Amith