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How This Demon Dance Banishes Illnesses-by  Zinara Ratnayake Drummers perform the kohomba yak kankariya, an ancient Sri Lankan dance said to banish the illness-causing spirit of a vengeful queen in Sri Lanka’s Remote Jungles Source:Island The kankariya dance all started with a legendary demon queen named Kuweni. As dusk falls, the thumping sound of drums echoes through the jungles of central Sri Lanka. Elaborately dressed dancers spin and swirl as their ornate silver headpieces gleam and bright red ribbons trail behind them. Their chests rise and fall beneath silver-beaded breastplates and two large mango-shaped earrings adorn their ears. The dancers carry candle-lit, hollowed-out coconuts and chant verses inviting gods and demons to their ritual. Sweet-smelling smoke from jasmine incense fills the air, obscuring the view of a banana bark altar with pictures of various Buddhist deities. As hundreds gather, the dancers tell the sad tale of the mythic, magical queen Kuweni. This ...