Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu - Maldives Royal Family

131 Pages·2004·3 MB·English

Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu

by Abdullah Sadiq

Translated from Dhivehi to English by
Fareesha Abdullah and Michael O'Shea

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Copyright © F. Abdulla and M. O’Shea 2004.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes
of private study, research, criticism or review,
as permitted under the Copyright Act,
no part may be reproduced by any process
without written permission.

Inquiries should be made to:
[email protected]
or
Michael O’Shea
PO Box: 810
Belconnen ACT 2616
Australia

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Contents

Author's Preface 6

Map – Maldives Northern atolls 8

Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu 9
Early life of Raaveri Ali 9
Ali and Sakeena’s work 9
Raaveri Ali in Komandu 13
Ali’s eighth son 16
Ali’s wife 18
Ali’s ninth child 19
Moosa goes to Malè 21
Moosa the teacher 22
Moosa’s Friday prayer 22
Moosa meets the king 23
Moosa receives the honourable title of malin 24
Map – Maldives Central atolls 25
Moosa Malin’s dream 26
Moosa Malin in Dhonfanu 26
Moosa Malin’s wedding 27
Moosa Malin’s second dream 29
Moosa Malin in Buruni 30
Moosa Malin in Malè 30
The midwife kills the babies 31
Genealogy – Dhon Hiyala 33
Dhon Hiyala lives 34
A gift from the Black European from Goa 35
Ali Fulhu of Hulhudheli 36
Ali Fulhu and Hawwa Fulhu 38
Hawwa Fulhu turns her face from Ali 39
The dream that changed Ali Fulhu’s life 39
Ali Fulhu goes fishing 41
Hawwa Fulhu’s fanditha 44
The first fanditha 44
Hawwa Fulhu’s insults, and the last fanditha 46
Ali Fulhu in Dhiggaru 48
The Dhiggaru carpenters in the forest of Hulhudheli 51
Ali Fulhu’s recitations 51
Black Coral tree 54
Black coral odi 56

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Making the odi immovable 58
Feeding the whole community 59
Going fishing in the odi 63
The last moments of Hawwa Fulhu 64
Ali Fulhu in the fishing ground 66
Kolhumadulu Buruni 68
Map – Maldives-Andaman Islands in the Black Coral
odi 70
Dhon Hiyala in the Well Palace 75
Dhon Hiyala sees the sky 75
The first day they saw each other 76
Dhon Hiyala’s stomach is aching 76
Ali Fulhu’s fanditha 77
Making a set of bangles for Dhon Hiyala 78
Genealogy – Ali Fulhu 81
Genealogy – Lhaimagu Peasant Ali 81
The peasant from Lhaimagu 82
Lhaimagu Ali’s trick 84
Arson in the Toddy Kitchen 85
White Crow 88
The royal odi arrives at Buruni 89
Ali Fulhu is given to the havaru 91

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Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu – Background and
origins 97
Raaverin and coconut cultivation 97
Origins of the Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu story 101
Buraara Mohamed Fulhu's The Story of Bodu Thakurufaan 107
Fanditha and Maldive Islam 109
Muhammad and Maldive Islam 113
Translating Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu 116

Further explanations 117
Black coral, Books 117
Circumcision 118
Coir rope, Fanditha, Fishing 119
Gun-reals 120
Laari 121
Malin and Malim, Mosques and prayers 123
Names 125
Odi 126
Raaverin, Rice and food, Sarongs mundu, Writing boards 127

Maldive atoll names – Traditional and Modern 128

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Author’s Preface

When I was very young, I used to hear a man’s voice singing along with the
beat he played on a large empty tin. People said it was the Raivaru of the Princess of
Buruni. Then, I had no idea what the song was about, and the raivaru style didn’t
appeal to me at all.
Years later, while working at Aaliya School as a Dhivehi language teacher, I
happened to see a book belonging to one of my students, Haleema Yusuf of
Naifaru. The manuscript was old, written in soot ink on plain white paper and
though the author was unknown, its title The Story of the Princess of Buruni was
enough to convince me I had to read it.
The poetry had been changed into prose with the pious intention of
improving it, but the story remained largely undeveloped. Shortly after, I heard this
same raivaru being sung by the famous Kafa Kuda Thakkaan in a house in Galolhu
ward, Malè. As I listened, my heart went through inexplicable feelings. This was no
longer just a raivaru; it was a fascinatingly beautiful romantic story told in the special
raivaru form of rhyme and rhythm. I had never seen anything like this in Dhivehi
prose.
It contained no hint of influence, simile, or metaphor from foreign
literature. The story relied solely on the Dhivehi language and customs for
inspiration. In short, it was a linguistic picture of atoll life from a much earlier time.
Reflecting the close relationship between Maldivians and the sea, the descriptions
of fishing and travelling in ocean-going odi were quite sensational, and formed the
central part of the story.
The perfect and clear use of Dhivehi language filled me with joy, and at
that very moment, listening to the raivaru, I decided to write the story in prose that
was worthy of such inspiration. Later I mentioned my plans to Sheikh Al-Usthaaz
Al-Haajj Mohamed Jameel Didi, and he advised me to first listen to the version of
the story told by Moosa Abdul Rahmaan (Dhon Moosabé) of Ihavandhoo, Haa
Alif. I went there and spent two weeks with Dhon Moosabé before travelling to the
nearby Hoarafushi island where I had heard that Ahmed Thakurufaan sang an even
more perfect rendition. Though there were some variations in the singing styles of
Moosabé and Thakurufaan, the story was essentially the same, but there were many
differences from the version by Kafa Kuda Thakkaan that I had heard in Malè.
These three raivaru were the combined inspiration for Dhon Hiyala and Ali
Fulhu, though Moosa Abdul Rahmaan’s interpretation provided the basic story. I
have tried to use plain language in a way that retains the originality of the raivaru
form.

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This work would not have been completed without the kind help of Al-
Usthaaz Noon Thaa Hassan Didi, Thakandhoo Alifulhu Katheeb, and Yusuf Fulhu
from Sandhubarakage house in Henveiru ward, Malè. Many thanks.

Abdullah Sadiq,
Maldives 1976

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Early life of Raaveri Ali

Ali began looking after his old mother when he was very young, earning
money climbing coconut palms and collecting toddy. He never stole, never owed
anything to anyone, and his mother’s gentle manners and thrifty habits ensured
they managed well on their small income. The woman’s name was Amina and she
was the daughter of Black Hassan Mohamed. Amina and her son Ali lived on the
island of Maroshi in North Miladhunmadulu atoll.
Raaveri Ali was only twenty when his mother told him she was getting too
old to collect firewood to cook toddy into sugar. Amina said it was time for him to
get married. Sadly, the young man wandered off to be alone with his thoughts and
worries. Mother and I might be separated if I marry! That must never happen! But I can’t
ignore her wishes; I must do as she asks.
At the southern end of the island he met Sakeena, an orphan with no one
looking after her. Ali spoke softly and Sakeena agreed to marry him. On the
seventh night of the month of Rajab, the wedding date was set for Friday the
fourteenth, and only then did Ali tell his mother about his plans. On Thursday
night, two witnesses were sent to Sakeena to get her official consent and dowry
price for accepting Ali. She had no parents, so at midnight the witnesses went to
the island magistrate who gave his permission and solemnised the marriage. Ali
returned home and distributed wedding-rice to all his friends and neighbours.
Sakeena was brought to the house on Friday morning after ten o’clock. Her
mother-in-law gave Sakeena all the keys to the locked places in the house. Ali’s wife
checked the valuables, rearranging things to her personal satisfaction, and began
her new life as the owner of the home.

Ali and Sakeena’s work

Two days after the wedding, Sakeena told Amina, ‘I don’t want you
working in the kitchen anymore. As long as I’m well, I’ll do everything. All you
have to do is bathe twice a day, perform your prayers, and rest.’
Without a word of complaint, Sakeena began gathering firewood and
cooking the toddy collected by Ali from thirty-five coconut palms. She prepared

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and served three meals every day, and cleaned the entire house. Every evening Ali
returned home to find heated water ready for his bath. Sakeena sold a few coconuts
and sour sugar from the toddy. Each laari multiplied into two, and the house was
filled with wealth's comforts.
Inspired by his wife’s energy, Ali tied rungs onto another forty palms and
Sakeena cooked the extra toddy without a grumble, finding time for all the
household chores and other jobs like twisting coir rope from coconut fibre. Ali
climbed his seventy-five palms, three times a day. The couple were working very
hard, doing everything themselves, even preparing their own leaf wrappings for the
peeled coconut flowers.
In the midst of this hard work, Sakeena became pregnant and had a baby
boy and now she had the job of caring for him as well. The only extra demand on
Ali was for him to greet his baby whenever he entered the house! Within three
years, there were three sons, and Ali’s old mother cared for them until she caught a
fever and died, leaving this world with her fate resting in the generous hands of
God.
Sakeena and her husband were now alone.

Another son was born the following year, and after seven years there were
seven sons. Ali stayed home to control the growing boys. It was difficult to tell
them apart, and Raaveri Ali circumcised them all when the youngest was only four.
As they recovered, he bathed them; now they were Moslems. Seven learning boards
were made, so the boys could practise writing the Arabic alphabet, and Raaveri Ali
found himself with time for little else other than teaching the children consonants
and vowels and how to read. Ten years later, his children had completed the Koran
so a buffet meal was prepared and the population of Maroshi was invited to
celebrate the occasion. After the feast, the men prayed together and Ali’s seven
children recited the Koran.
Ali now taught his children to read and write their own language. When
they had learned enough, he taught them mathematics and navigation skills. Within
fifteen days, it was all over. They learnt handicrafts, lacquering, gold and silver
work, and how to build houses and boats. They studied weaving, medicine and
fanditha, and how to sing the Koran. Finally, they were taught the family’s toddy
trade.
No one in Maroshi could compare with these children. When they sat
down to recite the Koran, people gathered and listened in awe at the sound of their
eloquent and beautiful voices.

The eldest boy was only fourteen or fifteen when the Maroshi island chief
began to worry.
If Raaveri Ali’s children continue to advance in this way, this is the end of my family’s
authority in this island. For sure, if my eyes close in death today, none of my children will have
any power. Raaveri Ali will rule. I can’t wait for this to happen… it’s time to act!

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