Maldivian tales #1: Handhu Runbaa, the moon in the jar.

Dhangethi is a beautiful island located in the atoll of South Ari, just a few miles away from the more famous Dhigurah. As often happens in the Maldives, the best-kept secret of Dhangethi is a tale that has been passed down through the generations until today.

 

This is the story of Handhu Runbaa, the moon in the jar.

 

Once upon a time, on the island of Dhangethi lived a fisherman called Sēku Vasallī. He was a big man, a little bit crazy but with a good heart.

One night Sēku Vasallī was sailing towards Male’ aboard his dhoni. It was a beautiful full moon night and he was enjoying the salty midnight breeze. All of a sudden, he felt thirsty. He moved towards the freshwater jar to take a sip of it. To his great surprise, once he removed the lid, he saw the moon shining inside the jar. Wasting no time, Sēku Vasallī put the lid back on and fastened it with a rope. He was sure that nobody had ever trapped the moon in a jar, so he wanted to bring it to the King to impress him.

Once he reached Male’, Sēku Vasallī rushed to the palace and asked to see the King. Swollen with pride, he said, “ I brought your Majesty the moon as a present, is inside the jar ”.

The King untied the rope and removed the lid from the jar. He looked inside, but he could only see water. Ashamed, Sēku Vasallī left the palace.

When the night fell, he went back to his boat to sleep. Stepping over the deck, he looked down and saw the moon’s reflection on the keel water inside the boat.

“ You cunning little scoundrel! Where have you been? How did you get out? Because of you, I suffered great shame at the King’s court. Now, you will see! ”.

Saying this, he took a long wooden pole and hit the keel repeatedly, until the water started to leak inside and the boat sank.