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Every nation has a creation story. Sri Lanka’s begins with a princess, a lion, and a ship full of exiles.

Legends of Lanka is a growing text journey through the tales of the island’s ancient kings, queens and heroes, told with an eye for the absurd, the dramatic and the downright scandalous. These are the stories recorded in the Mahavamsa, Sri Lanka’s great chronicle, and passed down for more than two thousand years, some of them history, some of them myth, and many somewhere in between. Each chapter is a short, self-contained read, so you can begin anywhere, or start at the beginning and follow the island’s story from its legendary origins onward.

New chapters will be added over time, with more kings, more battles and more legends from the island’s past.

Who is it for?

Travellers planning a trip to Sri Lanka who want to know the stories behind the ruins at Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Ritigala. History lovers who enjoy a good chronicle. Anyone curious about South Asia, and anyone who simply likes a great story told with a sense of humour.

No background knowledge needed. Just come curious, and prepare to meet the first of the island’s legends.

A series of poems inspired by specific artworks by Michael Whelan. You can check out his gallery here