Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1819] (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 volumes unbound, handwritten books
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Hannah More, a well-known playwright and religious writer, met Alexander Johnston in 1819 and he asked for her plays to be translated into Sinhalese by Buddhist priests.
Repository
Archival history
It is presumed these dramas were commissioned by Johnston and given to the Society by him.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
It is presumed these came to the Society through Alexander Johnston.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Two Sinhala translations of plays by Hannah More. These are "Moses in the Bulrushes - A Sacred Drama" and "The naudagum, or, Drama of Joseph". These were probably commissioned by Alexander Johnston.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- Sinhala
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Information supplied by Prabo Mihindukulasuriya in March 2026: '"Naudagum" appears to be a phonetic anglicization for 'nādagama' which is the Sinhala term for a folk drama, derived from Tamil "nātaham". The play was apparently performed in the colonial port city of Galle in southwestern Sri Lanka.'