Sinhala - Kunuharupa Katha
Importantly, Kunuharupa Katha differ from Raksha Katha (demon tales) where deformity signals evil. Here, deformity is rarely the character’s moral fault. Following Thompson’s Motif-Index (1955), the following motifs are prominent in Sinhala Kunuharupa Katha :
Sinhala folklore, Kunuharupa , disability studies, folk narrative, Sri Lankan culture, subaltern agency 1. Introduction Sri Lanka’s Sinhala oral tradition is exceptionally rich, comprising Jataka tales (birth stories of the Bodhisattva), Pancatantra -derived fables, demon stories ( Yaksha Katha ), and humorous village anecdotes ( Gam Katha ). However, one subgenre has received little scholarly attention: Kunuharupa Katha – literally “stories of deformed/ugly form.” The term kunuharupa combines kuna (defect, flaw) and harupa (form, shape). In colloquial usage, it carries pejorative weight, yet in folk narrative, it becomes a complex signifier. Sinhala Kunuharupa Katha
Author: [Your Name/Institution] Date: April 15, 2026 Abstract Kunuharupa Katha (කුණුහරුප කතා) constitute a distinctive subgenre of Sinhala folk literature in which central characters possess visible physical deformities, unusual appearances, or non-normative bodies. Unlike mainstream Jataka tales or Gam Katha (village tales) that often center on royalty or able-bodied heroes, Kunuharupa Katha place stigmatized bodies at the narrative core. This paper argues that these tales function simultaneously as cautionary morality lessons, psychological release mechanisms for agrarian communities, and subaltern critiques of social hierarchy. Through analysis of six representative tales collected from the Ratnapura, Kandy, and Galle districts, this study identifies recurrent motifs: transformation as reward for virtue, the cunning power of the seemingly weak, and the association between physical difference and spiritual insight. The paper concludes that Kunuharupa Katha preserve pre-colonial attitudes toward disability that are more ambivalent and complex than contemporary medical or charity models suggest. and Galle districts
This paper asks: How do Kunuharupa Katha construct the relationship between physical difference and moral character? What social work do these tales perform in a predominantly agricultural, caste-stratified society? And what can they tell us about pre-modern Sinhala understandings of disability, beauty, and justice? Author: [Your Name/Institution] Date: April 15
