034 | STORYTELLING | FOLKLORE
The Forgotten Family Legend Of The Golden Pot
How my great-great-grandpa missed the chance to become a billionaire
Read this article for free here.
Our family is not wealthy and is considered average in every aspect, not even holding a top position in the Sri Lankan caste system. Today I am going to share a story regarding our family unknown to others, a story only shared among close relatives.
Even though our family is an average one, our great-great-grandfather once had the potential to change the course of our family’s fortunes. This is a story about how my great-great-grandpa missed that chance.
Please forgive me great-great-grandpa, it is time that all world to know your story.
You see, my great-great-grandfather was a hard-working farmer like everyone else in the family. He inherited the land that our family still holds to this day.
One day, as he was resting on his woven rope bed after a hard day’s work, a strange dream appeared to him during the transition between sleep and wakefulness at dusk.
In that dream, our great-great-grandfather was called on by a dark, tall figure in full golden armor. The figure instructed him to awaken at the first crow of the rooster the following morning and look towards the North-Eastern side of the land. Then he would discover a great treasure but he was strictly forbidden from sharing this with anyone, not even his wife — my great-great-grandma.
Upon waking, our great-great-grandfather was trembling and drenched in sweat. His condition drew the attention of the great-great-grandma. She has asked what had happened, but he has refrained from revealing the details, following the figure’s advice. However, after several attempts, he slowly told everything to the great-great-grandma.
That night, neither the great-great-grandfather nor great-great-grandmother slept well. He woke up at the first crow of the rooster in next morning and looked towards the North-Eastern side of the land as instructed.
He saw a large golden pot emerging from the ground, and he couldn’t contain his excitement. He called out to the great-great-grandmother, “Ade Bolan, mehe waren, menna meka mathuwenawa (Hey come here, it is emerging).”
As soon as he said that, four dark dwarf figures appeared out of nowhere and sat on the four sides of the pot, preventing it from emerging and pushing it back into the ground. Our great-great-grandfather was devastated by his misfortune and remained in shock when my great-great-grandmother found him. He developed a fever that evening and passed away seven days later without recovering, still muttering about the golden pot until his death.
Well, this is the tragedic story of my great-great-grandfather. He was a hard-working farmer. Destiny may have decided to reward him for his hard work, although he couldn’t inherit the reward.
You see, our family has been farming for generations since the time of the ancient kings. The name of our land is “Atuwa Laga Watte,” which means “The Land close to the Granary.” You will be wondering which granary. It is said that during the reign of King Dutugamunu the Great, who ruled the country from around 161 BC to 137 BC, there was a large granary in our area, and it may have been the one our land was close to.
According to family legend, we still have a chance to inherit that golden pot, but not a direct descendant due to the actions of my great-great-grandfather. Instead, a member who marries into the family may have a chance to obtain it.
This story was forgotten for a long time until an incident that happened a few decades ago. You see, my grandmother is the rightful heir to our land, and my grandfather became a member of our family through marriage.
One day, while my grandpa was digging a hole to plant a coconut tree, one of my aunts, my father’s youngest sister, was playing nearby. Grandpa asked her to bring some water from the house. As she was leaving, she heard my grandpa shout, “Girl, come here quickly.”
When my aunt rushed back to check what had happened, she found that my grandpa was mumbling about the golden pot. Later it was revealed that my grandpa had seen something golden color spinning in the hole he had dug, but it disappeared when he tried to retrieve it.
At that time, my grandpa was not aware of the family legend, so his experience confirmed our family’s legend. Although he was not a direct descendant of our family, he had a distant relationship. Perhaps that is why he saw the golden pot, but could not obtain it.
When our family gathers for the New Year or any other function, my aunt always points out the location where the coconut tree was planted, as it is the only tangible thing that remains from this legend.
However, there is still a possibility that a family member may find the golden pot. So, if you ever hear about a new billionaire emerging from our island nation, it might be because my wife has finally found the pot. Or maybe this post will be boosted by Medium.
Read similar stories from the Author;