Lōmāfānu (or loamaafaanu) are
Maldivian texts in the form of copper plates on which inscriptions have been added. Many
new Maldivian historical texts are found only in lōmāfānu form, with the oldest of the plates dating from the twelfth century AD. The
Divehi script used on the plates was named "
Eveyla Akuru
Several Dhivehi scripts have been used by Maldivians during their history. The early Dhivehi scripts fell into the abugida category, while the more recent Thaana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet. An ancient form of Nagar ...
" by
H. C. P. Bell
Harry Charles Purvis Bell, CCS (21 September 1851 – 6 September 1937), more often known as HCP Bell, was a British civil servant and the first Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon.
Early life
Born in British India in 1851, he was sent to E ...
, who claimed that it resembled medieval
Sinhala script.
According to the Isdū Lōmāfānu, monks from monasteries of the southern atoll of Haddhunmathi were brought to Malé and beheaded. Besides the lōmāfānu plates found in
Haddhunmathi Atoll
Haddhunmathi or Laamu Atoll (Dhivehi: ހައްދުންމަތި އަތޮޅު) is an administrative division of the Maldives. The administrative capital is Fonadhoo Island. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name.
It is mostly rimmed ...
, one of the most important Maldivian copper plates is the Bodugalu Miskiy Lōmāfānu found in
Malé.
See also
*
Dhivehi writing systems
Several Dhivehi scripts have been used by Maldivians during their history. The early Dhivehi scripts fell into the abugida category, while the more recent Thaana has characteristics of both an abugida and a true alphabet. An ancient form of Naga ...
*
Haddhunmathi Atoll
Haddhunmathi or Laamu Atoll (Dhivehi: ހައްދުންމަތި އަތޮޅު) is an administrative division of the Maldives. The administrative capital is Fonadhoo Island. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name.
It is mostly rimmed ...
*
Isdhoo (Laamu Atoll)
*
Dhanbidhoo (Laamu Atoll)
Dhanbidhoo or Dambidū (according to the Admiralty Charts) (Dhivehi: ދަނބިދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of Haddummati Atoll, administrative code Laamu.
History
This island has large ruins from the historical Maldivian Buddhist era ...
References
*Ali Najeeb, ''Dambidū Lōmāfānu''. Council for Linguistic and Historical Research. Malé 2001.
*
HCP Bell
Harry Charles Purvis Bell, CCS (21 September 1851 – 6 September 1937), more often known as HCP Bell, was a British civil servant and the first Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon.
Early life
Born in British India in 1851, he was sent to En ...
, ''The Maldive islands. Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy''. Reprint 1940 edn. Malé 1986.
*Bodufenvahuge Sidi. ''Divehi Akuru; Evvana Bai''. Malé 1958.
*H.A. Maniku & G.D. Wijayawardhana, ''Isdhoo Loamaafaanu'', Colombo 1986.
*
Romero-Frias, Xavier. ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom''. Barcelona 1999.
History of the Maldives
{{Maldives-stub