Pussadewa is a short English-language book by Sriya Rathnakara, published by Godage Publishers, devoted to one of the most colourful figures in Sri Lankan history. The cover names him the Ninth Warrior, and shows him in bright illustration with a conch shell raised to his lips, a fitting introduction to a hero remembered as much for the sound he made as for the battles he fought.
Pussadewa, also written Phussadeva, is counted among the Ten Giant Warriors, the champions who served King Dutugemunu in the ancient chronicles of the island. The Mahavamsa records that as a young man he could blow a conch shell so loudly that it sounded like thunder, and that he went on to become a remarkable archer, able to send an arrow through iron plates and brass.
The ten warriors each have their own story in the chronicle, and a slim book on a single one of them makes that tradition easy to approach in English. It works as a first introduction to the chronicle stories, and as a companion for a reader who already knows the names.
The book runs to 16 pages, with an illustrated cover showing the warrior in traditional dress, bangles and earrings. It suits readers curious about Sri Lankan history and legend, families sharing the old stories with a younger generation, and anyone gathering the island's warrior tales in English.
