The story of Meedhoo Kudi-Esha

It is not an uncommon occurrence to hear people from neighboring islands in Addu Atoll refer to a person from Meedhoo as “Meedhoo Kudi Eshaa” (“Kudi Eshaa” literally translated means “spicy stone”), but it will be unlikely they know what it means or the lore behind it. Today, most Meedhoo locals are just as unlikely to know the stories.

It is said that a long time ago, there was a male Fureytha (a monster that comes ashore from the sea) that frequented the shores of Meedhoo. According to the stories he came ashore on Fridays during the day, and on Saturdays and Sundays he was known to visit during nighttime. One Friday while all the men of the island were preoccupied with the Friday prayer, the fureytha comes ashore in his true form and gallivanted across the island to enter a house called Dhoan’boraage. It is thought that Dhoan’boraage was nearby what is now the harbor, and in its place now stands a house called Maavahi. The house was then well known around the island, no doubt bearing on the 7 beautiful young women who were said to have been living in this house.

The fureytha must have been a romantic at heart, as he would visit Dhoan’boraage to trouble one of these women every time he came ashore. He was also cautious to do this when the men were busy elsewhere. This fateful Friday, the women of Dhoan’boraage were ready for the fureytha’s habitual visit, and they waited patiently having laid their traps. When the fureytha entered the house, he was successfully caught in their traps and fell down onto the floor. As soon as he fell, the women captured him and tied him up. By then, the knives were sharpened and the lonumirus (traditional spice mixture) had been prepared. The women then cut off a part of his heel and lathered the spice mixture across the wound.

As the fureytha started screaming in pain, the women demanded that he swear to never come back to this island. He was compelled to agree, and swore never to come back or harass any locals.

When the men came back from their prayer, the fureytha was still bound, begging for his freedom. He proclaimed that he would only come up to the lagoon as he relished in sport fishing and pastime on the reefs, but implored that he would never come ashore. The men retorted that if he ever were to break his promise, the repercussions would be even hotter than his current fate. When the fureytha agreed to these terms, he was freed and quickly fled the island and was not seen again.

A long time after this, a woman was collecting Raa- Akiri (coral pebbles) on the beach near Mulimathi when the fureytha comes up to her and asks whether the Meedhoo Kudi Eshaas still reside on the island. The woman shakes her pebble container and tells him that it is filled with Meedhoo Kudi Eshaa. The fureytha quickly leaves shaking in fear.

The fureytha was known to trouble fishermen even after this by removing the eyeballs of the fishes they catch, or by causing them to see colorful mirages.

Retold in English, by A.z.z