The island of Seenu Hithadhoo has quite the mysterious past. According to elderly locals, Hithadhoo has been famously deserted and repopulated an astounding seven times since its earliest inhabitance, the last of which is regarded to be the most perplexing.
The story goes that during the few months preceding desertion, a beautiful sound was heard coming from the small, south-facing isle of Kabboahere. As if by intelligent design, the entire area of Hithadhoo would slowly change color to the tune of bamboo flutes, the sky and the sea taking on a dazzling yellow hue.
Upon hearing the sound, some islanders, especially women, would immediately stop what they were doing. Pots of boiling water were left to spill over onto the fire; feeding babies were put down, abandoned cruelly mid-suckle. The islanders would then proceed to clothe themselves in full regalia and head towards the direction of the reverberating music. They were never to return or be heard from again.
These sudden mass disappearances went on for several weeks. Despite being known for their unparalleled mastery, not even Hithadhoo fan’ditha verin (sorcerers) could put an end to this strange phenomenon. Remaining inhabitants became frightened and stopped all their work; the entire island came to a standstill. All of them soon migrated to neighboring islands in the atoll.
There are divergent theories as to what really happened to the missing locals, some involving heinous jinns devouring them alive. The most probable theory however, has no trace of demon activity. During the time of the Portuguese invasion, foreigners would often throw parties in the isle of Koatte, close to Kabboahere. They would drink copious amounts of wine and set off fireworks in a grand display, which would explain the changing of the colors. Mesmerized locals would join them, and engage in what is known as Dheyoage Kulhi, or quite literally, the Game of the Goddess, a tantric practice of men and women dancing erotically with one another. The foreigners would end up raping the locals, looting their jewelry and finally killing them in brutal fashion.
Whether this telling of the story is historically accurate or not, Hithadhoo was left deserted for eighteen long years. It was a woman by the name of Fathumaafaanu, daughter of Shamsuddeen Bodu Fandiyaara, who went on to repopulate the island again. The locals you see in Hithadhoo today are all descendants from this lineage.
