Maha Sohona
Maha Sona or Maha Sohona (Sinhala: මහ සෝණා, මහ සොහොනා) is a devil (or yaksa or dewaya, meaning demon, fiend or monster) in Sinhalese folklore, said to haunt the afterlife. The name Maha Sona denotes "the greatest demon" or "god or demon of the cemetery" in the Sinhala language. He is one of the most feared and commonly known gods or demons in Sri Lanka. According to popular folklore, he was originally a giant who was defeated and decapitated in a duel by another giant, Gotaimbara (who lived in the 1st century BC). His head was then replaced with that of a bear or tiger. He is believed to kill people by crushing their shoulders or by afflicting them with disease. Traditional exorcism rituals are performed to repel the demon in such cases. The Sri Lankan Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units are popularly known as the "Maha Sohon Brigade", named after this demon.
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