Rannamaari

The Rannamari was a sea monster from Maldivian folklore that was believed to have raped and murdered thousands of young women. It is said to be taller than palm trees, with a pitch-black colour and arms that reach its toes. According to stories, they performed a ritual to prevent more women from being abducted by taking the most beautiful woman from the island and leaving her on the beach for Rannamari to take. With this ritual, Rannamari would leave the rest of the women alone.

Brief outline
According to Ibn Batuta's version of the story, the king at the time had haunted the people of the Maldives and was to be appeased monthly with the sacrifice of a virgin girl. On the last day of every month, a lot was drawn under the authority of the king among the women of the island. The chosen woman was then sent off to spend the evening in a temple where at night the king was to come. The following morning, the woman was found dead and the islanders proceeded with the burial rituals.

Common versions
The story of Rannamaari has two main versions, the traditional version and the one told by Ibn Batuta.

According to the Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta, who visited the Maldives during his journeys through Asia,

Rannamaari, the notorious sea demon that haunted the people of the Maldives since time began. Every month, a virgin had to be sacrificed for the demon or the people of Maldives were to face his wrath. A girl was chosen from the inhabitants by the king or his advisers and she would be kept alone on the first night of the month in an isolated temple at the eastern seafront in Malé. At dawn, the girl's family would return to the temple to find the girl's dead body. Maldivians were very concerned until a Muslim traveller suggested that he be sent to the temple in the place of a girl to read verses of the Quran there. After the traveller recited Quran in the temple, the demon disappeared and was never heard of again. Everyone was grateful that the demon disappeared and believed that Allah is the greatest of all and converted to Islam.