113992242-Dravidian-Settlements-in-Ceylon-and-the-Beginnings-of-the-Kingdom-of-Jaffna-By-Karthigesu-Indrapala-Complete-Phd-Thesis-University-of-London-1965

The derivation from vana appears to be plausible but unusual.
The Pli form vaflfa does not seem to have been derived from
vana. No tradition has been preserved in Ceylon regarding the
derivation or origin of the name, but in South India where,
too, we hear of Vannis or Vaiyar in this period and later,
there are certain traditions regarding their origin which
throw some light on our problem.
The Tainil work entitled Cilai-eupatu, probably
composed in the period of the Vijayaxiagara empire though
ascribed to Kainpa, who lived in the Ca period, is a panegyric
on the Vaiyars According to this work, the Vaiyars
belonged to the Agni-kula and were descended from a certain
Sambhu-niuni. Gnanapragasar is inclined to think that this
association with the Agni-kula is a theory borm of the
similarity between vahni (=fire) and vanni In fact, there is
310
a le end among the Vaiyar caste of North Arcot which illustrates
the derivation of their name from valini. H.F.Cox has recorded
this legend in the following manner:-
In the olden times two giants named Vata i and 1ahi
worshipped Brahma with such devotion that they obtained
froi him immunity from death from every cause save
fire, which element tbe bad carelessly omitted to
1. S.GnanaDragaaar, a-vaipava-vimarcana, p. kO.
2. Ibid.