The Sangam landscape is categorisation the Tamil landscape into various Thinais depending on the nature, location and the mood of the poem. Such categorisation is the characteristics of the Sangam literature. Sangam Literature is the collective name for the Tamil literature created over 1800 years ago. ...

Sangam Literature is the collective name for the Tamil literature created over 1800 years ago. ... Agattiyam, according to mentions inSangam Literature, was the first known book on Tamil grammar. ... The Tolkāppiyam (தொல்காப்பியம் in Tamil) is a work on the grammar of the Tamil language. ... Pathinenmaelkanakku is the collection of the oldest surviving Tamil Poetry. ... Ettuthokai (எட்டுத்தொகை)– The Eight Anthologies - form part of the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology series of the Sangam Literature. ... Ainkurnuru (ஐங்குறுநூறு) is a book containing five hundred short poems and is part of Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Akananuru (அகநானுறு) is the seventh book in the Sangam literature anthology Ettuthokai. ... Pura Nanooru or Pura Nanuru is an ancient Tamil Sangam collection of poems, dating from 900 BCE to 220 CE. It is one of the oldest Tamil anthologies. ... Kaliththokai (கலித்தொகை) is the sixth book of Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Kuruntokai (குறுந்தொகை) is the second book of Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Natrinai (நற்றிணை), is a book of Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Paripaatal (பரிபாடல்), is the fifth book in the Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Pathirruppaththu (பதிற்றுப்பத்து), is the fourth book in the Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. ... Pattupattu (பத்துப்பாட்டு) – The ten Idylls, is an anthology of ten mind length books and is one of the oldest surviving Tamil Poetry. ... Tirumurugarruppatai by Nakkirar is one of the most important works of Sangam Literature. ... Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari Tirukural (திருக்குறள் in Tamil) is an important work of Tamil literature by Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various aspects of life. ... The Sangam is a collection of Tamil literature composed between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. ... Early Tamil History has few authentic sources. ... Tamil literature is literature in the Tamil language which most prominently includes the contributions of the Tamil country (or Tamizhagam) history, a large part of which constitutes the modern state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well as some parts of Karnataka and Andra pradesh. ...

Symbolism

Recognizing that human activities cannot take place in vacuum and are constantly influenced by environmental factors, human experiences, in general, and subjective topics in particular, are assigned to specific habitats. Every situation in the poems is described using themes in which the time, the place and the floral symbols of each episode are codified. Accordingly the inner universe is divided into five geographical landscapes or thinai. These are: kurinji (குறிஞ்சி) - mountainous regions, mullai (முல்லை) - forests, marutham (மருதம்) - cropland, neithal (நெய்தல்) seashore, paalai (பாலை) - wasteland.

These codifications are used as symbols to imply a socio-economic order, occupations and behaviour patterns, which, in turn, are symbolized, by specific flora and fauna. Details of secondary aspects are just as rigidly codified - the seasons, the hour a god, musical instruments and, above all, the sentimental connotations of each landscape: lovers' meetings, patient waiting, lovers' quarrels, separation, and the anxiously awaited return.

Poetic Attributes of the Landscapes

Species See text. ... Species About 200 species, including: Jasminum angulare Jasminum angustifolium Jasminum auriculatum Jasminum azoricum Jasminum beesianum Jasminum dichotomum– Gold Coast Jasmine Jasminum floridum Jasminum fluminense– African Jasmine Jasminum fruticans Jasminum humile– Yellow Jasmine Jasminum grandiflorum Jasminum mesnyi– Primrose Jasmine Jasminum multiflorum– Star Jasmine Jasminum nitidum– Shining Jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum– Winter Jasmine... Banaba can have the following meanings: Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a type of tree that grows in Thailand. ... Genera Barclaya Wall. ... Species 23 species, including: Wrightia antidysenterica Wrightia arborea Wrightia coccinea Wrightia laevis Wrightia pubescens Wrightia religiosa Wrightia sikkimensis Wrightia tinctoria Wrightia is a genus of 23 species of flowering plants in the Apocynaceae (dogbane) family, native to tropical Africa, Asia and Australia. ... Mount Cook, a mountain in New Zealand A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded function as carbon dioxide sinks, animal habitats, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the Earths biosphere. ... Pastureland Pasture is land with lush herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulates as part of a farm or ranch. ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... Fljótsdalur in East-Iceland A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square miles (square kilometers) to hundreds or even thousands of square miles (square kilometers) in area. ... A coastal beach in the Philippines. ... See also Midnight (1934 film) and Midnight (1939 film) Midnight, literally the middle of the night, was a time arbitrarily designated to determine the end of a day and the beginning of the next in some, mainly Western, cultures. ... Informally, the evening is the period in which the daylight is decreasing, between the late afternoon and night; it extends from the latter portion of the daylight (before sunset) until dark (after sunset). ... The Rayleigh effect, seconds before sunrise in New Zealand Sunrise, also called sunup in some American English dialects, is the time at which the first part of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. ... A composite image showing the terminator dividing night from day, running across Europe and Africa. ... Noon is the time exactly through the day, written 12:00 in the 24-hour clock and 12:00 noon in the 12-hour clock. ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... For other senses of this word, see summer (disambiguation). ... For other senses of this word, see summer (disambiguation). ... Cynomolgus Monkey at Batu Caves, Malaysia Monkeys, Mori Sosen (1749-1821) A monkey is any member of two of the three groupings of simian primates. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 nugget For other uses, see Horse (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular usage, kine archaic, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Binomial name Bubalus arnee (Kerr, 1792) The Water Buffalo is a very large ungulate and a member of the wild oxen family. ... Orders See text. ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Sharks are a group (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body, with normally 5, but up to 7 (depending on species) gill slits along the side of, or beginning slightly behind, the head (in some... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea. ... Binomial name Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the panthera genus. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call... Binomial name Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. ... Diversity Around 91 genera and 1,000 species Subtribes Arthrostylidiinae Arundinariinae Bambusinae Chusqueinae Guaduinae Melocanninae Nastinae Racemobambodinae Shibataeinae See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. ... The Indian Kino Tree (pterocarpus marsupium), also known as the Malabar Kino, Benga (or Venkai) is native to India. ... Binomial name Cassia fistula L. The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) Dok Khuen in Thailand, is a dicotiledoneus plant also known in several Spanish speaking countries as caña fistula. ... Species About 35 species, including: Mangifera altissima Mangifera applanata Mangifera caesia Mangifera camptosperma Mangifera casturi Mangifera decandra Mangifera foetida Mangifera gedebe Mangifera griffithii Mangifera indica Mangifera kemanga Mangifera laurina Mangifera longipes Mangifera macrocarpa Mangifera mekongensis Mangifera odorata Mangifera pajang Mangifera pentandra Mangifera persiciformis Mangifera quadrifida Mangifera siamensis Mangifera similis Mangifera... Alexandrian laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum) is a big evergreen tree of family Clusiaceae native from East Africa, southern coastal India to Malesia and Australia. ... Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae Cactus is the name given to any member of the flowering plant family Cactaceae. ... Hopetoun Falls near Otway National Park, Victoria, Australia A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the form of a stream, flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. ... For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ... A pond is a body of water smaller than a lake. ... A water well is an artificial excavation or structure put down by any method such as digging, boring or drilling for the purposes of withdrawing water from underground aquifers. ... Sunset at sea Look up Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up maritime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alluvium is soil land deposited by a river or other running water. ... Saline may refer to: Salinity Saline (medicine) Saline, Michigan Saline, Scotland - a village in the burgh of Fife, Scotland. ... Honey honey comb A capped frame of honeycomb Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honeybees and other insects from the nectar of flowers. ... Farmer spreading grasshopper bait in his alfalfa field. ... In Hinduism, Kartikeya (also Murugan, Subrahmanya, Skanda, Kumaran, Swaminanda) is a deity born out of a magical spark created by Shiva. ... MAL stands for Mobile Allocation Lists and is a term used in GSM. MAL also stands for Mobile Application Link, an API for synchronizing data between mobile devices and central servers, originally developed by AvantGo. ...

Kurinji – Mountainous Region

The mountain is the scene of the lovers' union at midnight. It is the cold, dewy season. The forest is rich with lakes, waterfalls, teak, bamboo and sandalwood. In this region millet grows and wild bees are a source of honey. Love in this setting is exemplified by Murugan, and one of his wives, Valli, the daughter of a mountain dweller. He wears the sparkling red kantal flower and rides a peacock, the bird of the mountains. In Hinduism, Kartikeya (also Murugan, Subrahmanya, Skanda, Kumaran, Swaminanda) is a deity born out of a magical spark created by Shiva. ... Valli is the name of prominent Hindu god Skanda according to Tamil traditions. ... Peacock re-directs here; for alternate uses see Peacock (disambiguation). ...

The name of the region, kurinci, is also the name of a famous flower (Strobilanthes kunthianus) from the lofty hills of Tamil country. The Strobilanthes, a shrub whose brilliant white flowers blossom for only a few days once every ten or twelve years, blanketing the slopes in radiant whiteness under the sun. This event of jubilation and purity symbolizes the frenzy of a sudden love shared, in concert with the unleashed forces of nature: the amorous dance of peacocks, their echoing cries, the splash of waterfalls, the roar of savage beasts. The lovers hold each other tighter still and forget the dangers of the mountain path. Species See text. ...

Mullai – Forests

Mullai is the land of the forest. The forest is rich with lakes, waterfalls, teak, bamboo and sandalwood. In this region millet grows and wild bees are a source of honey. Mullai or Jasmine (Jasmiinum auriculatum) is the flower of the forests. Species About 200 species, including: Jasminum angulare Jasminum angustifolium Jasminum auriculatum Jasminum azoricum Jasminum beesianum Jasminum dichotomum– Gold Coast Jasmine Jasminum floridum Jasminum fluminense– African Jasmine Jasminum fruticans Jasminum humile– Yellow Jasmine Jasminum grandiflorum Jasminum mesnyi– Primrose Jasmine Jasminum multiflorum– Star Jasmine Jasminum nitidum– Shining Jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum– Winter Jasmine...

The theme of the forest and of shepherds at play, the image of confident waiting for the loved one, produced an original offshoot; for this is the region of Vishnu, and the love theme it represents symbolizes the devotee waiting in the hope that Vishnu, as Krishna, will eventually come and fill his soul, thus experiencing the joys of expectation. For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST ) is according to various Hindu traditions the eighth or the ninth avatar of Vishnu. ...

Marutham – Cropland

The plains were the scene of triangular love plots in which the hero's visits to the courtesan oblige the heroine to counter with a mixed show of coquetry and moodiness, tactics whose limits are described in the Thirukkural ("Sulking is like flavouring with salt; a little suffices, but it is easy to go too far.").

The Marutam tree was the characteristic tree of this region. Banaba can have the following meanings: Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a type of tree that grows in Thailand. ...

Neithal – Seashore

The seashore affords many examples of the compelling charm of Sangam poetry and the extraordinary freshness of its realism. From behind the conventional symbolization of waiting there emerges a picture of the life of the fisherfolk; the nets and boats drawn up on the beach, scuttling crabs and cart wheels bogged down in the sand, the odour of drying fish, cut into thick slices, which attracts the birds, beautiful village girls peering through the Pandanus hedges, and the wind blowing through the cracks in the roughly constructed straw huts at night. Species See text. ...

Water lily is the characteristic flower of the region. Genera Barclaya Wall. ...

Paalai – Wastelands

The theme of wasteland and separation occupies half of one of the most famous anthologies, the theme of the mountain being only secondary. Paalai is a mixture of Mullai and Kurinji tracts rather than a mere sandy area.

Paalai tree is identified as Wrightia (Wrightia tinctoria). Species 23 species, including: Wrightia antidysenterica Wrightia arborea Wrightia coccinea Wrightia laevis Wrightia pubescens Wrightia religiosa Wrightia sikkimensis Wrightia tinctoria Wrightia is a genus of 23 species of flowering plants in the Apocynaceae (dogbane) family, native to tropical Africa, Asia and Australia. ...

References

• Gros, Francois, Poetry in a landscape; the world of Sangam - Indian literature, UNESCO Courier, March 1984.
• http://www.penkatali.org/cankam.html
• Timeless Gems of Wisdom from Ancient Tamil Literature - http://www.penkatali.org/tamillit.html