Image of Karkitaka theyyam : Theyyam after monsoon season

The Theyyam or Theyyattam is a popular ritual dance of north Kerala, south India, particularly presented in the Kolathunadu(of the present Kannur and Kasargode districts). As a living cult with centuries old traditions, ritual and custom, it embraces almost all castes and classes of Hindu religion in this region. The term Theyyam is a corrupt form of daivam or God. It is a rare combination of dance and music and reflects important features of a tribal culture. Theyyam a religious art form of North Kerala File links The following pages link to this file: Kannur Theyyam ... Theyyam a religious art form of North Kerala File links The following pages link to this file: Kannur Theyyam ... Ceremonial dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is ceremonial or ritualistic. ... Kerala ( ; Malayalam: േകരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Mooshaka kingdom, present Kasaragod, Kannur and other nearby places of north Kerala state in India, had come to be known as Kolathunad and the rulers known as Kolathiris. ... For the town with the same name, see Kannur. ... For the town with the same name, see Kasaragode. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... http://www. ...

History

The earliest Brahminic settlements like Payyanur and Perimchellur (Thaliparamba) in Kolathunadu where the Brahminic religion was propagated through the institutions of temples largely influenced the popular folk religion based on Theyyam and other tribal cults. According to the legendary Keralolpathi, Parasurama sanctioned the festivals like Kaliyattam, Puravela and Deivattam or Theyyattam to the people of Kerala. He assigned the responsibility of Theyyam dance to the indigenous communities like Panan, Velan and Vannan. These traditions explain how the indigenous cults like Theyyam were incorporated and metamorphosed under the religious supremacy of the Brahmanism. In the long historical process a social system evolved in Kerala in which the little culture like Theyyam belonged to the depressed castes and classes where as the temple oriented culture belonged to the dominant castes and classes. There were no violent confrontations between these two cultures as there was no total destruction of the indigenous culture. “There can be no doubt”, say Bridget and Raymond Alchin, ‘that a very large part of this modern folk religion is extremely ancient and contains traits which originated ruing the earliest periods of Neolithic , Chalcolithic settlement and expression (The Birth of Indian Civilization 1968 p.3039). Pavithra Mothiram Payyanur is situated in the Kannur district of Kerala in India. ... Taliparamba Taliparamba (Perimchellur) is an area that is part of Kannur district of Kerala state, south India. ... Mooshaka kingdom, present Kasaragod, Kannur and other nearby places of north Kerala state in India, had come to be known as Kolathunad and the rulers known as Kolathiris. ... Brahman (Devanagari: ब्रह्म) is the concept of the Godhead found in Hinduism. ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and rituals transmitted from generation to generation of a specific culture. ... In Hinduism, Parashurama (axe-wielding Rama) is the sixth avatar of Vishnu, and a son of Jamadagni. ... Brahmanism, also Brahminism, is the name given to Hinduism by some authors in the 19th century CE.[1] The term is considered derogatory by many Hindus. ...

Classification of Sub Cults

Muthappan Theyyam as Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva

Under the impact of Aryan religions, the cult of Theyyam had changed substantially incorporating new trends and sub cults along with its tribal character. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1240x1968, 602 KB) Theyyam is a prominent hindu religious celebration in North Kerala. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1240x1968, 602 KB) Theyyam is a prominent hindu religious celebration in North Kerala. ... Sree Muthappan is the most popular local God in the Kannur district of north Kerala, south India. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... “Nilakantha” redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In a different way, it can be stated that all prominent characteristics of a primitive tribal religious worship had widened the stream of Theyyam cult and made it a deep rooted folk religion of the millions. For instance, the cult of Mother Goddesses had an important place in Theyyam. Besides this, the practice like spirit-worship, hero-worship, masathi-worship, tree-worship, ancestor-worship, animal worship, serpent-worship, worship of the goddesses of disease and gramaadevata-worship are included in the main stream of Theyyam cult. Under the influence of Aryan myths and legends, a large number of Brahminical gods and goddesses had infiltrated as separate cults into Theyyam. Along with these gods and goddesses there exist innumerable folk gods and goddesses. Most of these goddesses are known as Bhagavathis as a matter of sanskritisation. Proto-Indo-Iranian religion is the term for the religion and beliefs of the Proto-Indo-Iranians, that is, the common predecessor of the various Indo-Iranian peoples. ... Bhagavathi is the main goddess of Malayali Hindus. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

Different branches of Brahminical religion such as Saktism, Vaishnavism and Saivism now dominate the cult of Theyyam. However the forms of propitiation and other rituals are continuation of a historical past. In several cult-centers, blood offering is forbidden under the influence of Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanism. In such centres separate places outside the outer wall of the shrine are selected for blood offering and preparation of the traditional kalam known as vatakkanvathil. The Theyyam deities propitiated through cock-sacrifice will not enter inside such shrines walls. This is a good example of a long-standing cultural synthesis of ‘little’ and ‘great’ cultures. Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... Maha-Vishnu depicted as resting on the causal ocean, with countless universes emanating from his skin pores. ... Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Jainism (pronounced in English as IPA ), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a dharmic religion and philosophy originating in Ancient India. ...

On account of the later origin of Vaishnavism in Kerala, it has no wide-spread influence on Theyyam cult. Only a few deities are available under this category. This may probably be due to the lesser influence of Vishnu on the village folk who had an uninterrupted tradition of the worship of Mother goddess for fertility and the god Siva and his son Murukan for protection and security even during the Sangam age. Two major Theyyam deities of Vaishnavism are Vishnumoorthi and Daivathar. Vaishnavism was very popular in Tuluva country during the 13th century under Vishnuvardhana of Hoysalas. He was a great champion of Vaishnavism. Most probably he was deified as Vishnumoorthi and propitiated in the Bhoota cult of Tuluva and then propitiated as a prominent folk deity in the Theyyam also. The legend of Vishnumoorthi is identified the God’s migration from Mangalore to Kolathunadu. Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ...

All other categories of Theyyam deities can be incorporated in Saivism and Saktism. Even ancestors, heroes, animals etc are deified and included in those categories. In brief Theyyam provides a good example for the religious evolution and its different stages in Hinduism.

Patronage by Brahmins

When the cult of Theyyam borrowed liberally from Brahmanism or it was super imposed by the Brahmanical legends and myths, the Brahmins with their social and caste superiority, also patronized the Theyyam gods and goddesses.

They even established their own shrines and kavus (groves) for Theyyam deities where non-brahmanical rituals and customs are observed. The goddesses like Rakteshwari, Chamundi, Someshwari, Kurathi, and the gods like Vishnumoorthi are propitiated in these house-hold shrines. There, the scheduled caste Theyyam dancers appear during the annual festivals of gods and goddesses. The rituals in such shrines are different from those of the Brahmanical temples. Such a cultural fusion or inter-action between the ‘little’ and ‘great’ cultures makes Theyyam an interesting field of research for social scientists. The impact of this cultural fusion could be traced on social organization based on caste system and in the agrarian relations. Once the cult is patronized by the Brahmins, the highest authority of Hindu religion, the intermediary and lower castes also took it as a major religious practice. IN fact the cult has become the religion of the masses. KAVU-TV, known locally as Newscenter 25, is a full-service television station in Victoria, Texas. ...

A Paragraph on Performance

Image of Muthappan theyyam from a Temple in Kannur District of Kerala

The dance or invocation is generally performed in front of the village shrines. It is also performed in the houses as ancestor worship with elaborate rite and rituals. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (450x694, 83 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (450x694, 83 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Muthappan Theyyam Muthappan Theyyam See also Sree Muthappan Muthappan temple Kannur Theyyam Parassinikkadavu Snake Park --Kjrajesh 14:10, 5 September 2005 (UTC) ... For the district with the name Kannur, see Kannur District. ... Kerala ( ; Malayalam: േകരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ...

There is no stage or curtain and other arrangements for the performance. The devotees would be standing or some of them would be sitting on a sacred tree in front of the shrine. In brief it is an open theatre. A performance of a particular deity according to its significance and hierarchy in the shrine continues for 12 to 24 hours with intervals. The chief dancer who propitiates the central deity of the shrine has to reside in the rituals. This may be an impact of Jainism and Buddhism. Further after sun set this particular dancer would not eat anything as legacy of Jainism. His make-up is done by specialists and other dancers. First part of the performance is usually known as vellattam or thottam. It is performed without proper make-up or decorative costume. Only a small red headdress is worn on this occasion. Interior of the 1928 B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jainism (pronounced in English as IPA ), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a dharmic religion and philosophy originating in Ancient India. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Muthappan Theyyam as Lord Shiva Muthappan Theyyam as Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva Sree Muthappan is the most popular local god in the Kannur district of North Kerala. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on ones head. ...

The dancer along with drummers recites the particular ritual song, which describes the myths and legends of the particular ritual song, which describes the myths, and legends of the particular deity of the shrine or the folk deity to be propitiated. This is accompanied by the playing of folk musical instruments. After finishing this primary ritualistic part of the invocation the dancer returns to the green room. Again after a short interval he appears with proper make-up and costumes. There are different patterns of face-painting. Some of these patterns are called vairadelam, kattaram, kozhipuspam, kotumpurikam, and prakkezhuthu. Mostly primary and secondary colours are applied with contrast for face painting. It had effected certain stylization also. Then the dancer comes in front of the shrine and gradually “metamorphosises” as the particular deity of the shrine. He, after observation of certain rituals places the head-dress on his head and dances. In the background folk musical instruments like chenda, tuti, kuzhal and veekni are played with rhythm. All dancers take a shield and kadthala (sword) in their hands as continuation of the cult of weapon. Then the dancer circumambulates the shrine, runs in the courtyard dances. The Theyyam dance has different steps known as kalaasams. Each kalaasam is repeated systematically from first to eight step of footwork. A performance is a combination of playing of musical instruments, vocal recitation, dance and strange makeup and costumes. The stage-practices of Theyyam and its ritualistic observations make it one of the fascinating theatrical arts of India. A drummer is a musician who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and rituals transmitted from generation to generation of a specific culture. ... For the music studio, film or online magazine named The Green Room, see The Green Room A green room is a room in a theater, studio, or other public venues for the accommodation of performers or speakers when not required on the stage. ... Thayambaka performance by Mattanur Sankarankutty using chenda Chenda is a cylindrical wooden drum from Kerala state of India. ... It has been suggested that War-sword be merged into this article or section. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Sree Muthappan Theyyam

While other theyyams are seasonal (the season lasting October to May), but Muthappan theyyam is performed year round. Muthappan Theyyam Muthappan Theyyam See also Sree Muthappan Muthappan temple Kannur Theyyam Parassinikkadavu Snake Park --Kjrajesh 14:10, 5 September 2005 (UTC) ...

See also

• Muthappan theyyam
• Sree Muthappan
• Bhuta Kola
• Thirra

Muthappan Theyyam Muthappan Theyyam See also Sree Muthappan Muthappan temple Kannur Theyyam Parassinikkadavu Snake Park --Kjrajesh 14:10, 5 September 2005 (UTC) ... Muthappan Theyyam as Lord Shiva Muthappan Theyyam as Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva Sree Muthappan is the most popular local god in the Kannur district of North Kerala. ... Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is an ancient form of worship prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and Kasargod district in Kerala. ...

Bibliography

Killius, Rolf. 2006 Ritual Music and Hindu Rituals of Kerala. New Delhi: BR Rhythms. ISBN: 81-88827-07-X

Theyyam – A Ritual Dance of Kerala by Dr. KKN Kurup.
Published by Director of Public Relations, Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram in March 1986 Refer more about theyyam in www.vengara.8k.com or www.vengara.com (The Land of theyyam) and www.theyyam.8m.com (All about theyyam) Kerala ( ; Malayalam: േകരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Thiruvananthapuram   (Malayalam: തിരുവനന്തപുരം TiruvanÅ­ntapuraṁ), formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. ...

External links

• [http://www.vengara.8k.com

http://www.vengara.8k.com/index.html]

• [http://www.theyyam.8m.com

http://www.theyyam.8m.com/index.html]

• http://www.webindia123.com/kerala/Arts/ritualart.htm
• http://www.payyanur.com/Theyyam.htm
• http://expage.com/theyyam
• http://www.kannurtourism.org/theyyam.htm
• http://www.spiderkerala.com/kerala/culture/Theyyam.aspx
• http://www.malayalamresourcecentre.org/Mrc/culture/artforms/theyyam/theyyam.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsmxvTYZExc

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