The celebrations for Onam - the ten day cultural extravaganza which marks the harvests in Kerala - are finally over. But despair not!...because in Kerala the festivities run throughout the year and the celebrations never cease.
Post harvest and before the onset of the monsoons is when rural Kerala comes alive with a plethora of festivals big and small. Prominent amongst these festivals is the dance ritual of Theyyam. Of all the ritual art forms that are practiced in Kerala the Theyyam is perhaps one of the most awe inspiring rituals and provides a real treat for the cultural enthusiast.
Theyyam is more prominently visible in the northern parts of Kerala (north of Calicut and in Kannur and Kasargod) and is performed in small temples and ‘kavus’ (small patches of evergreen forests which have idols of gods) and even in large family homes called ‘tharavadus’. Performers take on the role of local deities and gods in this enchanting dance ritual. Interestingly, in North Kerala almost every village, community and household has its own Favorite deity and therefore hosts a Theyyam performance at some point.
The story behind Theyyam:
The actual story behind Theyyam (meaning God) or Theyyatam (meaning the dance of the gods) finds its roots in hero worship and has been performed for many years by the original inhabitants of different regions. The moment the performers adorn the traditional make-up they take on the form of gods themselves and irrespective of class, everyone witnessing worships them.
Hundreds of Theyyatams are performed at the various shrines. In some places the theyyams will dance as if possessed by their ancestors....in others they will act as if possessed by the local heroes and legends. Countless different stories of different legends are narrated and performed in front of spell bound audiences. Take for example the story of the legend of ‘Muchulottu Bhagavathy’. According to folklore the Hindu God Parasurama brought Brahmins (upper caste scholars amongst Hindus) to Kerala and gave them 18 settlements where the scholars gathered to conduct intellectual debates. Women were strictly prohibited from attending the debates.
On one occasion a teenage girl defied all rules and joined the debate challenging the scholars. Infuriated by her audacity the scholars asked her ‘What is the greatest pleasure and greatest pain for a woman’? Undaunted, the girl replied ‘The greatest pleasure is sexual pleasure; while the greatest pain is child birth.’ The shocked scholars excommunicated the girl who made a pyre in the forest and ended her life. This was witnessed by a ‘tribal’ from the Vaniyan tribe who had a vision of the girl blessing his community. To this day she has been deified as the goddess of the Vaniyan tribals and theyyams enact her in their performances.
Many such stories abound, and with each Theyyam dance a new story will unfold.
The performance:
Theyyam is performed in open spaces, in temples or family courtyards or Kavus. Some performance can continue for as long as 12 to 24 hours depending on the significance of the story and the deity being enacted, however the majority of the performances are much shorter.
The chief dancer who assumes the role of the central deity of the shrine has to undergo several rituals and fasts before he can play his God. The first part of the performance is usually known as ‘vellattam’ or ‘thottam’ which is actually an invocation song which announces the arrival of the particular deity or hero the next morning. It is performed without proper make-up or decorative costume. Only a small red headdress is worn on this occasion and is accompanied by the playing of folk musical instruments.
After finishing this primary ritualistic part of the invocation the dancer then returns to the green room where he undergoes elaborate make-up before he reappears as the proper Theyyam and starts his dance.
 The Theyyam dance comprises of different steps known as ‘kalaasams’. Each kalaasam is repeated systematically and is accompanied by musical instruments and vocal recitations.
Whole villages gather to witness these awe inspiring performances and to take blessings from the Theyyam. Towards the end, the performer blesses the devotees as he distributes Kuri (powder of turmeric) along with rice. A final musical recital marks the end of the performance as devotees throw the rice towards the Theyyam and he casts off his crown in front of the shrine. Devotees then donate coins to the shrine before they return home, spellbound by the events of the day.
If you are someone who loves culture and are in Kerala during the months of October to May, don’t miss out on this cultural treat. Call one of our Kerala experts today who will be happy to build a performance into your Kerala holiday experience.
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