READING THEYYAM AS AN ARCHIVE OF THE SUBALTERN COMMUNITY OF NORTHERN KERALA (original) (raw)
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Gods and the Oppressed: A Study on Theyyam Performers of North Malabar
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 2021
Caste and caste inequalities are existing as a factual reality in the present day too. In Kerala, irrespective of high development, literacy and secularism, caste is still a crucial matter in the social and cultural life of the people. Related to the caste system in the Hindu religion is hierarchy in status, prevailing inequalities in power and wealth as well as imbalances in the religious sphere. This study explores such a case in which the famous religious ritual of kaliyattam in Northern Kerala is subjected to an ethnographic investigation. What resulted is the understanding of the harsh realities existing in the society in terms of caste and ritual authorities and exploitation. The different communities in the region that are a part of the ritual have to follow strict customs, which are mostly exploitative economically and unjustifiable and inhumane socially.
SOAS Postgraduate Journal, 2021
The ritual art form popularly known as 'Theyyam' occurs annually in the northern regions of the South Indian state of Kerala. The ritual is orchestrated and demonstrated by Dalit communities, who were formerly treated as untouchables throughout the history of the subcontinent. The impact of caste dynamics on this form of religious expression is explored in this work through ethnomusicological analyses, wherein the musical elements of Theyyam are compared to forms of music practiced by upper-caste communities in the same region. This work aims to highlight how knowledge, in essence, is a product of social hierarchy and forms of expressions birthed from knowledge are subtle representations of social discrepancy.
Carnivalesque, Liminality and Social Drama: Characterising the Anti-Structural Potential of Theyyam
Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities
The cultural and ritual performance of Theyyam in Northern Kerala, considered as a reflection of the war cry against the caste system and oppression, conducts subversion of the social hierarchy. The chosen deity by the performer for a transitory symbolisation expresses the collective outrage of the oppressed and exploited people. This research paper enquires about the anti-structural characteristics exhibited by the performance of Theyyam. In the context of Richard Schechner’s performance theory, it attempts to trace the characterisation of Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalesque, Victor Turner’s liminality and social drama in the transitional performance of Theyyam that mostly relies on interim separation and reintegration. The expression of antipathy to the hierarchy in Bakhtinian carnival, the anti-structural emphasis in Turnarian liminality, and the deconstructive-reconstructive stages in social drama elucidate the symbolic delineation of the performance of Theyyam. The analytical findi...
IIS Journal of Arts, 2024
Dreamhunt (Mal: Swapnavetta), a Malayalam Dalit play by A. Shantha Kumar, translated by Catherine Thankamma, is staged on the backdrop of Theyyam, a cultural and ritualistic form of dance worship in Kerala performed by the lower-caste communities. Theyyam, for the duration of its performance, enables those from the marginalised communities to be momentarily worshipped as divine. We argue that the play re-enacts the irony of this divinity alongside social discrimination. It portrays the conflict in the family of a poor Theyyam performer who lives with his daughter and has lost a son to suicide. The paper situates and historicises various aspects of Dalit issues in the context of Kerala through this play. Drawing from scholarship on Dalit writing, we will also analyse how performance studies enable characters to momentarily transgress the bondage of caste and claim an alternative identity that goes beyond this transgression. The paper discusses the dynamics of language, semiotics of performance and politics of translation and examines the Dalit identity and expression of their experience through performance. In doing this, we add to intersectional studies on Dalit writing and performance.
Representing Feminine Divinity: A Visual Ethnography of Kaliyattam in North Malabar
Society and Culture in South Asia, 2020
Worship of female deities has a history going back to the overall practice of religious worship in human society. This kind of worship has been done with various forms of rituals and performances using images, idols, etc., and the theyyam of North Malabar in South India have a special significance in this regard. In the ritual ceremony of kaliyattam, the deities are worshipped as theyyam (Ashley 1979; Miller 1954; Tarabout 2005). The word theyyam is a corrupt form for the term 'daivam', which means god in Malayalam. Specialised performers belonging to specific caste groups wear symbolic attire with elaborate costumes, make-up and properties and get transformed into gods and goddesses. To complete this physical and visual transformation, they also hope to be possessed by the divine power through a series of rituals in traditional shrines. The theyyam then performs a series of acts and demonstrates the myths, legendary tales and portray godly characters before the audience. The key part of the ceremony is the dance of the deity that takes place towards the end of the main rituals. After the dance, the theyyam-the god incarnate-blesses the devotees. There are hundreds of different theyyams in the pantheon, and a majority of them are female goddesses. The emic view of the community suggests that the whole ritual itself is connected to the worship of Kalithe ferocious Shivite goddess, and not surprisingly, most theyyams have myths related to Kali, the manifestation of Lord Shiva's power through feminine form. Another group in the pantheon, which is related to Photo Essay
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