The word ‘Theyyam’
might have originated from the word ‘Daivam’(God). It also has its origin from ‘Ancestor
Worship’. There are more than 400 types
of Theyyam, namely Vettaikkorumakan, Machilot Bhagavathy, Sree Muthappan and
Kathivanoor Veeran. It is mainly
performed in Northern Malabar especially in Kasargod and Kannur districts and
in the taluks of Koyilandi and Vadakara in Kozhikod district.
Theyyam deities have
their origins from people who were in the lower castes of the Kerala’s caste
system and so they were also performed by them.
Theyyam season covers seven months, starting from the tenth of ‘Thulam’
(Malayalam month) and ends in the middle of ‘Edavam’ (from October to May of
every year). Theyyam is also known as
‘Kaliyaattam’ and ‘Tira’. It is actually
considered as a channel to a ‘God’ and thus people seek blessings from Theyyam.
Theyyam is performed in front of the village shrine or kaavu.
The dancers use
‘Thandava’ and ‘Laasya’ in their performance.
They wear war bonnet, breast plate, waste dress and head dress
(Mudi). They are made up of bamboo
sticks, red clothes wooden pieces and coconut leaves. The body painting and face art of Theyyam is
one of the best examples of folk painting in Kerala. The natural colours like red, orange, yellow,
black and white from sandal wood, red sandal wood, turmeric, lime, rice flour
are used for them.
The dancer comes in
front of the shrine and the ‘metamorphosis’ of a Theyyam into the particular
deity of the shrine happens then. This
performance is a combination of playing musical instruments like chenda, thudi
and kuzhal. The dancer also has a shield
and a sword in his hand. Classical
dances outshone folk dances at the course of time. Similarly, ‘kathakali’s
marketing outshone ‘Theyyam’ and it became the face mark of Kerala. ‘Theyyam’ however, survives in the northern
part of Malabar even now.
-----Thulasidharan V
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