Theyyam
Theyyam
also known as Kaliyattam, it is a ritual dance popular in north Kerala or the
erstwhile Kolathunadu.
Theyyam incorporates dance, mime and music and enshrines the rudiments of ancient
tribal cultures which attached great importance to the worship of heroes and
the spirits of ancestors.
Of the over 400 Theyyams performed, the most spectacular ones are those of Raktha
Chamundi, Kari Chamundi, Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaveni, Gulikan and
Pottan.
These are performed in front of shrines, sans stage or curtains, by persons
belonging to the Vannan, Malayan and other related castes.
'Thudangal' (the beginning) and 'Thottam' (the invocation) are the introductory
rituals of the Theyyam or the Thira, as it is known in south Malabar.
The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular in sheer size
and appearance. Karivalloor, Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Parassini, Cherukunnu,
Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in north Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed
annually from December to April.
Kerala Art & Culture
Theyyam ||
Patayani || Poothanumthirayum
|| Paana || Tholppavakkoothu
|| Velakali || Kalamezhuthu
|| Margomkali || Mudiyettu
|| Koothu || Kannyarkali
|| Arjuna Nritham || Kavadiyattom
|| Theeyattu || Kummattikkali
