THEYYAM AS A TRADITIONAL ART FORM OF KERALA: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

Abstract

Theyyam is a form of worship performed by the people of Northern Kerala. It consists of a special combination of symbols, rituals and art forms particularly dance. In this spectacular art forms, the ghosts, good and evil spirits come into the manifestation Theyyam or Theyyattam is a popular Hindu ritual of worship in North Kerala predominant in the Kolathu nadu. As a living cult with centuries old traditions, rituals and customs, it embraces almost all castes and classes of Hindu religion in this region. Theyyam is a rare combination of dance and music and reflects important features of a tribal culture. The term Theyyam is a corrupt usage for Dayvam means God. Attam means dance. Theyyattam means God’s Dance. The performers of theyyam belong to the lower caste community and have an important position in the community. People of these districts consider Theyyam itself as a God and they seek blessing from this Theyyam. God is believed to enter the body of the Theyyam performer and hence, believers consider the man dressed as the Theyyam as a visible manifestation of God and seek his blessings. Thus Theyyam has a definite culture and social significance in the life of people. It is closely related to the culture and tradition of Kerala. Globalization and resultant modernization has brought in significant changes in all spheres of life in Kerala. Over the years many traditional art forms of Kerala has got sidelined and seems to have lost its importance in the society. Theyyam is also such a traditional art form of Kerala which lost its past glory. Anybody interested in theyyam may be interested to explore the following aspects, that is the folklores describing the genesis of theyyam; relation of theyyam with religion and culture of backward caste communities of North Malabar; impact of commercialisation on the performance of theyyam; factors motivating theyyam artists to continue in this field; factors contributing towards the increasing popularity of theyyam in the contemporary society so on. Many questions need answers. So through this study, the researcher proposes to probe into these areas in order to find out the socio-cultural milieu in which theyyam originated and factors still promoting the continuance of this art form in contemporary Kerala.