theyyamcalendar.com
Theyyam is basically a form of dance, at once artistic as well as
sacred. At present in form and content Theyyam is an inseparable part
of Hinduism. As a cult, its origin can be traced back to rituals and
practices of primitive society. It has an historical continuity of over
1500 years and it passed through several stages of evolution. The cult
of theyyam has hundreds of deities and many of them now belong to the
greater tradition of Hindu trinity. The classical Hindu mythology had
greatly influenced in shaping many Gods and Goddesses of the Theyyam
cult. Several ancient pictures of worship relating to the mother
Goddess, hero and hero stones, village Goddess, serpant Goddess and
animal God and Goddess continue in the Theyyam cult. The God Sakthi,
the prototype of Godess Parvathi, the wife of Lord Shiva, or the God of
Destruction, dominate the cult of Theyyam. Some of such Theyyams Gods
and Goddesses had only legends and myths that they were originated from
Shiva and Parvathi. A Few deities are associated with Vishnu or
Vaishnavism. The themes of Theyyam reveal a whole world of colourful
fantasy offering much new insight in to social relations, family feuds
and superstitions of the medieval period among the village folks.
Though the heroes and heroines are apparently semi-divine characters,
the human element and the historical core of the plot were all too
clearly discernible. The Theyyams are essentially forms of hero worship
when the dead heroes and martyrs are invoked through song and dance
and magical symbols, and the main episodes from their lives are enacted
in an attempt to propitiate their spirit though there are also
Theyyams of deities from Puranic lore. These heroes and martyrs of
Theyyam are certainly of the medieval type, but the beliefs and
practices behind the ritual must naturally stretch backward to pre
historic times.
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