THEYYAM: A PERFORMER’S JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION FROM MAN TO GOD

Abstract

Theyyam or Theyyattam is a performer’s artistic journey of transformation from mortal man to immortal Gods and Goddesses. It is a resplendent melange of religious and artistic facets which elevates the aesthesia of both performers and spectators to greater depths. Though Theyyam is fashioned on the essence of a tribal culture, it embraced many elements of ancient Hindu mythology. The entire Theyyam ritual is a metaphysical means, which is thought to have the power to summon the Theyyam deities, causing them to emerge with all exuberance. ’Thottam’ songs, the ritual songs of the Theyyam, render the story of the deity propitiated in this ceremonial performance. The performer himself sing the Thottam songs, so that he can get in the exact frame of mind and the necessary spirit of the persona he is presumed to embody. The aficionados observe the rites very closely as the performer performs before and along the shrine. The musical instruments are played in time to the performer’s movements making the performance pious. Gradually, the performer becomes completely absorbed, evolved and transcended into the realm of intangible powers of nature, impersonating the Gods and Goddesses through artistic acts and manifesting his supreme power by strange demeanor. The article examines the practices, traditions, impersonation, myths, and legends of Theyyam and some of its most popular forms and how this ritualistic art form has established a legacy across tribal and non-tribal cultures creating an identity for itself.