Theyyam is a common form of worship ritual in Kerala, India, primarily in the Kolathunadu region, and also in Karnataka's South Canara and Kodagu as a living cult with many thousand-year-old traditions, rituals, and customs.
History of theyyam
"There can be little question," Bridget and Raymond Alchin tell, "that a very large part of this modern folk religion is extremely ancient and includes characteristics that originated in the earliest periods of Neolithic, Chalcolithic settlement and language," there is no question, mostly, provided from fremin. There are approximately 400 types of Theyyam, including Vettakkorumakan, Vishnumoorthy Theyyam, Muchilot Bhagavathi theyyam And Sree Muthappan Theyyam.
All the prominent features of primitive, tribal, religious worship had broadened the stream of Theyyam cults, where "only the adherents of Islam are identified with religion in its practical dimension" and made it a deep-rooted folk religion of millions. For example, Bhagawathi's cult, the Mother Goddesses, had an important place in Theyyam, and still has one. In addition to this, rituals such as spirit-worship, ancestor-worship, hero-worship, masathi-worship, tree-worship, animal worship, serpent-worship, the worship of the disease goddesses and the worship of Gramadevata (Village-Deity) are included in the mainstream of Theyyam culture. Along with these Gods and Goddesses there exist innumerable folk Gods and Goddesses. Most of these Goddesses are known as Bhagavathy (the Mother-Goddess that is the Divine and United form of the three principal Goddesses namely, Brahmani (Saraswati), Vaishnavi (Lakshmi), and Shivani (Parvati).
The dance or invocation is normally performed in front of the shrine at the village. It is often conducted as ancestor-worship with elaborate ceremonies and rituals in the homes. There is no stage or curtain for the show, or any such arrangements. The devotees would stand or some would sit on a holy tree in front of the shrine. This is, in short, an open theatre. According to its importance and hierarchy a output of a specific deity in the shrine continues with intervals for 12 to 24 hours. In the rituals will reside the chief dancer who propitiates the shrine's main deity. Further, this particular dancer wouldn't eat anything for the rest of that day after the sunsets. Specialists and other dancers make up his make up. The performance's first part is usually known as Vellattam, or Thottam. It is done without any elaborate costume or proper makeup. This time only a thin, red headdress is worn.
Together with the drummers, the dancer recites the specific ritual song explaining the myths and legends about the shrine deity or the folk deity to be propitiated. Accompanying this is playing folk musical instruments. The dancer returns to the greenroom after performing this main ritualistic aspect of the invocation. Again he appears with full makeup and costumes after a short break. Face-painting habits are distinctive. Vairadelam, kattaram, kozhipuspam, kottumpurikam, and prakkezhuthu are some of these patterns. For face painting primarily primary and secondary colors are used with contrast. In the dances, it helps to affect some stylisation. Then the dancer comes into the shrine's specific deity in front of the altar, and slowly "metamorphoses." He, after performing several rituals, puts the head-dress on his head, and starts to dance. Folk musical instruments such as chenda, tudi, kuzhal, and veekni are played at a certain pace in the background. All of the dancers take in their hands a shield and kadthala (sword) as a continuation of the arms cults. The dancer then circumnavigates the temple, runs through the courtyard and starts to dance there. The dance of The Theyyam has different steps known as Kalaasams. Each Kalasam is systematically repeated from the first through the eighth step of footwork. A performance is a mixture of musical instruments, vocal recitations, dance, and special (usually mainly orange) make-up and costumes. One of the popular sieyams in Kerala is the Kathivanoor Veeran Theyyam.