The story of a woman scorned
This
story takes you to a region north of Calicut and introduces you to two
flamboyant art forms of North Malabar, namely Thira and Theyyam. Many studies
examine these art forms, including the stories recounted in these dances, and
their history is covered in many works listed in the references. While Pepita’s
beautifully illustrated book showcases the visually striking, colorful splendor
of the art form, researched and collected over two decades, the history and
development of the art forms are briefly outlined in Kurup’s seminal work. The
story of Makkam, a girl who is put to death by her brothers and later avenges
herself by embodying a goddess still worshipped, is the core of the dance
drama, which is performed in North Malabar every year during the Theyyam season
between Oct and May. As I narrate the story, I will also take you through the
narrative power of the Thottam songs, the subtle differences between Theyyam
and Thira, and the performers' relative position within the rigid caste system
of medieval Kerala. As you can imagine, it should be quite fascinating.
Old-timers
may recall a movie titled Kadathanaattu Maakkam, starring Nazir & Sheela,
but let me hasten to clarify that it had nothing to do with the story of
Kadaangot Makkam, though the latter Makkam may also have had a connection to
Kadathanad (Avid readers may recall my past articles on the Porlathiri and
Othenan). Interestingly, the movie’s director seems to have borrowed elements
from the original story, including the brothers and their wives (one of them
named Purani), plotting, scheming, and poisoning, and so on. Over time, the
story and its characters shifted to Kolathunad. The Kadaangot Tharavad is now
located at Kunhimangalam near Payyanur. Nevertheless, the story gained more
traction in North Malabar, and the Thira enactment morphed into the Theyyam
family. We will get to all that, but as they say, let’s start at the very
beginning.
The
first version of the story, titled Kadaangot Makkam, was written in the
kilipattu (a parrot's telling) style by three authors and published in 1918.
The first chapter was written by KM Kunhi Lakshmi Kettilamma, the main part by
KK Kunjikrishna Kurup (Kuttamath), and the conclusion by KMK Nair. Pretty
strange, isn’t it? I have not come across any other work in Malayalam with a
split like this! Kunjulakshmi was a brilliant feminist writer of yore who lived
in Tellicherry, excelled in both Sanskrit and Malayalam prose, and edited a
women's magazine called Mahilaratnam.
The
authors emphasize the lack of clarity about Makkam’s abode: both Kunhimangalam
in Chirakkal Taluk and Kadathanadu claim to be her birthplace. While remnants
such as "Makkam’s Field" and "Makkam’s Well" are cited in
Kadathanadu, the (Thottam) poets (in the traditional Thottam rendition) have
placed her story in Kunhimangalam.
The
Thottam storyline
Makkam
was born the only cherished sister to twelve elder brothers of the renowned
Kadaangot family. After losing her parents at age three, she grew into a
pretty, well-read girl, known for her sharp intellect, virtue, and numerous
fine qualities. Her brothers doted on her. Although Makkam treated her twelve
sisters-in-law with love and respect, eleven of them were intensely jealous of
her and of their husbands’ affection for their little sister. The youngest,
Purani, and her husband, Ramar Nair, however, reciprocated Makkam’s love for
them. As the story goes, her brothers searched far and wide for a suitable
match and married her to Namber Nambiar from the illustrious Ilanguttil family.
The couple lived happily for a while (there is some confusion here – the
brothers seem to have brought their wives to the Kadaangot family, which is
somewhat strange, because in the old matrilineal system, the husbands visited
the girls at their homes). Makkam gave birth to two children in due course:
Chattu, a son, and, after some time, Chiru, a daughter, to keep the family
lineage going.
The
situation did not improve, and the next plot unfolded while the brothers were
on a hunting trip. Namber Nambiar, Makkam’s husband, was traveling east. Makkam
was menstruating, and an oil monger, Enman, arrived home to deliver oil.
Makkam, in seclusion, shouted to him (Purani was busy cooking) to step in (not
normally permitted) and leave the oil near the kitchen. The sisters-in-law,
seizing the opportunity, made a dramatic appearance, raising a hue and cry over
the incident, claiming that Makkam had invited the low-caste oil monger for a
sexual tryst. Purani’s support for Makkam was of no use. Enman ran away.
After
the brothers returned from the hunt, their wives lied to them, accusing the
young Makkam of defiling their caste status, and insisted that the only
solution was to get rid of their younger sister and her children once and for
all. Convinced, the brothers decided to act and asked Makkam to accompany them
on a pilgrimage to Lokamalaya Kavu (the Lokanar temple in Vadakara, in
Kadathanad). Makkam immediately sensed danger and knew her days were numbered.
She destroyed everything she possessed (further enraging her sisters-in-law),
except a few clothes, which she bundled, and stepped out of the ancestral
house. As the poem goes - after her intense prayers, Makkam looked back at
Purani, who lay unconscious on the ground, weeping bitterly, and at the eleven
wicked sisters-in-law celebrating with clapping hands, and walked forward in
deep sorrow.
Walking
along a forest path, drenched with sweat, the group paused near an old well to
draw water and quench their thirst. As Makkam peered over the edge to look at
the reflections, the eldest brother seized the opportunity, murdered Makkam and
her children, and threw the bodies into the well.
The
sin had been committed, but the brothers were neither happy nor fulfilled; they
knew, deep down, that they had done a terrible thing. When they returned with
heavy legs, they were greeted by a fierce female apparition with two children
standing side by side, burning eyes, and four hands. It was the fearsome figure
of Kali as Makkam, whose very sight made the brothers vomit blood and die on
the spot. The big house caught fire, and before anyone could rescue them, the
11 sisters-in-law were consumed by the roaring flames. All except Purani and
her husband perished at the hands of the fierce goddess, who thenceforth was
known as Goddess Makkam. Lest you wonder, Makkam's husband returned shortly
afterward but could do nothing but accept the fateful events with a heavy
heart.
The
poem continues - "'Sometime later, an Ezhava farmer harvesting sesame in
that wild forest noticed blood foaming and bubbling up from the well. As he
bent over to look into the well, the Goddess pulled him in, cut out his tongue
as he screamed, and assimilated him into her divine presence. Even today, no
matter how strong a man is, no one dares to look into that cursed well!'"
Over
time, this story became part of local lore and was enacted as Thirayattams and
Theyyattams.
Aithihyamala
version – Kottarathil Sankunni
Around
the same time, or even earlier, K Sankunni began collecting legends and lore
(1909) but published his magnum opus, Aithihyamala, much later, in 1928. The
87th story is about Kadaangot Makkam. He places the story and the Kadaangot
Nair tharavad in Kadathand, whereas her husband, Nambar Nambiyar, is from
Kunhimangalam in Payyanur. The Kadaangot family worshipped at the nearby
Lokamalayar temple in Vadakara, whose patrons were the Kadathanad Porlathiri
Rajas. He adds that the sisters-in-law were unhappy with the younger Makkam, as
she held the purse strings and ran the Tharavad, its finances and accounts,
single-handedly as a Tharavattilamma. He concludes that the story was then sung
as a Makkam Thottam and enacted as a Makkam Thira, without mentioning Theyyam,
which is restricted to North Malabar.
Anthropologist
A. Aiyappan, in his paper on the subject, draws on the story from K Sankunni
and notes that wealthy Tharavad menfolk sometimes brought their wives to their
homes, even though this was not always customary in matrilineal families. He
adds that one reason the sisters-in-law were envious of Makkam was their fear
that, upon their husbands' deaths, they would have to return to their own
tharavads with their children empty-handed, despite the immense riches around
them. He adds that the process of Makkam's deification was very rapid. The
deaths of children, crop failures, and similar evils were, with credulous fear,
ascribed to the wrath of her spirit, now wandering restlessly. Many shrines
were built in various places to honor and placate her spirit. The tragedy of
her life became the theme of Tottams (lays), which are sung to this day in her
glorification by village minstrels. Offerings are made at her shrines to obtain
offspring and general prosperity.
All
said, it is difficult to determine how the story drifted from Kadathanad to
Chirakkal and how the Kadaangot family tharavad now exists near Cannanore. It
is said that the Kadaangot family and the Chala Puthiya Veetil tharavads are
the main sponsors of Makkam Theyattams. KKN Kurup states that Makkam Thira is
performed south of Cannanore, whereas Makkam Theyyam is performed to the north,
usually by the Vannan caste.
Now
let us take a look at the terms Theyyam, Thira, Thottam, etc. The ritual dance
ceremony itself is called Kaliyattam, and the deities are worshipped as Theyyam
(Daivam). Wearing elaborate costumes, the performers are transformed into gods
or goddesses and appear to be possessed by them. Theyyams are female goddesses,
usually Kali. Social injustice, violence and repression against women, caste
injustices, etc., are the usual storylines. During Theyyattam, they enact
regional legends and the fight between good and evil, and the Theyyam blesses
devotees present after the event. Any overt expression of sexuality by women
was to be contained, and this was sometimes the storyline in a Theyyattam such
as Makkam’s. Then there are messages about family prestige, honor, morality,
joint-family life, gossip, adultery, and so on. Today, the worship of the
Makkam Theyyam by a childless couple is based on the belief that the deity’s
blessing will bring them fertility.
In a
way, it was an opportunity for lower castes to criticize the upper castes.
Dilip Menon states: The stories of the Theyyattam concern lower- and
upper-caste persons who infringed caste restrictions or notions of morality and
were punished with death. To atone for this excessive and ’unjust’ punishment,
they were deified. During a performance, a lower-caste performer is possessed
by these deities and may criticize upper castes for their misdeeds or failings.
I will not go into more detail on Teyyams, as there are plenty of books and articles on the subject; needless to say, you must see one to enjoy and appreciate the glory and majesty of the performance, the vivid colors of the costumes, the torch-lit accompaniments, and the Thottam musical renditions.
In the
south, a diluted form of Theyyattam, called Thirayattam, was more of a
performance for a limited audience. The element of divinity and protest is
superseded by theatricality. In Theyyattam, the gods supposedly manifest or
embody themselves in the medium and even bless the onlookers, whereas
Thirayattam is a performance dedicated to a god, performed by a dancer who
seems possessed.
The
Thottam songs were sung about the lives, deaths, and subsequent deification of
local heroes and heroines. The word thottam is derived from the root word
thonnuka, meaning to produce, to create, or to restore to life. I also read
that Thottam was a colloquial term for Stotram, though that seems quite a
stretch.
Anil
Gopi tells us that Theyyam is often called Makkavum Makkallum, meaning
"the lady and her two children." In addition to Makkam, Chattu, and
Chiru, Mavilan joins the performance as a clown. Fire torches are important in
the Theyyam. The Thottam rendition lasts 6-8 hours. The yearly kaliyattam at
the shrine at Kadaangottu tharavadu is now a pilgrimage for many couples.
Makkappothi, the goddess of fertility, is a corruption of the term Makkam
Bhagavathi.
Quoting
Anil Gopi: Maakkam has six large fire torches (kettu pantham) attached to the
waist dress, and Cheeru has four. Twenty-one and three small fire torches are
attached to the crowns of Maakkam and Cheeru, respectively. On the other hand,
her son Chaathu, being male, is portrayed as a hero with characteristic
costumes and martial arts. Maavilan, the fourth character in the performance,
wears a black-and-white dress with facial and body painting and carries
ornaments made of leaves, a sickle, and a bunch of grass. This character is
portrayed as an entertainer who makes a humorous presence at the event, acts
like a clown, interferes with the theyyam dance, and entertains the audience.
In Maakkam, the lady's tragic death is enacted with high drama. When the fire
torches attached to the theyyam are lit, the theyyam makes sounds as if it is
weeping, and the drumming and trumpet (cheenikkuzhal) produce melancholy music,
all creating an atmosphere that gives devotees an experience as if they
themselves are going through what the protagonist in the theyyam once
experienced as a person.
Next
time you are in North Malabar during the Theyyam season, don’t forget to check the
schedule for the Maakam performance. I can assure you it will be spellbinding.
Aithihyamala – Kottarathil Sankunni
Kadaangot Makkam (Kilipattu) – KunjuLakshmi Amma, KK Kunji Kurup, KMK Nair
Mākkam: The Story of the "Canonization" of a Nayar Woman (Folklore 1934) – A. Aiyappan
The cult of Theyyam and Hero worship – (Folklore) – KKN Kurup
The Moral Community of the Teyyattam: Popular Culture in Late Colonial Malabar - Dilip M. Menon
Pradaksinam – C Acyutha Menon
In Gods Mirror – Pepita Seth
Rituals and society: an anthropological study on the Kaliyattam in North Malabar – Anil Gopi
Experience, Meaning and Ritual: The Many Lives of Thottam Songs in North Malabar, Kerala – K Haritha
Representing Feminine Divinity: A Visual Ethnography of Kaliyattam in North Malabar – Anil Gopi
Images – Wikimedia – thanks to the original
owners.
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