Theyyam, Indian Folk Ritual Theatre - An Insider’s Vision
by K K Gopalakrishnan
Niyogi Books, Price: Rs 6,000

Theyyam is a colorful ritual and folk-art tradition from northern Kerala. It is a tradition that dates back to the 15th or 16th centuries. It is performed with gusto even today in Kerala.

Interestingly, the performers can be daily wage laborers in the day toiling in the farms of rich and powerful landlords who transform into performers at night.  Their employers, who come to watch them perform with their intricately designed colorful costumes, would bow before them to respect the form and the performer.  

Often from disadvantaged backgrounds, the performers perform Theyyam as a series of opulent rituals. Men perform as women and are worshipped by onlookers as a Mother Goddess. 

Any devotee, irrespective of religion or cast, can touch the performer and feel blessed. Disregarding religious convention, it binds Hindus and Muslims and also ignores class differences.

Theyyam views devotees as human beings and not according to their caste or religion. In fact, there were Muslim Theyyam, too.

Where else would you ever find such an inclusive art form other than in the rich diversity of India?

All this is intricately documented in a richly illustrated book, published by Niyogi Books, “Theyyam-Indian Folk and Ritual Theatre, an Insider’s Vision” by art historian and photographer K.K. Gopalakrishnan. He has shot stunning photographs in his coffee table book. He used to watch Theyyam as a child, and his family was among the leading patrons of art that flourished, as there was so much support and respect for it.

Colorful Rituals

There are about a thousand forms of Theyyam, but most are now rarely performed. About 200 of them are distinct and still alive. The art form is punctuated with extensive rituals, customs, and culture, and it evolved very earthily from commoners, communal harmony, abnormal psychology, and beliefs. 

Temples often hire Theyyam artists for their festivals. Royal patronage kept it alive for centuries.

The cult worship in Theyyam attracts people from all over the state. It is believed that the deity or its spirit enters the performer’s body and mind, metamorphosing and elevating him as a talisman that would bring good luck.

The broad philosophy of Theyyam is to earn what is possible and lead a down-to-earth social life by donating all the excess that one has to people in need.

Theyyam is considered the divine force of Dravidian culture that existed in the region much before the impact of the Aryan influence.

This creative folk art is full of hundreds of legends that make our imagination go wild.

Gopalakrishnan has documented numerous legends explaining different forms of Theyyams, each so different. Several stories deal with warriors, various duties, rituals to worship nature and so on. Even consumption of alcohol.

Cuts Across Cultures

The gorgeous Theyyam attracts thousands regardless of caste, creed, or religious differences. Some 24–30-hour performances have several arresting rituals and emotional moments.

While Theyyam performances are male dominated, there is one venue where a woman performs Devakoothu, hailed as the only female Theyyam. Her formal name is Devakanni, meaning the young virgin from heaven. Gopalakrishnan says that from an anthropological point of view, it is the significance of agrarian civilization and the umbilical cord of man with nature.

Today, Devakoothu is also blossoming because it is projected as an additional tourist attraction of northern Kerala, sensationally billed by the local media as “the sole Theyyam performed by a woman.”

Though Theyyam is performed only by males, it is not a misogynistic art form as women help with various activities for the performance.

Youngsters learn by watching their elders perform while the performers mentor young boys, explaining all aspects of the art, including facial drawing, costumes, content, and drumming.

The story of Muslim Theyyam revealed through their limited rhetoric and dialogues, unveils the history of Islamic migration to Kerala. It also underscores a period of communal harmony between the Hindus and Muslims in north Kerala.

One color that dominates Theyyam is red. Green is usually avoided in the makeup as the surroundings in Kerala are green all year around.

There are no specific makeup men for the elaborate work on the performer. Anyone can double up to do it, as well as other roles of dressing up the performer and playing musical instruments. However, a highly developed aesthetic is needed to deal with the elaborate costumes. The headgear takes a long time to build and can be made of bamboo, coral, wood, and areca trunks and decorated with metal, cloth, leaves and flowers.

Except for a few Theyyams, nearly 99 per cent of them are characterized by variance based on ethnicity and region. The artist decides it based on the differences between northern and southern Kerala.

Gopalakrishnan says that art forms such as Kathakali are highly indebted to the ritualistic forms of Theyyam for their aesthetic, histrionic and rhythmic inspiration.

Theyyam, based on the belief in the existence of God, flourished in areas that supported communism. It is in the strongholds of Theyyam that the communist movement flourished. Places where Theyyam was performed, were areas where there was a healthy gathering of socially conscious professionals from various walks of life. So, the leftists and communists accepted the Theyyam practices even though such beliefs were against their basic ideology.

Emerging Challenges

Gopalakrishnan points out how, in the commercial world in Kerala, many are hiring the costumes, getting the required makeup done, and charging thousands of rupees for a show when they are not even traditionally trained artists and do not understand the intricacies and spiritual connotations of the traditional art form. Even mainstream political parties in Kerala are using Theyyam artists to perform to draw crowds and drum up support.

However, challenges remain. Kerala is witnessing tremendous socio-economic transformation. Caste-bound professions were dwindling, and landed properties where such rituals were conducted were lost as people moved out of villages, migrating to cities and countries where they could find jobs.

The subtle rituals of Theyyam got lost as they were compromised at the altar of entertainment, says Gopalakrishnan. Night performances are now dwindling as interest and commitment to keep the art alive are fading. Like many cultural idioms of the past, this might also get diluted and disappear in the near future.