Kasargod District - ART -Theyyam

TRAINING
The Theyyam ritual dance is exclusively performed by the male members of the traditional caste groups like Vannan, Malayan, Velan, Mavilan, Pulayan and Koppalan. These sections belong to scheduled caste and tribes. They are the sole custodians of Theyyam dance. These artists belong to the socially degraded group and only at the time of their performance get a social status and they are been respected by the devotees. It is a seasonal occupation to these groups. It is a social obligation on his part to perform the Theyyam dance in their areas as a hereditary right. Now these people get reasonable payment. Cloth, coconut, rice, paddy and coconut oil are also being given.

Like many other performing arts, there are different areas in Theyyam art which are to be specialised by an artist. An eminent artist generally achieves mastery over all these branches. They are recitation of Theyyam song or Thottam, make up, preparation of costumes, playing of instruments and dancing. There are about one hundred thottam songs pertaining to different Gods and Goddesses. Some of them are lengthy texts including the legends, myths and traditions of their respective folk deities. These songs are to be memorized by the artist. The methods of recitation and oral revelation like `Varavili` are to be mastered. The ragas or melody vary from one context to the other. Thus he must posses some knowledge of musicology.

COSTUMES
The make up involves face painting a different styles and body decoration. Different costumes like leaf dress or Tazha Adai, headdress or muti, `arayoda’ or Vattoda and other body decorations are to be prepared by the artists for performance. Some of the costumes are made up of tender coconut leaves and they are used only for single performance. Some head crowns and masks are used in different occasions. Preparation of these items requires proper skill and craftsmanship and perfect knowledge of primary and secondary colour combinations.

The artist has to master the skill to play the folk musical instruments, which have an important place in the Theyyam performance. Most important item of the performance is dancing. Normally instruction is imported when a boy is 7 or 8 years old. It takes 8 or 10 years to master everything of the performance. The teaching of Theyyam dance is given in a `gurukula model’. The eminent dancer teaches his sons, nephews or relatives and when they learn this they will also assist as make up men or drummers. They appear in minor and unimportant items of deities in the village festivals. In certain dance items a dance has to wear burning wicks around his waist and observe fire walk wearing the heavy headdress. He has to learn the method of weight distribution by moving hands, shoulders and legs. There is every possibilities of an accident for an unskilled artist who perform the Theyyam of Muchilot Bhagavathy, Kannangat Bhagavathy and Patakkathi Baghavathi.

Morning hours are used for instruction. Oil massage is applied to the body of a young dancer. A good training in Kalaripayattu is a must for the Theyyam artist who performs the role of hero deities like, Kathivannur Veeran, Poomaruthan, Pataveeran and many others.

The Theyyam traditions and arts inherited by a son from his father, or a nephew from his uncle. This practice continued uninterruptedly for centuries. As it was a ritual art without rituals and rites, it has no existence and thus its growth was arrested and restricted.

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