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Kerala
has a folklore which is unique in its
richness and variety. Innumerable are
the traditions which are current in Kerala.
There are traditions about the origin
of the State, religious, festivals, temples,
etc. The Parasurama legend relating to
the origin of Kerala, the St. Thomas tradition
relating to the origin of Christianity
and the Mahabali legend relating to the
origin of Onam have the pride of place
among these traditions. Each temple in
Kerala has a Sthalapurana which
throws light on some aspect or other of
early Kerala culture. |
Kerala
has its own folk tales which deal with
certain interesting personalities and
their lives. A famous character who figures
as the hero of a typical folk tale is
Naranath Bhrandan (the eccentric
Naranath) whose man pastime was to roll
heavy stones upto the top of the hill
and then roll them down in order to emphasise
the truth that it is not easy for man
to reach the top but not at all difficult
to lose the position. It is worth mentioning
in this connection that the Aithihyamala
by Kottarathil Sankunni is a treasure
house of folklore and legends current
in different parts of Kerala.
The
people of Kerala belonging to all castes
and communities have their rich collection
of folk songs which deal with a variety
of themes. They mirror the joys and sorrows
and the hopes and aspirations of the common
people. The Vanchipattukal or boat
songs sung by those who row the boats
either during boat festivals or ordinary
trips deal with diverse themes of human
interest to the common man. The labouring
classes who earn by the sweat of their
brow have their own characteristic songs
which inspire them to put in their best
by singing them in chorus. Special mention
may be made in this context of the Vadakkan
Pattukal (Northern Ballads), the Tekkan
Pattukal (Southern Ballads) the Palli
pattukal and the Mappila Pattukal.
The Vadakkan Pattukal and the
Thekkan Pattukal deal with the
exploits of the heroes and heroines of
old. The Pallipattukal composed
by Christians for being sung on marriage
occasions contain a large admixture of
Syriac, Latin and Tamil words. Many of
them deal with Church history and lives
of Saints. The Mappila Pattukal are
the folk songs of the Mappilas (Muslim)
of Malabar composed in colloquial Malayalam
and sung in a distinctive tune. They are
composed in a mixture of Malayalam and
Arabic and have a special charm of their
own. They deal with diverse themes such
as religion, love satire, heroism, etc.
The Mailanchi Pattu, the Oppana
Pattu and the Ammayi Pattu belong
to the category of Mappila Pattukal
dealing with love and marriage and they
were sung in chorus in connection with
marriage festivals till recently. The
Mappila songs of various types form part
of the heritage of Malayalam today. |
