In the World of Theyyam : The Performance of Poetry
The sheer essence of Theyyam ( the colloquial term for the Sanskrit Deivam or Theivam which hints at a 'masculine' God) carries with it the energy (or should I say magic?) to enrapture and transport you into its own surrrealism , its own poetics and rhythm and makes you a part of it before even you are consciously aware of it. It is an intoxication through art that conjures up thousands of years of history, culture, traditions, myths and stories that run through the veins of North Kerala, especially in the regions of or surrounding the historical Kalathunadu area which occupy the present districts of Kannur and Kasaregod. This ritualistic art form transcends the rigidity of the class and castes demarcations of the Hindu religion and accommodates them all, a stage which is almost utopian in the Indian context till this day. Tribal in nature, this ritualistic art form is the culmination of dance, music and beats along with the retelling of ancient stories, legends or myths.