Examining Theyyam Through a Bakhtinian Lens: Music and the Carnivalesque in Folk

When a loved one leaves you, it’s not them but a part of you too that goes along with them.

Kerala, a widow, or a fatherless little girl, tremors on days when the rage and cries get too loud. She takes off her glimmering smile and jewels, and don herself in the fiercest of looks. Kohl and spirits rimming her eyes, red and black painted across the face, eardrums pried open to the sounds of ancient instruments of Chenda, Ilathalam, Veekan Chenda, Ilathalam, Kuzhal.

An ancient folk tribal ritual that surpasses even centuries, Kerala is a madwoman who witnesses through her eyes the drifting spirit of her loved ones.[1]

Theyyam is an ancient Hindu ritual art form primarily performed in the northern Malabar region of Kerala. Known mostly for its elaborate costumes, intricate makeups and headgear (mudi), its captivating performances blend mythology, religion and social commentary. Theyyam is considered sacred as it invokes dieties through its performers from whom people seek their blessings. One can find Theyyam performances in the village shrines and ancestral homes of northern Kerala. The form is a vibrant mix of music, dances, storytelling and craftsmanship. Performed under a very religious context, the form has an association with performers from lower castes or tribal communities. Theyyam, being a famous form of folk theatre in India, has extensive literature and media on it with which we will connect the form to the idea of the carnivalesque that is presented by Mikhail Bakhtin.

Mikhail Bakhtin was a Russian literary critic who created the theory of the carnivalesque. His theory was influenced by mediaeval and early modern festive traditions and his theory has implications on literature and culture to this day. The carnival, to Bakhtin , was a time of joyous, chaotic and subversive celebration which allowed for the overturning of social hierarchies and traditional norms. This temporary suspension of order gave way for expression of alternative perspectives and usher social change. The carnivalesque can be connected to the 1,500 year old form of Theyyam in multiple aspects of which we will engage in a general one and then one with the music of Theyyam. 

Theyyam can be connected to the idea of the carnivalesque as the form is a subversive one. Performers of it, who are from lower castes and tribal communities are considered of higher status and revered by the upper-caste members of society. Much like the carnivalesque, we see a form of temporary social inversion here: an opposite to the usual social hierarchy where caste dictates social standing. To understand more of the carnivalesque ‘workings’ of Theyyam, we need to understand the performative aspects of it. Theyyam is located in the Malabar region of Kerala and has forms throughout the region with each form varying in its deity, narrative, headgear, music etc. Theyyam’s performances therefore draw on myths and legends of local deities, heroes, supernatural beings etc. These stories are conveyed through the performers (males) who embody the character. These performers are characterised by their elaborate costumes and makeup. Made from coconut sheaths cut and painted in red, black and white patterns, the costumes used in Theyyam are visual patterns and designs handed down over generations of the same family. The different varieties of Theyyam are illustrated by the various kinds of hoods, headdresses, face paints, breastplates, bracelets, garlands etc.

The musical component of Theyyam consists of percussion and pipe instruments. These include Chenda, Elathalam, Thudi, Kurumkuzal, and Veekkuchenda. The nature of their music is mainly improvisational as they seek to complement the motions and theatrics of the performer. The rhythms played by these performers are of the kind we usually hear in south Indian temple/ritual festivals with their signature high-energy atmospheres and frequent interludes with beat changes. The audience is a key part of these performances as they seek blessings and pray to these ‘Theyyams’ (Gods/deities). Interactions also go as far as viewers pleading for sets to end in a certain section or being chased by the ‘Theyyam’.

            Music, festivities, celebration and dance are elements of carnivals and contribute to the carnivalesque. These very elements are also very prominent in Theyyam where we see a celebratory and energetic nature brought about in part by the music and dance. We also see resistance and social commentary in Theyyam where some forms like ‘Pottan Theyyam’ are used as a platform for those purposes. In this particular form, the performer voices the frustrations of the community and challenges figures of authority during the performance itself from the position of the deity. This act works effectively as the lower-caste performer’s transformation to the divine figure commands the respect of all in the community. In commanding attention, the 50 to 60 feet mudi (the structure on the performer’s head) towering over the audience magnifies the performer’s presence and blurs the boundary between the mortal and immortal. This element of its costume, the grotesque nature of it is also an idea found within the carnivalesque. This nature allows for a visceral and embodied connection to the divine and in carnivalesque it is seen as a contrast to the abstract and idealised notion of the body found in popular culture. The visual spectacle of this captivating form can be seen in the three images attached in this essay as well.

            The rhythmically rich soundscape of Theyyam is a key catalyst in creating its ritualistic and carnivalesque atmosphere. The heartbeat of Theyyam is Vadyam, meaning rhythm in Malayalam. The central role of percussion is accompanied by pipe instruments as well. One of the most prominent instruments of this soundscape is the Chenda. A cylindrical drum, its beats drive the ritual’s energy and mark its various phases. An experience of music in Theyyam can only be complete if we personally witness it. A vague sense of the experience can be found on Youtube and the following link goes to a video to give you just that: Theyyam fest @ Thayneri Sree Kurinji Temple.

            Unlike many other folk theatre forms, music is not merely a backdrop in Theyyam. Music makes for a dynamic interplay between the musicians’ sounds and the performer’s actions. Its improvisational nature differentiates it from traditional temple ritual music which is structured and choreographed. The Chenda is known as Asura Vadyam in Kerala folk theatre and this means demonic rhythm in Malayalam. This is a hint towards the instrument's pre-Brahminical roots. It instead goes back to the indigenous roots of the instrument. The music of Theyyam is also something which is passed down from generation to generation in the performers’ families. There is no formal training and all musical learning in this form is through oral transmission. 

            The carnivalesque is an idea borrowed from early theatre but in connecting it with a form like Theyyam, we must remember that the idea of the carnival is of a symbolic and playful nature unlike the aforementioned’s sacred and ritualistic nature. We see a ritual possession of the performer in Theyyam which allows him to be a conduit for the divine while the carnivalesque involves costumes and masks facilitating the symbolic inversion of social roles and hierarchies. The form is also held under a strictly religious context which involves only specific families and communities. What this does to the form’s survival is that its authenticity and connection to its roots stay intact. This goes against the open participation characteristic of carnivalesque where we see more inclusivity and a shared transgression.

            Theyyam is still a living tradition in northern Kerala and devotees and others alike still attend these rituals to seek blessings and to pray. The form has also evolved constantly over 1,500 years of existence adapting to social and cultural contexts. This is found mostly in their production of masks and colouring. They have gone from using natural colours and natural materials to synthetic colours and more durable materials for costumes. The form has faced criticism for the treatment of their performers and the socio-economic disadvantages these performers are put through. The form enjoys a high viewership to this day thanks to Kerala Tourism’s push for advertisement of its culture. Despite its many forms and local elements, it has been studied and recorded extensively compared to other folk forms in Kerala. Theyyam’s enduring appeal lies in the spiritual connection and cultural expression which, added with the temporal subversion of social hierarchies, provides us a subject for a Bakhtinian study. The study of music and carnivalesque given here is a testament to the relevance folk theatre holds in the modern world.

[1] Theyyam poetry quoted from https://www.poemsindia.in/kerala-my-land-is-a-woman