Abstract
The cult of the Theyyams is exclusive to the north of Kerala, southwest India, and consists of a deity assuming a living form through a ritual performance. The main characteristic of this cult is that the performer is supposed to be transformed into the divinity, it is not merely a representation but a living god or goddess that is present to the believers, and everybody behaves according to that assumption.
The main type of ceremony with the participation of Theyyams is the kaliyattam, a “danced story”, which happens during a festival organized annually in a village or family temple. The performers belong to the lower castes or tribes of the traditional social stratification system.
The documentary follows Rajesh Peruvannan, a Theyyam performer, in the process of transformation into the condition of a living god.
The main type of ceremony with the participation of Theyyams is the kaliyattam, a “danced story”, which happens during a festival organized annually in a village or family temple. The performers belong to the lower castes or tribes of the traditional social stratification system.
The documentary follows Rajesh Peruvannan, a Theyyam performer, in the process of transformation into the condition of a living god.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e1369 |
| Journal | Journal of Anthropological Films |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 May 2018 |