Characters: (center) Marikkalivan, with a crown, headdress and face paint; (left) Marikkalichi, his wife; (right) and Marikkuliyan (or "Maripottan"), an incarnation of fierce form of Lord Shiva, with a wooden mask and staff. Round spots painted on the skin of Marikkalichi probably represent the diseases of the rainy season which the ritual seeks to eradicate and sweep to the ocean. The "haystack" costumes are made from kuruthola (coconut palm leaves). Maritheyyam is a ritual mask dance drama and kind of theyyam performed by the Pulaya community. "Theyyam" could come from the word "daivam" which in Malayalam means god, and "attam" meaning "dance." This genre of theyyam comes from Madayi area of Kannur District in Kerala. Performed by N. Kanjan Pujari and party.<br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 67, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 251
Pulluvan sarpam thullal ritual enactment at the Kalliasseri Theyyam Festival. Two Pulluvan musicians play Pulluvan vīṇā bowed fiddle chordophones with udumbu (uṭumpu) monitor lizard skin bellies (left and right). One Pulluvan musician plays a Pulluvan kudam variable tension chordophone with a clay pot resonator (center). The leader is V. P. Bahuleyan.<br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 65, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 239
Sarpam pāṭṭu (song in honor of the snake god) / thullal (dance that imitates the movement of a snake), a serpent trance healing ritual enactment, with a kalam ritual floor drawing. Pulluvan (men) and Pulluvati (women) musicians sing Pena Pattu “Woman’s Song” (left). A kalam ritual drawing made of colored powders has been prepared on the raised earth platform. The Pulluvan ritualist sits at the base of the kalam (center). Pulluvan and Pulluvati stand at the upper margin of the kalam. The leader is V. P. Bahuleyan. <br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 65, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 239
Sarpam pāṭṭu (song in honor of the snake god) / thullal (dance that imitates the movement of a snake), a serpent trance healing ritual enactment with a kalam ritual floor drawing. A kalam drawing of a five-headed naga serpent, drawn with colored powders on the pounded earth floor. A pujari sits below drawing of snakes’ heads. Ritual objects including diya oil lamps, coconuts, flowers and supari blossoms adorn the kalam. The leader is V. P. Bahuleyan.<br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 65, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 239
Two aṅkakkāran (fighter) characters with bamboo sticks perform. A man holding a torch, and a table with a nilavilakku (lamp) are in the foreground. Musicians with membranophones are in the background. Thirayāṭṭam, "colorful dance," is a divine ritual dance-drama of the South Malabar district in Kerala state that blends dance, drama, songs, instrumental music, masking, and facial and bodily makeup.<br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 62, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 107, Data Sheets, p. 223
Chummar Choondal, in a blue shirt, poses for a group portrait with and the residents of a Choondal Village, with the children lined up in the front.<br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 58, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 104, Data Sheets, p. 210-214
Rakteswari Theyyam: Naga Kali. The goddess Rakteswari (Rakteshwari, Rikteswari) with a cobra image on crown and areca blossoms in her hands, dancing wildly. Ceṇḍa (chenda) drummers are in the background. <br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84):Bake Restudy Notes, p. 64, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 232-235
Rakteswari Theyyam: Naga Kali. The goddess Rakteswari (Rakteshwari, Rikteswari) with a cobra image on crown and areca blossoms in her hands. Men in dhotis restrain her wrists to reduce her destructive fury, and hold the log pedestal to prevent her from falling. <br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 64, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 110, Data Sheets, p. 232-235
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). <br>Ref. (Related Items): Ethnomusicology Archive, UCLA (coll. 198609_NA84): Bake Restudy Notes, p. 45, Jairazbhoy Diary, p. 84, Data Sheets, p. 187-188
