Influence of Farming Culture and Seasons on the Folk Arts and Rituals of North Malabar Region of Kerala State

The different dimensions of folklore of any specific region have deep roots in the farming systems of the region. Since seasons have a high influence on the farming practices, these rituals and folk arts are also connected with the climate of the locality by and large. The North Malabar region of Kerala state, particularly the erstwhile ‘Kolathunadu’ extending over parts of the present-day Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts, is considered to be a repository of folk arts and rituals which coincide with the different farming seasons. The mythological narrations of these art forms are found to have linkages with ethno-meteorological charts. Most folk art forms, including ‘Theyyam’, ‘Chimmaanakkali’, and ‘Kothaammoori’, are performed by artists belonging to certain specific communities who once depended on agriculture alone to make their livelihood. ‘Vithidal’, ‘Uchaaral’, ‘Nira’, ‘Puthari’, ‘Pathaamudayam’, etc. are exclusively agrarian rituals prevalent in the Malabar region. There are reports about the existence of imitative magic among certain tribes, where people perform rain dances during periods of severe drought with the hope of bringing rain to irrigate their crops. Ancient people also believed that through magical rituals, agriculture would flourish and give bumper yields. Rituals have helped a great deal to reduce the primitive man’s fear for the Natural calamities.