Kerala Folklore

Part 2: The Two Houses: A Hierarchy of Honor and Conflict

The narratives of Vadakkan Pattukal are primarily centered around the fortunes of two prominent ancestral houses: the Puthooram family and the Thacholi Manikkoth family.¹⁶ This foundational division is not merely a literary device; it reflects the deep-seated caste and social hierarchies of medieval Kerala. The Puthooram family belonged to the Thiyyar community, historically categorized as a "lower caste," while the Thacholi house was of the Nair community, a "higher caste".¹⁷ The distinction between these two lineages forms the basis of the ballads' structural and thematic variations, with songs about each family often grouped as Puthooram songs and Thacholi songs, respectively.¹⁸

Caste and the Elevated Warrior Status

A fascinating aspect revealed by the ballads is the complex relationship between a warrior's martial prowess and their social standing. While the four-tier caste system rigidly defined social strata, the status of a Chekavar warrior, a title associated with the Thiyyar community, seemed to create a parallel social currency.¹⁹ The ballads show that Chekavars held a position "on par with nobility" and were accorded special privileges, including the right to use a palanquin and an umbrella, and to be accompanied by a musical procession.²⁰ The respect they commanded was so immense that a Nair chieftain would stand to honor a well-known Chekavar warrior like Aromal.²¹ This suggests that a warrior's skill and honor could, in certain contexts, transcend the rigid caste system, creating an exception to the established social rules. The ballads, therefore, do not merely mirror the feudal system; they also illuminate its cracks and the powerful role of martial tradition in shaping individual and community identity.

Part 3: The Pantheon of Imperfect Heroes and Heroines

The central figures of the ballads are not flawless archetypes but complex, morally ambiguous individuals, a hallmark that separates these folk narratives from more sanitized heroic tales.

Aromal Chekavar: The Tragic Hero of the Puthooram Clan

Aromal Chekavar, a hero from the Puthooram family, is a central and tragic figure in the Vadakkan Pattukal. He is portrayed as a master of Kalaripayattu and a paragon of honor and skill.¹ Aromal's life is defined by a deep sense of duty, culminating in his fateful Ankam (ritual duel) to settle a property dispute for a client. Despite being unwell and facing a formidable opponent, he bravely fights and wins.²⁵ However, his victory is short-lived, as the ballads describe his death not in combat, but through a treacherous act. His own cousin and rival, Chandu Chekavar, is said to have sabotaged his sword and later fatally wounded him while tending to his injuries.³³ This betrayal makes Aromal a martyr, and his tragic death becomes a pivotal moment in the entire saga, igniting a quest for revenge by his sister, Unniyarcha, and his son, Kannappanunni. Aromalunni, the son of Unniyarcha, later killed Chandu Chekavar, thus avenging his uncle’s treacherous murder perpetrated by Chandu himself. Aromal's story, therefore, is about the devastating consequences of deceit and the enduring legacy of a fallen hero.

Thacholi Othenan: The Chivalrous Anti-Hero

Thacholi Othenan, a hero from the Thacholi Manikkoth family, is a master of Kalaripayattu and renowned for his skill with the whip-like Urumi.²² While he is often romanticized as a "Robin Hood" figure—a chivalrous, brave, and helpful friend to the helpless—the ballads do not shy away from his less admirable traits.²³ He is portrayed as haughty, short-tempered, a philanderer, and someone who dabbled in magic and witchcraft.²⁴ His real name was Udayana Kurup, and he died at the young age of 32.²⁵ The circumstances of his death are particularly telling. He was fatally shot by a disciple of a man he had defeated, but only after he had returned to the duel site to retrieve a forgotten dagger and, in a moment of hubris, was not wearing his protective amulet.²⁶ This is a critical departure from a typical heroic narrative. His demise is not a noble sacrifice but a result of his own recklessness, providing a raw, human dimension that grounds his legend in a more authentic reality.

Unniyarcha: A Woman Forged in Steel

Unniyarcha, of the Puthooram family, is perhaps the most iconic female figure in the ballads.²⁷ A skilled warrior herself, she is celebrated for her proficiency in Kalaripayattu, particularly with the Urumi, a weapon she began training with at the age of seven.²⁸ Her story is a testament to female bravery and independence, epitomized by her famous confrontation with the Jonaka Mappila ruffians in Nadapuram Bazar.²⁹ When her own husband hesitated, she stood firm, taunting him for his fear and single-handedly fending off her attackers until they apologized and vowed not to molest women again.³⁰

However, a closer look at her narrative through a critical lens reveals a more complex dynamic. While her actions are celebrated as an embodiment of female valor, some scholarly analyses suggest that her heroism may be a patriarchal construct.³¹ Her most famous deeds often serve a male-centric purpose, such as avenging her brother's death by training her son to kill his supposed murderer, Chandu Chekavar.³² Her strength, while remarkable, is often channeled through the patriarchal family structure, a duality that invites a more nuanced interpretation beyond a simple celebration of female empowerment.

Chandu Chekavar: The Villain Who Found a Voice

The ballads’ most controversial figure is Chandu Chekavar. In the original folk narratives, he is cast as a villainous and deceitful character who kills his rival, Aromal Chekavar, through treachery.³³ This portrayal has been challenged and transformed in modern interpretations. The iconic 1989 film Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha offered a radical re-evaluation of his character.³⁴ The movie reinterpreted the events of the ballad, portraying Chandu as a victim of circumstance and his rival's jealousy, a valiant warrior who was misunderstood and framed for a crime he didn't commit.³⁵ This cinematic adaptation is a powerful example of how a new medium can reshape public memory, supplanting the original oral narrative with a fixed, modern version that is more palatable to a contemporary audience. The film’s success demonstrates the malleability of these stories and their capacity to be reimagined to reflect modern sensibilities.

Part 4: The Martial Core and its Fading Echo

The heart of the Vadakkan Pattukal is the martial art of Kalaripayattu.³⁶ The heroes and heroines of the ballads were all masters of this ancient fighting style. The ballads specifically highlight the Vadakkan Kalari style, which originated in the Malabar region and is distinguished by its fluid, dance-like movements and an emphasis on agility and flexibility.³⁷ Practitioners of this style train in physical conditioning (Meipayattu), wooden and metal weapon combat (Kolthari and Ankathari), and unarmed combat (Verumkai).³⁸ A key feature is the knowledge of pressure points (Marmam) and the use of weapons like the flexible, whip-like Urumi, which was mastered by both Othenan and Unniyarcha.³⁹ This martial tradition was so central to society that the ballads mention specific training grounds like the Thacholi Manikkothu Kalari.⁴⁰

The British Ban and the Martial Decline

The influence of Kalaripayattu declined significantly during the colonial era, a process that directly impacted the ballads themselves.⁴¹ In the 19th century, British authorities, fearing uprisings and a "spirit of resistance," imposed strict regulations and a ban on the martial art.⁴² The British saw the empowered and disciplined Kalari warriors as a direct threat to their rule and a spark for potential revolts.⁴³ This colonial policy was not merely an act of disarming the populace but a systematic dismantling of the social and institutional structures—the kalaris and the duels—that the ballads celebrated.⁴⁴ As these traditions faded, the very social purpose of the ballads began to erode, pushing them from the center of community life to the margins of memory. This demonstrates a crucial link between colonial policy, the decline of indigenous martial arts, and the retreat of a storied oral tradition.

Part 5: From Folk Memory to Public Record

The Journey to the Silver Screen

The Vadakkan Pattukal survived largely due to a new medium that brought them to a mass audience: Malayalam cinema.⁴⁵ The film genre originated with early productions from Udaya Studios, such as Unniyarcha (1961), which became a commercial success and inspired a wave of subsequent adaptations.⁴⁶ This cinematic legacy culminated in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989).⁴⁷

The New Medium, The New Story

While cinematic adaptation ensured the stories' survival, it fundamentally altered their nature. The flexible, non-linear narratives of the oral tradition were transformed into fixed, canonical scripts with clear beginnings, middles, and ends.⁴⁸ The morally ambiguous characters were often simplified into hero and villain archetypes to suit mass-market entertainment, as seen in the reinterpretation of Chandu Chekavar.⁴⁹ The film genre, while popularizing the stories, created a new, more accessible version of the narratives that, for many, replaced the original, nuanced folk memory.⁵⁰

A Living Legacy

Despite the transformations, the ballads' influence remains profound. They have not only shaped cinema but have also influenced other performing arts, with their martial moves choreographed into ritualistic dances like Poorakkali and Theyyam.⁵¹ Today, the ballads are the subject of modern scholarship, with researchers studying their historical, sociological, and literary significance.⁵² The tradition of singing these songs is kept alive by communities during festivals, and scholars are now working to preserve them before they are lost.⁵³

The Enduring Echoes of Northern Ballads

Vadakkan Pattukal are a multi-layered historical archive, a reflection of the social order and chaos of a feudal society, and a living tradition that has adapted to new times and new media. They provide a non-linear, indigenous history that stands in contrast to and resists the narratives of colonial rule.⁵⁴ The heroes and heroines of these ballads, with all their complexities and human flaws, have transcended their time to become enduring cultural icons. As they are studied, performed, and retold, these oral histories ensure that the voices and deeds of North Malabar's legendary figures continue to resonate, connecting the past to the present and preserving the soul of a people in song.