ARRIVAL OF TIYAS IN MALABAR .

 

VOL 7 PAGE 106

 CASTES & TRIBES OF SOUTH INDIA

ORIGINS OF TIYAN SUNG BY PANANS

(EXODUS AND RETURN OF THE CARPENTER CASTE ) വിശേഷ ദിവസങ്ങളിൽ വിശ്വകർമ്മജരുടെ വീടുകളിൽ പാണൻ പാടുന്ന പാട്ട്..

 

An interesting story, which is the legendary account

of the exodus of the artisans from Malabar, and their

return with the Tiyans, is narrated by the Panans.

There were, in olden times, five recognised classes,

which includes the Asaris (carpenters), Musaris (workers

in bell-metal), Thattans (goldsmiths), and Perin-Kollans

(blacksmiths). The fifth class is unknown. When an

individual of the artisan classes dies, the Panan of

the tara must bring a death gift to the house, which

consists of cocoanuts and jak fruits or plantains. The

Panan places the gift in the yard and repeats a long

formula, which he has learnt by heart. It is very likely

that he knows little or nothing of its meaning. But he

reels it off, and at its conclusion the gifts are accepted.

The same formula is also always repeated among the

carpenters, goldsmiths, and blacksmiths during wedding

and tali-tying ceremonies. It relates how the artisans

deserted the land of Cheraman Perumal, and sought

an asylum in the country of the Izhuvans with the

island king, and how the Perumal sent the Panan to

bring them back. Every one knows this old story, and

believes it firmly. It must be learnt by heart, and the

Panan gives it in the yard when a member of the artisan

classes dies. Ihe story is to the following effect.

During the four Yugams, Kreta, Treta, Dwapara, and

Kali, many kings reigned over the earth. Parasu

Raman destroyed the Kshatriya kings on twenty-one

occasions, and was obliged to make atonement in

expiatory ceremonies. He worshipped Varuna, the

ocean god, and recovered from the sea a hundred and

sixty kathams of land, consisting of Kolanad {?), Venad

(Travancore), Kanya Kumari (Cape Comorin), Cheranad,

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and Malayalam up to Changala Vazhi beyond the Anaimalai

hills. Cheraman Perumal was the ruler of this

land, in which were the four castes. His capital was

at Tiruvanja Kolam. One day, Veluthedan * Chiraman

was washing the Perumal's cloths in a tank. He beat

the cloths on a stone which was flat on the ground,

and held one of the cloths in his hand. A girl of

the carpenter caste, Ayyesvari by name, was just then

going to the tank to bathe after her monthly period. She

called out " Ho ! Kammal.t That is not the way to

wash cloths. Put a small stone under one end of your

washing stone, so as to make it slope a little. Then

hold both ends of the cloth in your hand, and beat the

middle of the cloth on the stone." The Veluthedan

did so, and found that he washed better, and the cloths

were whiter. The Perumal asked him " Were you not

washing the cloths before ? Who washed them to-day ?

"

"To which the Veluthedan replied "Oh! Tamburan

(chief or lord), a carpenter girl instructed your slave

to-day how to wash cloths properly. May Perumal be

pleased to order the girl to be given to your slave as his

wife." Perumal then said " To whatever caste she may

belong, you may take her by force, and will not lose

your caste." Having received the king's permission,

Veluthedan Chiraman concealed himself near the carpenter's

house, and, when the girl opened the door to sweep

the yard at dawn, he seized her, and carried her off to his

house. Carpenter Sankaran of Tiruvanja Kalam went to

the Perumal, and complained that Veluthedan Kammal

had carried away his daughter, and disgraced him. He

asked the Perumal whether he would give him an armed

guard to rescue her. To which the Perumal replied " I

* The washerman of the Nambutiris and Nayars is called Veluthedan.

t Nayars are addressed as Kammal by Tiyans and artisans.

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will not help either party with armed men. You must

fight it out among yourselves." Then the five classes of

artisans consulted one another, and made common cause.

The Panans, Perin Malayans, and Chen (red) Koravans

joined the artisans. The Ven Thachans, Velans,

Paravans, Vettuvans, Kanisan Panikars, and the Pandi

Pulluvans of Vellalanad joined the other side. There

was war for twelve years. In the end, the artisans were

defeated. They said among themselves " We have been

defeated by the fourteenth caste of Veluthedan Nayar,

who carried away our daughter. Let us leave this

country." So 7,764 families, with the women and

children, tied up their mats, and left Cheraman Perumal's

country, and went to Izhuva land, which was beyond

it. They went before the Izhuva king (island king),

and told him their story. Now Cheraman Perumal

used to be shaved every fifteen days. When the barber

(Velakathalavan) was sent for, he came without his knife

(razor), as his wife had buried it. He said "Oh!

Tamburan, have mercy on your slave. Your slave's

knife was given to the blacksmith to be mended, and he

took it away with him. He gave me this piece of iron,

saying '* If you want the knife made ready for use, you

must come to the Izhuva land for it, and we will mend it

on our return." So Perumal had to go without shaving,

and his hair grew like a Rishi's. As there were neither

carpenters nor smiths to make implements, agriculture

was almost at a standstill ; and, as there were no

goldsmiths, the tali-tying ceremonies could not be

performed. Nor could the rice-giving ceremony be done,

for want of the " neck-rings." Then Cheraman Perumal

obtained advice, and resolved to send the Mannan

(washerman of the Tiyans), who was included in the

fourteenth caste, and the Panan, who belonged to the

 

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eleventh caste. The Perumal gave to each of them a

thousand fanams, and told them to go to the Izhuva

country, and bring back the Kammalans (artisans).

They wandered over various countries, stopping wherever

they found a house. The Panan, being clever, was able

to live by his wits, and spent no money of his own. The

Mannan, on the contrary, spent all his money. They

passed Ramapuri, and reached Trichivampuri. Then

the Mannan asked the Panan for a loan, which was

refused. On Friday at noon, the Mannan left the Panan,

saying " The Panan is no companion for the Mannan."

He returned to the Perumal and reported his failure, and

the Panan's refusal to lend him money. The Panan

went on, crossing rivers, canals, and ferries, and at last

reached the Izhuva king's country. He entered the

reception hall. At that moment, the king's goldsmith,

who had just finished making a golden crown for him,

had put it on his own head, to test its suitability for

wearing. The Panan thought he was the king, and

made obeisance to him. The Kammalans recognised

him. He discovered his mistake too late, for he had

addressed the goldsmith as Tamburan. So, to this day,

the Panans, when addressing goldsmiths, say Tamburan.

The Panan told the Kammalans of his mission, but they

refused to return unless full reparation was made for the

abduction of the carpenter girl, and certain social disabilities

were removed. The 7,764 families of Kammalans

asked the Izhuva king his advice, and he said that they

should not go away. So the Kammalans sent the Panan

back, and gave him the following presents, in order to

demonstrate to the Perumal that they were in comfortable

circumstances :

—

Gold valam-piri (a sort of string worn over the

right shoulder)

 

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Silver edam-piri (a similar sort of string worn on

the left shoulder) ;

Gold netti-pattam (to be tied on the forehead)

;

Gold bracelet

;

Gold ornament for the hair.

The Kammalans sent word to the Perumal that they

would not return, unless they were given a girl in place

of the carpenter's daughter, who had been abducted, and

certain privileges were granted to them. At the same

time, they promised the Panan that they would share

their privileges with him, if he was successful. So the

Panan returned, and appeared before the Perumal, who

asked him where the Kammalans were. The Panan

removed his gold cap, and put it under his arm, and

replied that they were prosperous, and not anxious to

return. Saying so, he placed before the Perumal the

rich presents given by the Kammalans, and told the

king that they would not return, unless they were given

a girl and certain concessions. Ihe Perumal told the

Panan to go back, and invite the Kammalans to return

on their own terms. He said they would catch the first

girl they met on the way to his palace, and all their

demands were granted. The Panan arrived again in the

Izhuva country, and told the Kammalans what the

Perumal had said. They went to the Izhuva king, and

obtained his permission to return to their own country.

Then they caught an Izhuva boy, and confined him.

The king asked them why they did so. They replied

that they had lived for twelve years * as his subjects,

and would never recognise any other king, so they

wanted the Izhuva boy to represent him. The king

consented. When they started, the boy began to cry.

• The number twelve, so significant in Malabar.

 

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A Nasrani,* by name Thomma (Thomas), was taken

to accompany and protect the boy. The Kammalans

travelled to their own country, and appeared before

Cheraman Perumal. On the way, they found a girl of

the Variar caste plucking flowers, and caught her by the

hand. All the five classes claimed her. At last it was

resolved to unite her with the Izhuva boy, their Tandan,

who represented their king, and treat her as their sister.

Cheraman Perumal confirmed his promise, and granted

the following privileges to the Kammalans :

—

1. To make ceilings for their houses.

2. To make upstairs houses to live in.

3. To put up single staircases, consisting of one

pole, in which notches are cut, or pegs are stuck alternately,

for the feet.

4. To have a gate-house.

5. To perform the tali-tying ceremonies of their

girls in a booth having four posts or supports ; to

place within it, on a stool, a looking-glass with a handle,

and the Ramayana ; and to place a silk cloth on the

girl's head.

6. To do arpu at the conclusion of the tali-tying

ceremony (Vel ! Arpu ! is yelled out by the boys).

7. To cook rice in copper vessels on occasions of

marriage and other ceremonies, and to serve sugar and

pappadams at their feasts.

8. To hold the umbrella and taza (a sort of

umbrella), which are carried in front of processions.

9. To clap hands, and dance.

10. To keep milch-cows for their own use.

Permission was further granted for the Kammalans

to wear the following ornaments.

* Nasrani (Nazarene) is a terpi for Christians on the west coast.

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1. Netti-pattam, worn on the forehead during the

tali-tying ceremony.

2. Ananthovi, a ear ornament named after Anandan,

the endless, the serpent on which Vishnu reposes.

The serpent is sometimes represented with its tail in its

mouth, forming a circle, an endless figure. Ananthovi

is the central pendant of the ear-ring worn by Tiyan

women among their kathila (ordinary gold ear-rings). It

resembles a serpent in form. It is worn by men of the

Tiyan and artisan castes on special occasions.

3. Waist zone or girdle.

4. Bracelets.

5. Anklet with two knobs, formed of two pieces

screwed together.

6. Puli-mothiram, or tiger's claws mounted in gold,

worn by children.

7. Podippu, a knot of cotton-thread at the end of

the string on which coins are hung as ornaments.

8. Kalanchi, a gold knob above the podippu, which

represents a flower.

9. Necklace.

10. Edakam and madkam-tali, neck ornaments, in

one of which are set twenty-one stones.

11. Cotton thread above the gold thread on the

neck.

The Perumal conferred like privileges upon the

family (Tiruvarankath) of the Panan who brought back

the Kammalans. He wore all his ornaments, and made

his obeisance to the Perumal. He had, however, taken

off his gold cap. The Perumal said " What you have

removed, let it be removed." So he lost the privilege

of wearing a gold cap. The Perumal blessed the

Kammalans, and they returned to their villages. They

made a separate house for the Izhuva boy and the Variar

 

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girl, and maintained them. The Izhuva boy, who was

the first Tiyan to come to Malabar, brought with him

the cocoanut, and retained the right to cultivate and use

it. To this day, the people of the serf castes—Cherumans,

Kanakans, and the like—use the word Varian

when addressing Tiyans, in reference to their descent

from the Variar girl.

The orthodox number of classes of Kammalans is

five. But the artisans do not admit the workers in

leather as of their guild, and say there are only four

classes. According to them, the fifth class was composed

of the copper-smiths, who did not return to Malabar

with the others, but remained in Izhuva land. Nevertheless,

they always speak of themselves as the Aiyen kudi

or five-house Kammalans.