Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945
THE ROLE OF DANCE AND MUSIC IN ETTUTHOGAI BY WOMEN POETS
Dr. M. S. Kanagathara, Department of Fine Arts, Alagappa University, Karaikudi
Abstract:
Indian tradition considered the earth as mother, rivers are described lokamata. A Significiant feature of Tamil Culture is that even during the sangam age women enjoyed equality of status with men in most walks of life. The sangam period in the history of tamilnadu is reckoned generally from 3oo B.C to 300 A.D and was a golden period in the annals of Tamils, in all fields including literature and culture. In Indian tradition dance and music considered as great antiquity. Various literature such as Tholkappiyam, silapathikaram, manimeghalai, Ettuthogai, pattupattu etc are grouped under the name of sangam literature. The role of women poets in sangam literature is highly incredible. This paper attempts to discuss on the various evidences from Ettuthogai regarding dance and music by woman poets.
Keywords: Etuthogai, Dance, Music, Woman
Introduction:
Sangam literature is not mere poetry. It contains encyclopedic information on aspect of geography, nature, sociology, anthropology, geology, flora, fauna, music and dance, dynasties, besides vivid portraits of common people. The abundant natural sources in the tropical country made the sangam poets live in tune with nature. The nature study we find in sangam poems excels information which can even today enlighten the research scholers. Coming to the world of music and dance we find a very scientific and systematic development of the art. All the art and culture of Tamils were spun around nature and its beauty. The five fold division of lands is peculiar to Tamil culture. The land shape of south India and consequently of the world divided into five types. The mountains, hills, hilly tracts such as those covered by the palanihills, the nilgiris and the Western Ghats. They termed kuriniji after the name of a flower (strobilanthus kunthianus ) which was one of the most significant of the flora of the region, blooming as the plant did only once in every period of twelve years. Since the plant was to be found only in the hills and since even in the hills its flowering was not annual but once every twelve years. And since its flowering made beautiful gardens of entire hill sides when the landscape of millions of these plants bearing dense cluster of flowers fluttering and dancing in the breeze, it is no wonder that the hill-siders were named after a flower so characteristic of the region. The pastur lands, such as the meadows between Tiruchirapalli and Madurai, the salem and Coimbatore districts, and the half jungle and half shrubbery extending about chettinad they termed mullai, after the fragrant white flower that the September rains bring into bloom in these parts. The agricultural zones such as those of chola naad, where the level country extends to the horizon a sea of green fields broken by canals and tanks they termed marutam after flower of the myrtle tree one of the loftiest of trees in the land scape and invariably grown on the banks of the rivers and tanks. The maaritime zones were known as
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neytal after the flower of an aquatic plant found in abundance in the back waters and water- logged tanks of lakes of the coastal regions. The fifth region called paalai comes from the flower of a tree which is found in the summer season when other fruits and flowers are rare. The tree is not common in south India now, but is to be met with in profusion in the jungles of what is part of tamil region of Ceylon, the northern portion of the island. The Paalai tree is a characteristic feature of this region as well as of the warm months of the year.In tamil literature each land is assigned special gods, trees, flowers, food, musical instruments like yal, pans (ragas) the drums seasons times etc. The kurinji land had the instrument of kurinji pan which was raga of midnight. The god was the son who comes on peacock - velan the god of hills. The special food koipoonthinai the animal one who fights with tiger. The tree kongam and vengai the birds the parrot and kanakozhi the drum tondakapparai, ciruparai. The mood among lovers is love making. The people are hill people and gypsies. The waterfalls and springs were the sources, the creeper elavalli and virunkarivalli. These are the treasures of land. The sangam literature is profuse with music and dance references. The information’s refer to bards their itinary, their contacts with the royal courts the divine instruments of yal, kuzhal and variets of drums the occasion they were played about pans, koothu the timing of the pan and koothu rendering morning, evening, midnight, early morning etc, and the seasons music and dance according to landscape etc, Let us see a few interesting scenes connected with music and dance in Ettuthogai by the women poets.
Ettuthogai:
The eight Anthologies known as ettuthogai or eight collections in the literature is a classical Tamil poetic work that forms part of the eighteen greater texts. Ettuthogai is the oldest available Tamil literature. The eight anthologies consist of 2371 poems varying from small stanzas of three lines in Ainkurunuru to stanzas of forty lines in purananuru. The Eight anthologies are,
“Nattrinai Nalla Kurunthogai Ainkurunuru oththa pathitrupathu ongu Paripaadal Kattranthar Eththum Kaliyodu Agam puram Endru Iththirantha Ettuthogai “
Women poets of Ettuthogai: A significant feature of Tamil culture is that even during the sangam age women enjoyed equality of status with men in most walks of life. They were to be later relegated to a screamingly inferior position or second class citizenship and their accounts for the dearth of women composers in the medieval times. The role of women as poets and in sangam era is quick astonishing. There were composer poet’s musicians and dancers who hailed from all classes and strata of society right from the royal family down to the commoner artisan class. Out of 473 poets and poetesses who compared the 2381 poems of Ettuthogai more than 30 were women. The names of the women composers:
Aniyattai makal Nakaiyar
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Anil Anciyar AtiManti UNpittai Okkur Macattiyar Avvaiyar Kakkai Patiniyar Naccellaiyar Kalarkkiran Eyirriyar Kamakkanip pacalaiyar (Nappacaliayar) Kavespentu Kumili Gnalalar Nappacalaiyar Kuramakal Ilaveyini Kuramakal Kuriyeyini Tayan Kanniyar Nakkanniyar Nannakaiyar Netumpalliyattai Parimakalir PUnkanuttiraiyar Putap Pantiyan Tevi Perunkoppentu Peymakalilavayini Pontaip pacalaiyar Marpittiyar Marokkattu Nappacalaiya Varumulaiyaritti Vennikkuyattiyar Venputiyar Venmanipputi Vellivitaiyar
Here are some poems from Ettuthogai by woman poets:
Nallisai nirutha nayavaru panuval
Tollisai nirutha uraisal panmakan
Ennumurai nirutha panninulum
Putuvatu punainta tirattinum
Vaturai nalinum iniyananal emakke
This kurunji song was by a woman poet, nagaiyar daughter of Anjiathai
Another woman poet marokkathu Nappasalayar gives an entirely different picture. The Chieftains of sangam period used to keep band of Musicians in their court. They maintained the troupe of poets and bards in their house hold. The poet Nappasalayar visited a chieftain’s house where he was laid with a big wound which he got in a battle. The lady of the house was sorrowful seeing all the evil omens around her. She was telling the bards her miserable state of affairs, see all the bad omens. My lords wound in his chest are very deep. The beetles are flying around the lamps are
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going out without burning. The eyes are feeling sleepy, the bad omen of the owl’s cry is heard, and the elderly women are at their wits end. Oh! Tudiya, pana singing virali: I don’t know what will happen to you after my lord’s life. You cannot think of having such a comfortable life any more. For me also a widow’s life with poor feed of roots and merge comports is unthinkable.
Ennai marpir punnum veyya Natunal vantu Tumpiyum Tuvaikkum Netunagar varaippin vilakkum Nilla Tuncak kanne Tuyilum Vetkum Ancuvaru Kuraal Kuralum Turrum Nelnirerintu viricci orkkum Semmutu pentin collum nirampa Tuntiya pana patu val virali Enna kuvirkol Aliyirl Numakkum Ivanurai valkkaiyo Arite yanum
Mannuru Malittalait Eennir varat Tonru Tam ututta Ampakait Teriyal Ciru Vellampal Alli yunnum Kali Kala Makalir pola Vali Ninaintirittal Ataninum Arite Another touching spectacle in the sangam literature is the women nursing wounded soldiers. A soldier who fought for his king is wounded but the king was saved. The poet who went to his house to see his condition, hears the soldier’s wife telling her maid, Let us tuck the iravan and neem leaves on the top of the door – Let us sing the kanchi pan to the accompaniment of the flute and the sweet melodies, Let us burn incense, sandal and akil powders to fill the house with fragrance. Thus my dear friend, we will nurse our hero who saved the king in the battle
Tinkani iravomotu vempu maniac-ceri-i Vanku maruppi yalotu pulliyam karanka
Kai payap peyarttu maiyilutu yiluki
Aiyavi citari yampaluti
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Kai mani erintu kanchi pati
Netunakar varaippir katinarai pukaiik
Kakkam vammo katalam toil
Venture viluman tankiya
Pumporik kalarkal neduntakai punne
This shows that women considered music a positive means to nurse the sick.
Conclusion:
Sangam literatures have the highest number of women poets in the world. It is amazing to see they were able to compose poems. Women’s achievement is essential for our society to ensure the sustainable development of the country. They make women awareness and platform to the field of literature, arts, and so on.
References:
Salem S. Jeyalakshmi - The History of Tamil Music University of Madras Chennai
Eight Anthologies – Wikipedia
Esther pradeeba Andrew- The Social Economical Dynamics of folk Dances in TamilNadu
Volume IV Issue IX IJELLH
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