In God's Mirror

The Theyyams of Malabar

Pepita Seth (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

336 Seiten

2023
Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd (Verlag)
978-1-78551-411-1 (ISBN)

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One woman’s unprecedented portrait, in her words and photographs, of Theyyam, a 2,000-year-old ritual of worship found only in the northern region of Kerala, India.

Theyyam is an extraordinary 2,000-year-old ritual of worship found only in the northern region of India’s south-western state of Kerala. It is in this myth-wrapped land that empowered men become temporarily transformed into deities. Whilst the process is an internal one that obliterates the practitioner’s human persona, on an external level his face is transformed by intricate make-up and his body fantastically costumed.

The word ‘Theyyam’ is a corruption of daivam, meaning, quite simply, God. The practitioners of Theyyam perform specific rituals and dance to express their joy at seeing their devotees, whilst the last stages of their manifestation involve them blessing, healing, exorcising, answering questions and maintaining the link between humanity and the divine.

Pepita Seth’s decades-long association with Theyyam’s practitioners gave her unprecedented access to their unique culture. In God's Mirror: The Theyyams of Malabar is the culmination, in her words and photographs, of her commitment to this extraordinary subject.

Pepita Seth first visited India in 1970. After several years she became drawn to Kerala and eventually based herself in Thrissur, where she now lives. She has written and lectured extensively on Kerala’s traditions and had exhibitions of her photographs in India, Britain and the United States. In 1981 she received official permission to enter Kerala’s temples, and she has been photographing Theyyam since the early 1990s. Her book Heaven on Earth: the Universe of Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple was published in 2009. In 2012 the Indian Government awarded her the Padma Shri. She has also published two novels, The Spirit Land (1994) and The Edge of Another World (2015).

Preface
1. Annapoorneswari's World
2. The Sacred Universe
3. Theyyam
4. Practitioners and Training
5. Costumes Master Version
6. Face Writing and Masks
7. Auxiliary Castes and Holy Weapons
8. Shrines and Their Roles
9. The Identity Of A Deity
10. Before The Kaliyattam
11. Puli Theyyams
12. Muchilottu Bhagavathi
13. Vishnumurthy
14. Ottakolam
15. Puthiya Bhagavathi
16. Cheermba
17. Nangalankara Bhagavathi
18. The Alambady Brahmins
19. The Gods of the Ten Houses
20. The Tulu Veeran
21. Out of Season
22. Ali Bhuta
23. Chamundi
24. Ukkummal Chamundi
25. Gulikan
26. Last Statement
Glossary

Erscheinungsdatum	01.12.2023
Verlagsort	London
Sprache	englisch
Maße	243 x 274 mm
Gewicht	2106 g
Themenwelt	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Fotokunst
ISBN-10	1-78551-411-3 / 1785514113
ISBN-13	978-1-78551-411-1 / 9781785514111
Zustand	Neuware