SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The ritual art form popularly known as ‘Theyyam’ occurs annually in the northern regions of the South Indian state of Kerala. The ritual is orchestrated and demonstrated by Dalit communities, who were formerly treated as untouchables throughout the history of the subcontinent. The impact of caste dynamics on this form of religious expression is explored in this work through ethnomusicological analyses, wherein the musical elements of Theyyam are compared to forms of music practised by upper-caste communities in the same region. This work aims to highlight how knowledge, in essence, is a product of social hierarchy and forms of expressions birthed from knowledge are subtle representations of social discrepancy.