Aadi Vedan
Vedan Theyyam is a Theyyam that goes from house to house to elminate pain and disease in Malayalam month of Karkatakam. This Karkataka Theiya is also called Aadivedan because it consists of two Theya kolams, Aadi, which is the concept of Sri Parvati, and Vedan, which is actually the concept of Lord Shiva.
The plot of Adi Vedan Theyyam is related to the story of Arjuna, the archer hero in the Mahabharata story, who obtained device weapon Pasupatastra from Lord Shiva through his penance.
During the exile of the Pandavas, Arjuna began penance in order to receive devine weapon Pashupatastra as a boon from Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva decided to test Arjuna before giving the Pashupatastra to Arjuna. According to it, Lord Shiva in the guise of a barbarian(Vedan) and Parvati as the wife of the barbarian appeared in the forest where the Pandavas lived. One day, Arjuna shot a wild boar with an arrow, but when he saw this, Paramashiva in barbarian form also shot an arrow at the boar. So both of them had a dispute over the ownership of the pig. The dispute then turned into a war and barbarian defeated Arjuna in a fierce battle. Arjuna, ashamed of being defeated by a mere barbarian, prayed to Lord Shiva for strength to defeat barbarian. When Arjuna saw all the flowers offered to the Shivalinga falling on the Kiratha while praying, he realized that Lord Shiva had in fact appeared in the guise of Kiratha to test Him. Arjuna prostrated before barbarian. Delighted, Mahadeva presented Arjuna with Pashupatastra and returned to Kailasa.
The Aadi Theiyam in the Parvati concept is performed by the Vannan community and the Vedan Theiyam in the Parama Shiva concept is performed by the Malayan community. Arjuna in the same story is also known as Galinchan Theyam as Karkitaka Theyam. It is believed that the house and its surroundings become clean when the Vedan Theyam visits the house in the month of Karkida.
