Karintiri Nair is a Theyyam who belongs to the group of hero who became gods after death. Karinthiri Nair as Theyam is about a heroic young man named Karinthiri Nair who was born in Parvati Parameshwaramsa and was killed by the tiger gods and later turned into a divine calf.
In the past, Parvati Parameswaran took birth as a tiger and lived on earth as a couple. The names of the animal couple were Pulikandan and Pulikaringali. Pulikandan and Pulikkarinkali gave birth to six tiger cubs. Five male tigers and one female tiger. The tiger gods who went in search of food killed and ate the cows of Kurumbaratiri lord. Angered by this, lord decided to kill the tiger and entrusted the task to Karinthiri Nair, his warlord.
The heroic Karintiri Nair returned to the forest with weapons to kill the tiger. In order to shoot tigers, he made a shelter on top of the mango tree and hid in it. But the tiger gods who were passing by saw Karintiri Nair sitting in the shelter. While Karintiri Nair was taking his arrow, tiger entered the shelter and bit him to death.
Karinthiri Nair became God’s son after being killed by tiger gods. So later Karinthiri Nair’s Theyyam began to be performed up in Malanad.
