Makkam is the most important Theyam in the concept of Mother God. This theyam is also known as Kadankot Makkam, Makkavum Makkalum and Makapoti. Although it is a very popular theyya, Makkam is performed only in relatively few places. The plot of the play Makkam is about some painful events and death in the life of a noble girl named Makkam.
Kadankot was a famous Nambiar community family at Kunhimangalam in the Kannur district of North Kerala. The Katangkot family members were the warriors of Kolathiri land. Mother Unnichiririyamma and father Kunjikoman of Kadankot family had twelve sons, Unnichiriyamma was desperate to have a girl child to maintain the tradition of her family during the era of matriarchy. Pujas and prayers were done for many years for that. Unnichiriyamma’s prayers paid off though late and she gave birth to a very radiant baby girl whom she named Makkam. Makkam grew up with all the grandeur of that great ancestral home. The twelve brothers together brought her up as a princess.
The Kadankot family performed all the functions like naming ceremony, Ezhutniruth and Terundu wedding with all the pomp. When they were of marriageable age, they also performed Makath’s marriage with grand ceremonies. The groom was Kuttinamber Nambiar, he was Makkam cousine. According to the custom of being a son-in-law at that time, Makkam stayed in Kadangkot even after marriage. Makkam became pregnant and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, who were named Chathu and Chiru. After some time, Unnichiriamma died due to old age, and similarly Makath’s husband, Kunji Nom, was bedridden due to paralysis. However, Makath’s children were raised like princes by the brothers. But except Purani, the wife of Makath’s younger brother, Kutti Rama, the other eleven wives were always jealous of her. Remembering that in the future the property would fall into the hands of Makkam, and thinking that their husbands’ love for us would decrease because of their excessive love for Makkam, they developed a great grudge and hatred towards Makkam. They conspired to eliminate Makam if they got a chance. But the wise Makka knew that the syster in law would turn against him.
So one day there was a war between Kolathiri Swarupa and Neriottu Swarupa (Swarupam is a country or a region, a detailed article about Swarupa is available in the Theyam Articles section of the website) and Naduvazi called all the twelve brothers warriors to fight. Makkam foresaw that it would not be safe to stay at home with the syster in law without brothers. Makkam told the brothers that they should also take Makkam to the battlefield, but the brothers, knowing that it was not safe to take young children and a woman Makkam to the battlefield, told her to rest at home.
Syster in laws conspired against Makkam when the twelve brothers were not at home. When the young man who regularly comes to bring oil to the family home, Syster in laws deliberately stayed away from him, and after his return, they spread the word throughout the country that there was an affair between the young man who came to bring oil and Makkam. They also convinced the husbands who came after the war to believe that lie and forced them to kill Makkam who had ruined the honor of the family, thus brothers decided to kill Maka who had tarnished the reputation of the family. Although the youngest brother stood against the execution of Makkam, he was helpless against the firm resolve of the others.
After the war, the brothers who came did not see Makkam or his children, but after some time, a brother came and told Makkam that they should all get together and go to see the festival in Lokamariyar Kavu and get dressed. Makkam, who was able to foresee things, smelled danger, but she did not lose her courage, got dressed and got her children ready and went down. Apart from the youngest brother, the remaining eleven siblings were also on the trip. Makkam, foreseeing that this would be my last journey, burnt the rest of his clothes and ornaments. None of the brothers helped Makkam or her children throughout the journey. During the journey, Makam prayed to all the temples along the way to prove her innocence. When she reached a place called Chala, Makkam felt very thirsty and went into a house there called Puthiya Veed and asked for some water. The woman of that house gave milk to Makam and her children in a kindy, and when he left, Makam presented the woman with the ornaments he was wearing.
Continuing their journey, they reached a forest area called Achankara Palli. Deserted forest, no one is likely to come that way. Thinking that this was enough, one of the eleven brothers took the knife in his hand and in a moment cut off Makath’s head and killed her. And they brutally butchered the two children of Makkam. Then the corpses were lowered into a shallow well nearby. He committed the murder thinking that there was no one in the forest, but a forest dweller named Mavileyan, who was unexpectedly passing by, saw this diabolical act. When the brothers realized that, they killed him brutally. Then, as if nothing had happened, the eleven brothers went back to Katangkot as if they had regained the pride of their ancestral home. But when they returned home, they saw a shocking sight. Their ancestral home had been burnt down, the wives of all eleven were bleeding to death, and Makam as Lord Veera Chamundi was performing the extermination dance there. They saw their younger brother Kuti Rama and his wife Purani saluting Maka in the form of Chamundi. They realized that Makam had become the daughter of God. In no time, those eleven brothers bled to death.
It is believed that Makam, the child of God, later stayed in the puthiya veettil house in Chala, where they Makkam and children got milk in their last journey.
Makkam’s Thottam is the longest and most heart-touching of the Theyyam Thottam. Along with Makkam Theyyam, the kolam of his sons Chathu and Cheeru will also be performed. Also included in the Makkam Theyyam is the Kolam of Mavileyan, an innocent forest dweller who was brutally murdered for witnessing the murder of Maka and his chidren.
