This Theyam is known as Vettaikakaran, Vettakkarumakan and Vettakarumakan. However, the name Vettayakorumakan is more popular.
In the Mahabharata, there is a story of Lord Shiva giving Pashupatastra, a devine weapon to Arjuna in Vanaparvam chapter. It is the background of this story that is the basis of the genesis of the legend of Vettaikkorumakan, which is popular today. Arjuna performed penance in the Himalayas to obtain Pashupatastra to defeat the Kauravas. After a severe penance, Lord Shiva decided to give that devine weapon to Arjuna. However, knowing that Arjuna had the pride of being the perfect archer, Lord Shiva decided to appease Arjuna’s pride before giving him the Divyastra. For that, Arjuna went to the place of penance with Goddess Parvati dressed as Kirata. Then there was a quarrel between Kiratan and Arjuna and then there was a war between them. Arjuna was defeated in the battle, defeated by Kiratan and humiliated and saddened, Arjuna started Shiva Puja and when he saw all the flowers offered for worship falling on Kiratan’s hair, Arjuna realized that it was Lord Shiva who came as Kiratan. Arjuna dressed in Kirata bowed down at Shiva’s feet and a pleased Lord Shiva blessed Arjuna with Pashupatastra. During the formation of Kirata, Lord Shiva and Parvati met and gave birth to a heroic son, and that son is Vetaykkorumakan.
The Devas were afraid to see a fierce hunter’s son armed with a bow and arrow, and they thought that at any moment a hunter’s son would turn against us armed. Sensing the fear of the gods, Lord Shiva asked the son of the hunter to go and live in the mountains, and so the son of the hunter arrived in northern Kerala.
A hunter’s son who came to Kozhikode fell in love with a beautiful woman named Karakuram at Ulliyurpadi and a boy was born and named Karakurakannan. At that time, a chief named Kurumbra Vanor, who was a part of the Balusherry Kota, was ruling immorally. A hunter’s son asked Kurumbra Vanoro to return the fort. Kurumbra Vanor said that he will only release the fort if he wins the test. So the hunter took his son, who was a boy, and Kurumbra set out for the Vanors. Kurumpara Vonor created many obstacles along the way, but after surviving all of them Vettakalkorumakan and Karakura Nair reached the Kurumbra Math. Kurumbra Vanor said that if you go inside the Balusherry fort and wrap the coconuts gathered there, the fort will be released. Then twenty-six thousand and one hundred coconuts were collected in the fort. At the same time, the boy Karakura Nair got the spirit of hunting, and in the blink of an eye, the boy wrapped the entire coconut. Seeing no other option but to surrender to such a strong warrior, Kurumbra gave the fort of Karnor Balussery to Vettaykkorumakan and it again became a part of Karakura family.
From Balussery fort, Vettakarumakan took weapons and left for other swarupas, where Vettakarumakan had a place. In many forts, Vettakarumakan Theyya is performed in Nediyirup, Kurumbranad, Pratara, Iruvai Nadu, Randu Thara, Thekkan Kutti, Vadakkan Kutti, Neriyot, Chuzhali, Alladam swarupa. (Details about Swarupa are given in Theyam article.
A defection story in the life of a hunter’s son is also popular. At a ceremony in connection with the Purotsavam, Allada Swarupa and Alamkutty Swarupa had a dispute over the ownership of a place called Benurkanakamanikal. In Thrikannad temple near Kanhangad, this problem remained unresolved for a long time. God Chamundi said that the problem can only be solved by a war. Vettaykkorumakan son and the temple kshethrapalakan to fight for Ilamkutti Swarupa, but when the war started, Vetta’s son and the temple keeper switched sides and fought for Allada Swarupa. Realizing this, Moovalam Kogi Chamundi and Chuliar Bhagavathy joined forces in Aalakutty Swarupa and defeated Allada Swarupa. Then Chitari sent his son and skhethrapalakan across the river to hunt. Due to this one reason, even today there is no place for Vettakkorumakan in the shape of a young stick, a son or a guardian of the temple. In the olden days, there was a custom of making warriors fight to settle disputes between local chiefs. For that the chieftains would select the strongest warriors, and whichever chieftain’s warrior wins the battle, that chieftain would be declared the winner of the dispute. There is no importance for logical discussions or compromises. We can understand the methods and rules of that time through such events in Vettaikkorumakan story. The weapons of Korumakana for hunting are arrow, bow, ponti, shield and kathila.
