Many Theyya concepts are based on stories of the oppressed and marginalized. There are various types of Theyyas, such as those who lost their lives as a victim of extreme cruelty, living heroes, mythological characters, mother gods and snake gods. Vishakandan Theyyam is the Theyyam who was killed due to the brutality of the upper class and later reincarnated as God’s son.
The plot of Vishakanthan Theyyam is the tragic end of the life of a man named Kantan, who was born in a lower caste who had no right to even dream of education in the olden days, but he became the best in all sciences due to his own desire and ability, later became the favorite of the locals but was killed as a victim of the jealousy and greed of upper class.
Kandan was the son of toddy tapper Chirakkuni Kunjambu who belongs to Thiya community in place called Kulacheri near Thaliparamba in Kannur. Kandan wanted to learn many skills in his youth. But since the lower castes had no right to study at that time, Kunjambu stood against Kandan’s wish and forced his son to work in the clan. But later Kunjambu, who was heartbroken by Kandan’s pain, sat down and cried to the gurus and bought a place for his son to listen to the gurus and learn.
The wise Kandan learned the four Vedas, the Vedantas and the six sciences by listening to them. Also, Kandan mastered sixty-eight arts, sixty-four Vidyas, Visha Vaidya, Indrajalam and Mahendrajalam. Kandan also acquired powers such as Koti Karuthu, Kozhi Karuthu, Kudi Karuthu, and Kola Karuthu. Even though he learned so many skills, according to the local practices of that time, Kantan, who was from a low caste, could not take a job related to the skills he learned. When Kandan returned home, he started his clan’s occupation of toddy tapping.
One day, a fully pregnant woman named Nani of Kutiatur Kovoor Chathothu family was bitten by a snake. Immediately, Nani’s brothers took her to Karumarath family, a Namboothiri community family, who had heard the name of poison treatment nearby. But Karumarath namboodiri said to Nani’s brothers that she had died and you can take her body back. As Karumarath family is a well-known name in the village and outside of village, there is no possibility of them making a mistake. Brothers took Nani’s body with great distress and returned to Chathoth, their family. On the way back, one of the gurus who had taught Kandan met them and asked them to show her Kandan as well. When Kandan came to know about the matter, Kandan asked them to put Nani’s body in the pond for a while and take it out when the bubbles come. So the brothers put Nani’s body in a pond called Vengapata. Then Kandan climbed a coconut tree near it and applied ‘Kula kulakaruth’ Vidya from the top, and in a moment the water bubbled up and immediately brothers Nani took her out of the water and placed her on the ponds steps. Kandan came down and took some water, washed it on Nani’s nose, plucked some greens from a nearby bush and put it in medicine. A great miracle happened and the poison was removed from Nani’s body and she came back with full of energy as before and everyone became happy.
Kandan told Nani that you will give birth to a male child on the fourth day and that child will have a blue mole on his right thigh. And it happened as Kandan said. Thus, toddy tapper Kandan, who belonged to a low community, became a highly skilled poison healer. The locals showered Kandan with love. Kandan rejected all the gift given by the people. However, the Chathoth family members built a house for Kandan near Vengapata pond, and although Kandan refused the gift, he settled there at the insistence of the Chathot people.
Such developments created a sense of disdain among the members of Karumarath family, who were traditionally poison healers. Feeling extremely angry with Kandan, they decided to kill Kandan anyway. On the night of the ninth day of the Malayalam month of Thulam, on the third day of Kandan’s settling in his new house, three men came to Kandan’s house saying that a woman should be saved from a snake bite. But Kandan’s wife told Kandan that she had seen those people in a bad dream and that there was something wrong with this and that he should not go with them. But Kandan, who firmly believed in his duty, went with them to save the woman’s life. The next day, seeing the tragic sight, the village was shaken and Kandan was killed. Kandan’s body, whose head is severed, rests in a coconut grove. Everyone understood that those who came to save the woman who had been bitten by a snake last night were the scumbags of Karumarath family and that they were the ones who killed Kandan through fraud.
The Karumath family were happy that they had regained their pride by killing Kandan, but that happiness did not last long. There were all sorts of disasters. The Karumath family members saw in their dreams that snakes were constantly filling their entire body and entire house. They lost their peace of mind completely. To find out the cause of these calamities, they consulted an astrologer from Payyannur. Astrologer said that Kandan has become the son of God and if there is no remedy, there will be a big disaster. That’s how Kolacheri Chatoth Vishakandan temple/kavu was made. The story of Kandan, the god’s calf, was later performed as Theyyam with name Vishakandan.
Another important point is that every year in North Kerala, Theyya season begins with the departure of Kandan Theyya on the 10th day of Malayalam month Thulam, the date in which Kandan’s dead body was found. On the ninth day of Thulam month, it is customary for those who from Karumarath family to come to Chattothu temple and perform pooja and pure rituals. Similarly there is a ritual of going Visha Kandan theyyam to Karumarath family and telling the story of how he was tricked and killed from there. Visha Kandan Theyam is performed by people belonging to Peruvannan caste. Chicken eggs and coconut oil are the main offerings at Kolacheri Chattoth Kavu, the abode of Vishakandan God.
