Myth and Literature

M T Vasudevan Nair
 The influence of myths over literature
• Myths vary according to regions and these regional differences can be seen in the literature
• The influence of various regions is seen in the epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata- this
is called pan-Indian influence
• Parasurama is a part of pan-Indian mythology
• The genesis of Kerala is linked to the myth of Parasuraman which is a regional myth
• As remorse for all his cruelties against the Kshatriyas, he donated all his ancestral property
to Kasyapa Muni
• He hurled his axe into the sea from Mount Gokarna
• The sea retreated from where the axe had fallen and that particular land came to be known
as Kerala
• There are several other myths related to Parasuraman in other regions- pan-Indian
• The story of the origin of Kerala as a depiction of the Aryan invasion of the Dravidians
• Kerala was a Dravidian region before the arrival of Parasuraman
• Parasurama led the invasion and brought the Aryans
• Keralolpathi (a book on Kerala history) depicts this version of the myth
• The book holds Parasurama responsible for all the social structure, caste discrimination,
customs and practices of Kerala
 The myth of Parasuraman in literature
• Balamaniyamma- Mazhuvinte Katha- appreciates Parasuraman and considers the action
hurling away the axe as an epitome of sacrifice
• Vyloppilli Sreedharamenon- salutes the axe- he considers it a tool which helped the earl
migrant societies to settle down in deep forests
• Sea-related myths are not much found in Malayalam literature
• One exception – Chemmeen, the novel written by Thakazhi
• The myth in Chemmeen- the Araya community adores
the sea as a goddess
• Sea is a maternal figure – Kadalamma – who looks after the men
who go out for fishing in the deep sea
• Kadalamma insists that the women folk at home should keep
their chastity and pray for their men
• If the women submit to adultery or other temptations, the men
will lose their lives
 Criticism against Thakazhi
• For upholding superstitions
• For not giving importance to the depiction of class struggles in the novel
• Thakazhi was admired for the presentation of the lives of people who suffer from
caste and class segregation- but these ideas were missing in Chemmeen
• C Rajagopalachari defended Thakazhi in his review of the English translation of
Chemmeen
• He wrote in Swarajya – justified the superstition – nothing bad will happen if the
women of a remote locality remain chaste believing an old legend
• According to M T, Chemmeen gains its relevance by showing nature as a life-giver and a life-
taker – the protective and destructive nature
• In the novel the sea provides everything to those who depend on it for a living- it is a
preserver of life
• But later it takes the life of the woman, her husband and her lover- the sea is a destroyer of life
• Myths and legends did not have much influence in the early Malayalam writings
• During those times, Malayalam writers were primarily influenced by the concept of class
struggle and they believed in left political ideologies
• They wanted to be realistic and did not give space to myths and legends
• The lives of ancient writers like Ezhuthachan, Poonthanam and Melpathur were linked to
myths
• Ezhuthachan- many considered him as a reincarnation of Gandharvan
• He was born in a marginalised section of the Hindu community. It was difficult for the
upper caste to accept that someone born to a lower caste was well-versed in Vedas and
Upanishads and wrote great poetry
• So, considering him as an incarnation of Gandharva (Gandharva myth) gave credibility to
his creativity and talent
 Modern Writers and Myths
• O V Vijayan, Punathil, Kovilan, N P Muhammed and M Mukundan – successfully
incorporated folk tales and myths into their works
• Younger novelists- K P Ramanunni and T V Kochubava – recreate folk tales to suit
contemporary times
• In India history and myths are interconnected- they interact and commingle
• Modern scientific idea- disregards myths and legends – consider these as fantasies of an
ancient pagan society
• History which is based on facts and evidences– considers myth as fabrications
• For a creative artist/writer myths and legends are not mere fabrications
• These are products of the prototypical (original) psyche
• These are continuations of culture and civilization
• Those who depict myths are connecting the past and the present- it is a rediscovery of
the past and is blended with the present
• For them these are not historical truths but imaginary possibilities which sharpen their
innate talent