Published Paper Details:

Kerala, famously known as 'god's own country', has a diverse collection of orature, similar to other parts of the country. The ballads of Kerala, traditionally divide into Thekkan Pattukal (Songs of South) and Vadakkan Pattukal (Songs of North) strengthen the oral literary tradition of the state. Thekku and Vadakku are two Malayalam terms which represent south and north. As the names suggest, the settings of Thekkan Pattukal and Vadakkan Pattukal are the southern and northern sides of Kerala. It is believed that these stories were written in the medieval period. Northern and southern ballads of Kerala are centred around the numerous battles between princely states and rich families. Even though many of these stories are hero-centric, the stories of women warriors are also given the same importance. These ballads also reflect the social structure and culture of the society of medieval Kerala. Even though the characters of these ballads are real their stories are exaggerated to a certain extent, as it is transferred orally from one generation to another. This paper is a thematic study of Vadakkan Pattukal.