Every good oral legend persists for centuries. Through constant
live retellings in front of many different audiences and in many
different circumstances, these heritage stories get retold and
re-interpreted in many ways.
The
Legend of Ponnivala focuses on a conflict between pioneer farmers on
the one hand and hunter-artisans on the other. Many superficial
listeners believe that the farmers are portrayed as the heroes of the
tale and that their forest-dwelling opponents are typecast as
villains. But that is a very light interpretation that does
not do justice to the inner structure of the tale.
Looking deeper
into the story we find that the hunter-aboriginal group, whom we can
call “the resisters,” are honoured in many ways. This is a
fierce and essentially aboriginal tribal group by heritage. They are
known locally by the term Vettuva (sometimes Vettuva Gounder) and
their presence is often hidden from viewers.
They do not initiate trouble and do not even show themselves
until one is well into the second half of this long story. Indeed
hiding is part of their hunter nature. They know the language
of animals. For example, they can make a sound from the tree tops
that will draw a wild boar from deep inside its forest lair. The
Vettuvas' key opponents, the farmers, are called Kongu Gounders or
Kongu Vellalars. I will argue that the Vettuvas (not the farmers)
are the Ponnivala story’s true victors, at least in the version of
this great legend that has recently been animated as a video series.
The Legend of Ponnivala gives the Vettuvas a status to be proud of.
After all, they (and not the Vellalars) can claim they are
(descendents of) the region’s “first inhabitants.”
The imagery developed for the Ponnivala animated video series
clearly illustrates the pride Vettuvas display. For one thing, the Vettuva group is portrayed as having the
most beautiful (and also most independent) woman in the whole story!
Furthermore, this hunter princess is associated with a glorious and
lush banyan tree (a kind of tree of life), the only such tree in the
entire Ponnivala legend. This tree is home to many parrots,
including two who are born in heaven; a possible Indian equivalent to
our Western concept of “birds of paradise.” Viratangal, the
“fierce little sister-princess” as she has been named, knows how
to talk with these parrots. Viratangal understands their language
and they understand her.
Viratangal
has one hundred fierce brothers. These men are skilled fighters.
Because of their supernatural powers these Vettuva males are much
darker than their sister. Like the many dark-skinned gods in
Hinduism, deep coloration is used in this animated story as a
positive marker of intense strength and special magical power combined.
Male Vettuvas are numerous and they are active men, full
of forest knowledge. Perhaps they can also be seen to be “hunters”
in the cosmic sense. After all, they deal with matters of life
and death every day. They also protect the forest and sustain its
cosmic pillar, the banyan tree of life. Meanwhile their sister
oversees the growth and well-being of the forest’s many animals,
including its tigers and cobras. It is as if these gifts are
embedded as basic forces within Vettuvas' bodies themselves, becoming
a part of their very nature as human beings.
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| Vettuva Palace |
We can also see how impressive the Vettuva palace is. It is far more handsome than
the
palace of the Gounder farmers, even after the latter’s rebuild.
The Vettuva palace is fortified and strong, as are its inhabitants.
This fine home of their leader is the Vettuvas' status marker.
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| Gounder Palace |
There is still much to be said in terms of the farmer/hunter
(Vellalar/Vettuva) contrast provided by The Legend of Ponnivala
story.
Here we see the difference
between the two key females in the last generation described by this
tale. Tangal, is the “little sister” who is honoured by her
farmer brothers, and Viratangal is the “fierce or brave little
sister,” who is the hunters' equivalent, and is similarly
respected. The two are like twins. Both girls are young (about
sixteen years of age) and both are unmarried princesses in their own
domains. Both are very chaste. There are no boyfriends, lovers or
any description at all that might indicate they have experienced a
sexualized interaction with another.
Furthermore, both of these young females have special powers,
though their extra-ordinary abilities are somewhat different. Tangal
is a dreamer who can see into the future.
She is her brothers’ early warning system, like the
proverbial “canary in the gold mine.”
Tangal has the ability to conduct magical
tests, and to read omens. Based on these special skills she tries
her best to advise her brothers about their future plans and
activities. She is also able to
transfer some of her power to their swords. The concept here is that
these young men will succeed in some far-flung adventure of theirs…
if and only if their chaste little sister’s stored-up power has
been willingly (and magically) transferred to their weapons, in
advance.
These two young girls are almost mirror images of each other, but
there is some shift when it comes to details. Tangal spends her life
inside the family palace, mainly sitting on a large swing that is
hung by chains. This gently moving chair, where she is regularly
seen, can be viewed metaphorically as (rather like) her cage.
Tangal’s swing is very similar to the cage inside which her
parrot companion sits. Tangal
rarely leaves her fine palace home, just as the parrot rarely enjoys
escape from its own lovely container. In The Legend of Ponnivala
Tangal’s brothers are the active story characters, while she
acts more subtly and largely in the background. Although the two
male siblings do talk with their sister when she calls them, they do
not always end up act according to her wishes.
Viratangal, the lovely forest maiden, is different. She is seen
outside and is actively doing things more often …though this
difference is subtle. Tangal regularly dreams and sways in her
swing. Viratangal actually goes into the forest. She doesn't
dream. Her powers are more direct. She talks to the forest animals. She knows their several (secret)
languages. Viratangal unique gift is that she is able to control a
number of dangerous forest beasts, especially cobras, tigers and a
huge black boar named Komban. She talks to these creatures and they
follow her orders.
Viratangal
also givers orders to her brothers. Unlike the two
farmer-heroes that care for Tangal, Viratangal has one hundred male
siblings that follow her bidding. And, unlike the twin farmers who
tend to rebel against (or just ignore) their sister’s many
requests, the many, many men who serve Viratangal are always
persuaded by her strong and confident leadership. In essence they
submit to her and treat her as their leader.
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