SHRI MUTHAPPAN THEYYAM

MUTHAPPAN STORY


Shree Muthappan is the most popular local god in the Kannur District of north Kerala state, south India. Muthappan is also the theyyam performed in the famous Parassinikkadavu temple 20 km north of Kannur town. 

Shree Muthappan is believed to be the personification of two divine figures - Thiruvappana and Vellatom.Though Shree Muthappan represents a SINGLE god, it represents two godly figures, Vishnu (with fish shaped crown) and Shiva (a crescent shaped crown).  

The boy used to visit the jungle near by their house (mana)for hunting with his bow and arrows. He would take food with the poor and with the backward communities. As these acts were against the Namboothiri way of life, his parents earnestly requested him to stop this practice. But the boy turned a deaf ear to their warnings. Ayyankara Vazhunavar became very disappointed. 
One day the boy went to his parents and shown his parents his divine form (visvaroopam) with bow and arrow and fiery eyes. His parents understood that the boy was not an ordinary child but a God. They prostrated in front of him and 'He' blessed them. 
The God started journey from Ayyankara. The natural beauty of the Kunnathoor stopped him from his journey. He was attracted by the toddy of palm trees. 
Chandhan (name of a toddy tapper who was illiterate and uncivilized knew of his toddy being stolen from his palm trees every day. So he thought of guarding his palm trees. While he was keeping guard at night, an old man was found stealing toddy from his palms. He got very angry and tried to shoot the old man using his bow and arrow. While he was about to aim an arrow at him, he fell unconscious. 
Chandan's wife who came there seeking for her husband saw him lying unconscious. She cried broken heartedly. When she looked up she saw an old man at the top of the palm tree, she called "MUTHAPPA " (as if addressed to a grandfather, Muthappan means grand father in Malayalam language). She earnestly prayed to God to save her husband. Before long chandhan regained consciousness. 
She offered boiled grams, slices of coconut, burnt fish and toddy to the Muthappan (Even today in Shree Muthappan temples the devotees are being offered boiled grams and slices of coconut). She sought benediction from him. Muthappa choose Kunnathoor as his residence at the request of Chandhan, this is the famous Kunnathoor padi. 
After spending some years at Kunnathoor Shree Muhtappa decided to get more favorable place as his residence so that he could fulfill his aim of reincarnation. He shot an arrow up ward from Kunnathoor. The shaft reached at Parassini where the famous Parassini Temple resides now. The arrow which was emitting glow from the Theertha (sacred water ) near the temple was received with evotion and placed on the altar of the temple. Since then lord Muthappan is considered as residing at Parassinikkadavu. 

Sree Muthappan and Dogs


You can see two bronze carved dogs at the entrance of the temple to symbolise the trustworthiness of bodyguards of God. When the prasad is ready it is first served to a dog that is always ready inside the temple.
Local legends enhance the importance of dogs to Sree Muthappan, one such story is as follows:
A few years back temple authorities decided to reduce the number of dogs inside the temple, they took some dogs and puppies away. Surprisingly from that very day, the performer of the Sree Muthappan Theyyam was unable to perform (it is said that the sprit of Sree Muthappan enters his body and the performer becomes God till the theyyam performance is finished). 
Since the dogs was taken away from the temple, Sree Muthappan does not enter the theyyam performer’s body. Knowing this, the Dogs were bought back to the temple. From that day onwards theyyam performance was as usual.

The Naduvazhi (landlord) Ayyankara Illath Vazhunnavar was unhappy as he had no child. His wife Padikutty Antharjanam was a devotee of Lord Shiva. She offered several things as sacrifice to the God Shiva. One day in her dream she saw the Lord. The very next day while she was returning after a bath from a near by river saw a pretty child lying in a flower bed. She took the child home and brought him up as her own son. 
Sree Muthappan is always accompanied by a dog. Dogs are considered sacred here and one can see dogs in large numbers in and around the temple.

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