Kuttichathan
{{Short description|Spirit in Malabari Hindu folklore}}
{{other uses|Kuttichathan (disambiguation)}}
Kuttichathan is a goblin-like being in Malabari Hindu folklore, often depicted as a portly adolescent boy, sometimes described as having a kutumi. Kuttichathan's tricks (such as setting his victims clothing on fire, throwing rocks at his victims, and beds turning into beds of thorn) cause great trouble to his victims but never do serious harm.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.70013|title=Lectures On Ethnography|last=Iyer|first=L. K. Ananthakrishna|date=1925|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.70013/page/n259 197]–198|author-link=L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer}} {{PD-notice}} He is said to demand food in exchange for freedom from his harassment.
Some Hindus in Malabar believe that sacrificing a cockerel on a regular basis with the correct incantations will appease Kuttichathan, otherwise he will terrorise their families.{{cite book|author=Sohaila Kapur|title=Witchcraft in western India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VdM6AAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Orient Longman|page=4}}
In Popular Culture
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A kuttichathan serves as the protagonist of the 1984 Malayalam movie My Dear Kuttichathan. The Chathan takes the form of a boy as described by folk tales.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}Khoo, Olivia. “Asian Cinema in 3D: Regional Technical Innovation.” Asian Cinema: A Regional View, Edinburgh University Press, 2021, pp. 109–28. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv1hm8hqd.11 Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
A comic Strip published in Balarama magazine named Mayavi follows the journey of a Kuttichathan named Mayavi and his human friends Raju and Radha. He comes into conflict with sorcerers name Küttoosen and Dākini and their Kuttichathan Luttāppi.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
Indirect conflict between Two Chathans Serve as the base of 2022 Malayalam dark fantasy movie Kumari. Chathans in the movie have more demonic features and much taller than what is traditionally considered.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
A powerful Chathan serves as the primary Antagonist of the 2024 Malayalam horror movie Bramayugam. It initially takes the form of Kodumon Potti an occultist. The Chathan traps and tests the will of the protagonists and find joy in their psychological suffering. The Chathan appears in its true form later in the movie.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
See also
References
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External links
- [https://archive.org/details/dli.MoI.Therayattam_Eng Therayattam – Worship Dances of Malabar.] A 1958 documentary showing worship dances of Malabar, with a dance dedicated to Kuttichathan shown at 09:30. Indian Ministry of Information, OCLC [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/4702509 4702509].
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