Vadakkan Pattukal (lit. 'the ballads of the north') are a collection ofMalayalamballads from the medieval period (12th-20th century).[1][2] The genre as a whole represents thesentiment ofvira, or the heroic, through its depictions of "valour and sacrifice."[3]
The songs present stories of heroes such asAromal Chekavar andThacholi Othenan, and heroines likeUnniyarcha. The stories centre round the fortunes of two families,Puthooram family andThacholi Manikkoth family. Though two families belong to two different communitiesThiyyar andNair respectively, they share in common the martial traditional. The chief among the Thiyyar chieftains of Puthooram wasAromal Chekavar, who had been killed by Chanthu in his first duel (Ankam). His sister Attumanamel Unniyarcha, is equally adept in the use of arms. The exploits of the Nair chieftain Thacholi Othenan belonging to the Thacholi family form the theme of several ballads. Thacholi Chandu, Palattu Komappan, Putumada Kelu, Karumparambil Kannan are some of the other warriors who figure in the ballads.[4][5] They exemplify the heights of folk-poetry and are also sometimes associated with deities. Almost all these ballads show strong connections toKalaripayattu. The oldest compositions do not date earlier than 16th century but their idiom and vocabulary seem older.[6][need quotation to verify][7][need quotation to verify] However, like any other oral cultural forms that are sung by communities even today, these songs show great flexibility and a repetitive pattern in their lexicon that is typical of the simplicity of folksongs in general.[8][page needed][need quotation to verify]
