Beyond the Visible: Colour, Myth, and Metaphysical Consciousness in Theyyam Performance

Abstract

The ritual art of Theyyam, rooted in the tribal-Dravidian traditions of northern Kerala, offers a vivid interplay of colour, performance, and symbolism. This paper explores the deep aesthetic and cultural significance of the colour palette used in Theyyam, with particular focus on natural pigments and their ritualistic and psychological implications. Drawing from visual anthropology, folklore, and art history, the study decodes how colours like red, black, white, yellow, and green embody metaphysical meaning, spiritual transformation, and socio-political resistance. The performative use of colour not only animates divine presence but also reclaims marginalised identities through symbolic assertion. Theyyam emerges not merely as a spectacle, but as a living archive of community aesthetics, memory, and survival.

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