The Village Gods of South India
தமிழக நாட்டுப்புற பாடல்கள்-ஒரு ஆய்வு. எங்க ஊரு அய்யனார் கோவில் . "களிமண்ணால யானை செல குதிர செல செஞ்சுவச்சா ஒடஞ்சுபோயிடுதுன்னு, கருப்பு கருங்கல்லால யானை செல குதிர செல செஞ்சுவச்சாக எங்க முப்பாட்டன் பரம்பர" The Village Gods of South India The worship of village-gods is the most ancient form of the beliefs, customs, and practices of the primitive tribes prevalent in South India, as in the case of other similar ancient cultures in Western Asia, in the transition period from the nomadic to the pastoral and the agricultural phases of life. Most of the grama-devatas (village-deities) are con¬ ceived of not as supreme cosmic powers, but only as local deities with jurisdiction limited to the village concerned. The fertility-cult and the predominant role of women in an agricultural economy were perhaps responsible for most of these deties (except Ayyanar and some of the guardian deities) being regarded as female. Ayyanar (pi. 1-a), also known variously as Ary...
