Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala () (''Garland of Legends'') is a collection of century-old stories from

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over a hundred, about magicians and ''

yakshi Yakshinis or Yakshis (, , Prakrit: ) are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from Devas and Asuras and Gandharvas or Apsaras. Yakshinis and their male counterparts, the Yaks ...

s'', feudal rulers and conceited poets, ''

kalari A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word ''kalari'' comes from Tamil. In the past, village schools in Tamilnadu, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were k ...

'' or ''

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (), also known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art that originated on the southwestern coast of India, in what is now Kerala, during the 3rd century BCE. Etymology Kalaripayattu is a martial art which developed out of co ...

'' experts, practitioners of

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

and courtiers; elephants and their mahouts, tantric experts.

Kottarathil Sankunni Kottarathil Sankunni (born Vasudevan, 1855–1937) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Best known as the author of Aithihyamala, an eight-volume compilation of century-old legends about Kerala, Sankunni's writings cover prose and poet ...

(23 March 1855 – 22 July 1937), a Sanskrit-Malayalam scholar who was born in Kottayam in present-day Kerala, started documenting these stories in 1909. They were published in the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

literary magazine, the ''

Bhashaposhini ''Bhashaposhini'' is an Indian monthly magazine. It is one of the oldest Malayalam literary review magazines. History and profile ''Bhashaposhini'' was first published in 1892 as a literary journal of the Bhashaposhini Sabha. The founding edito ...

'', and were collected in eight volumes and published in the early 20th century. It includes popular tales such as about the twelve children of

Vararuchi Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...

and Parayi (a woman of ''

Paraiyar Paraiyar, Parayar or Maraiyar (formerly anglicised as Pariah and Paree) is a caste group found in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and in Sri Lanka. Etymology Robert Caldwell, a nineteenth-century missionary and grammarian who w ...

'' caste), ''

Kayamkulam Kochunni Kayamkulam Kochunni (born c. 1818) was a revolutionary from Kayamkulam, who lived during the late 19th century. He was active in the Travancore area in the present-day Kerala, India. He is said to have stolen from the rich and given to the poor ...

'', ''

Kadamattathu Kathanar Kadamattathu Kathanar was a '' kathanar'' (priest) who, according to legends, possessed magical powers. He was an ordained deacon of Kadamattom Church in the 9th century, originally affiliated to the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, in Kada ...

'' among many others. The story of 12 children is popularly known as '' Parayi petta panthirukulam''.

Index of Eight Parts

''Book I'' * 1. Chempakassery Raajaavu * 2. Kottayaththu Raajaavu * 3. Mahaabhaashyam * 4.

Bhartṛhari Bhartṛhari (Devanagari: ; Bhartrihari; fl. c. 5th century CE), was an Indian-Hindu linguistic philosopher and poet, known for his contributions to the fields of linguistics, grammar, and philosophy. He is believed to have been born in the 5t ...

* 5. Adhyaathmaraamaayanam * 6. Parayi petta panthirukulam * 7. Thalakkulaththoor Bhattathiriyum Pazhur padippurayum * 8. Vilwamangalaththu Swaamiyaar * 9. Kaakkassery Bhattathiri * 10. Muttassu Namboothiri * 11. Puliyaampilly Namboori * 12. Kallanthaattil Gurukkal * 13. Kolaththiriyum Saamoothiriyum * 14. Paandamparampaththu kodanbharaniyilaey uppumaanga * 15. Mangalappilly Moothathum Punnayil Panikkarum * 16. Kaaladiyil Bhattathiri * 17. Venmani Namboorippaadanmaar * 18. Kunchamanpottiyum Mattappally Namboothirippaadum * 19. Vayakkara Achchan Mooss * 20. Kozhikkottangaadi * 21. Kidangoor Kandankoran ''Book II '' * 1. Kumaranalloor Bhagavathi * 2. Thirunakkara Devanum aviduththaey kaalayum * 3. Bhavabhoothi * 4. Vaagbhataachaaryar * 5. Prabhakaran * 6. Paathaayikkara Namboorimaar * 7. Kaaraattu Namboori * 8. Viddi! Kushmaandam * 9. Kunchan Nambiaarudaey Ulbhavam * 10. Valiya Parisha Shankaranaaraayana Chaakyaar * 11. Aazhuvaanchery Thampraakkalum Mangalathhtu Shankaranum * 12. Naalaekkaattu Pillamaar * 13.

* 14. Kaipuzha Raajniyum Pulinkunnu Desavum * 15. Orantharjanaththintaey yukthi * 16. Pazhur perumthrukkovil * 17. Paakkanaarudaey bhaaryayudaey paathivrathyam * 18. Randu Mahaaraajaakkanmaarudaey swabhaavavyathyaasam * 19. Kochchunamboori * 20. Chempakassery Raajaavum Maeppaththoor Bhattathiriyum * 21. Vattapparampil Valiyamma * 22. Vaikkaththu Thiruneelakantan ''Book III '' * 1. Kiliroorkunninmael Bhagavathi * 2. Poonthaanaththu Namboori * 3. Aalaththoor Nampi * 4. Vayaskara Chathurvedi Bhattathiriyum Yakshiyum * 5. Raamapuraththu Warrier * 6. Chemprayezhuththachchanmaar * 7. Kochchi Shakthanthampuraan Thirumanassukondu * 8. Ammannoor Parameshwara Chaakyaar * 9. Cheranalloor Kunchukkarthaavu * 10. Kottarakkara Goshaala * 11. Thaevalassery Nampi * 12. Chila eeshwaranmaarudaey pinakkam * 13. Parangottu Namboori * 14. Paakkil Shaasthaavu * 15. Kodungallur Vasoorimaala * 16. Thripoonithara kshethraththilaey ulsavangal * 17. Aaranmulamaahaathmyam * 18. Konniyil Kochchayappan * 19. Maanthrikanaaya Rawther ''Book IV '' * 1. Oorakaththu Ammathiruvadi * 2. Swathithirunal Mahaaraajaavuthirumanassukondu * 3. Pilaamanthol Mooss * 4. Shasthamkottayum Kuranganmaarum * 5. Mazhamangalaththu Namboori * 6. Vayaskarakkudumbavum aviduththaey Shaasthaavum * 7. Kaayamkulaththu Raajavintaey shreechakram * 8. Kulappuraththu Bheeman * 9. Mannadikkaavum Kampiththaanum * 10. Shreekrishnakarnaamrutham * 11.

* 12. Puruharinapuraeshamaahaathmyam * 13. Tholakavi * 14. Kunchukuttippilla sarwaadhikaaryakkaar * 15. Achchankovilshaasthaavum Parivaaramoorththikalum * 16. Avanaamanakkal Gopalan ''Book V'' * 1. Pallipuraththukaavu * 2. Elaedaththuthykkaattu Moossanmaar * 3. Kaipuzhathampaan * 4. Kollam Vishaarikkaavu * 5. Vayaskara Aaryan Narayananmooss avarkaludaey chikilsaanaipunyam * 6. Chamkroththamma * 7. Avanangaattu Panikkarum Chaaththanmaarum * 8. Kuttanchery Mooss * 9. Pallivaanapperumaalum Kiliroor Desavum * 10. Kaadaamkottu Maakkam Bhagavathi * 11. Oru europiyantheyantaey swamibhakthi * 12. Sanghakkali * 13. Kottarakkara Chandrashekharan ''Book VI '' * 1. Panayannaar kaavu * 2. Uthram Thirunaal Thirumanassukondum Kathakali yogavum * 3. Kaplingaattu Nambooriyum Deshamangalaththu Warrierum * 4. Vijayadri Maahaathmyam * 5. Naduvilaeppaattu Bhattathiri * 6. Aaranmula Devanum Mangaattu Bhattathiriyum * 7. Mundaempilly Krishna Maaraar * 8. Mannaarassaala Maahaathmyam * 9. Oru Swaamiyaarudaey shaapam * 10. Pullankoottu Namboori * 11. Panachchikkaattu Saraswathi * 12. Vellaadu Namboori * 13. Aaranmula Valiya Balakrishnan ''Book VII '' * 1. Chengannur Bhagawathi * 2. Edavettikkaatthu Namboori * 3. Payyannur graamam * 4. Olassayil Vaettakkorumakan kaavu * 5. Shabarimala Shaasthaavum Panthalaththu Raajaavum * 6. Vaikkaththaey Paattukal * 7. Perumpulaavil Kaelu Menon * 8. Chempakassery Raajaavum Raajniyum * 9. Vilwamangalaththu Swaamiyaar * 10. Paambummaekkaattu Namboori * 11. Kalidasan * 12. Panthalam Neelakantan ''Book VIII '' * 1. Chittoor Kaavil Bhagavathi * 2. Kalloor Namboorippaadanmaar * 3. Thakazhiyil Shaasthaavum aviduththaey ennayum * 4. Arackal Beebi * 5. Thiruvizhaa Mahaadevanum aviduththaey marunnum * 6. Pazhur perumthrukkovil * 7. Thekkedathu kudumbakkaar * 8. Mookkola Kshethrangal * 9. Kumaramangalathhtu Namboori * 10. Mandakkaattamanum kodayum * 11. Thiruvattattaadhi Kesavan

References

{{Kerala Kerala folklore Asian mythology Malayalam-language literature Malayalam-language books