Kuttichathan is a

goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...

-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. He is said to demand food in exchange for freedom from his harassment. Some Hindus in Malabar believe that sacrificing a

cockerel The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

on a regular basis with the correct

incantation An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial ri ...

s will appease Kuttichathan, otherwise he will terrorise their families.

In Popular Culture

A kuttichathan serves as the protagonist of the 1984 Malayalam movie ''

My Dear Kuttichathan ''My Dear Kuttichathan'' () is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language children's fantasy film directed by Jijo Punnoose and produced by his father Navodaya Appachan under Navodaya Studio. It was the first Indian film to be filmed in 3D format. Wi ...

.'' The Chathan takes the form of a boy as described by folk tales.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 Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

magazine named

Mayavi ''Māyāvi'' is a Malayalam language, Malayalam comic strip appearing in the Indian comic magazine ''Balarama Comics, Balarama'' owned by Malayala Manorama, MM Publications. The series, was first published in the August 1984 issue of Balarama. ...

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. Indirect conflict between Two Chathans Serve as the base of 2022 Malayalam dark fantasy movie ''

Kumari Kumari may refer to: Places * Kumari, Nepal, a town in central Nepal * Kumari (Afyon), a city in Turkey * Kumari (Kutahya), a town in Turkey * Kumari (island), an island in Estonia Religion * Kumari (goddess), in Hinduism * Kaumari, one o ...

''. Chathans in the movie have more demonic features and much taller than what is traditionally considered. A powerful Chathan serves as the primary Antagonist of the 2024 Malayalam horror movie ''

Bramayugam ''Bramayugam'' () is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language period folk horror thriller film written and directed by Rahul Sadasivan and jointly produced by YNOT Studios and Night Shift Studios. The film stars Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan and Sidhart ...

''. 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.

References

External links

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 OCLC, Inc. See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It was founded in 1967 as the ...

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