Kolam masks, the stories of Srilanka village

Village keeps its folk wisdom in mind, village keeps its ancient memories of the people, village is a place that god, demons and humans are mixed in the most reasonable arrangements to maintain its harmony society orders. A village in Sri Lanka Kolam dance dramatic story is a very common way one.

Kolam, the mythology and historical origins

According to historical evidencies, Kolam drama has existed from 15th century A.D but some Sri Lanka legends said that this genre of drama has a history spanning more than 2500 years.

Regarding the definition of the term Kolam, almost reseacher have argued that the word has its origins in South India. The word Kolam is derivatives from a Tamil word of wide significance meaning “representation” or "a figure very much out of the ordinary”.

Another meaning given to the word is found in South India. Kolam is a type of sand art in Hidu religious, that is a symetric drawing using white and coloured rice flour to prevent evil spirits entering the inside of the shapes, and thus are they prevented from entering the inside of the home. Every morning, millions of South Indian women draw Kolam on the courtyards of their residences. The Hindu women in Sri Lanka also engage in this type of activity on Thai Pongal day. Related to dancing, Kolam Thullal, which is one of the ritual dance forms in Kerala, is performed in houses and temple festivals in order to exorcise evil spirits from “possessed” bodies.

Kolam Thullan dance in India (source: http://www.padayani.com)

With regard to the mythology origin of the play, the conventional derivation of the art is traced to an ancient myth. The story is that King Mahasammatha's wife, once she became pregnant, had a longing to see a mask dance. Just as women may have various types of cravings while they are with child (which in Sinhalese is called dola dukha) the queen's desire was one that had to be met. Despite not having this kind of dance form in his kingdom, the king commanded his ministers to organize such a performance. While the ministers were trying desperately to find some way of staging such a show, God Sakra intervened and using his supernatural powers, he made masks appear from out of nowhere. Masked dancers followed and the queen's  dola dukha was finally quenched. (imaginary King Maha Sammatha) God Sakra requested God Visvakarma who was considered as the divinity of arts and crafts to invent masks and the lyrics for the mask dance to satisfy the desire of Queen Mahasammatha

Also from this legend. the traditional kolam performance features a sequence of dances held together by a rather tenuous plot based around the visit of the pregnant Queen Menikpala and her husband, King Maha Sammatha, to a village. (source: https://www.cse.lk).

The mask of King and Queen in UiO collection (source: https://www.khm.uio.no)

Observing from the side-lines is the King, Maha Sammata, the first king of humans. He represents the symbol of good a governmen, he know how to harmonize the regulation of rule with the naturally order of existence. He is not part of the actual performance. His large mask is placed in the position of the observer.

Kolam, the story of human being

Subsequent to the narration of this tale, two unmasked characters called Sabapathi enter the stage. They sing an invocation to Buddha and the Gods and also welcome the sponsored of the show. Afterwards, there is a dialogue between Kariyakarawanarala (the narrator) and the Sabapathi with regard to the rest of the proceedings of the show. The Kolam play officially begins after the departure of these characters.

The opening interlude scene with many characters on stage (image from Gales Culture show, Jan. 2016)

In the opening interlude, the members of the traditional hierarchy of Sri Lankan royalty and all categories of servants appear on the stage. They are including the village headman (Arachchi), Distric officer (Mudalis), King's body guard, police, Mudalis servant (Hencha), Sri Lanka native peoople (Veddah)... all of them have a right possition to welcome their royal.

The mask of Mudalis, police, Hencha and Vaddah (follow clockwise) in UiO museum

Kolam dance performance is comprised of numerous episodes and diverse characters perform their roles representing the traditional rural life of Sri Lanka. In an episode named Gama Kathawa (willage story), a pregnant woman narrates how she became pregnant in a funy way. In the story, the Village Headman had abused his powers to devote a married woman named Ethna Hami wife of the elder brother among two foolish brothers in the village. In order to get rid of her husband the Village Headman said that the King had ordered to send the two brothers every night to look after some far away fields.

The mask of the village headman/ Arachchi (in UiO museum) and Ethna Hanny (Ariyapala & Son mask Museum, Ambalamgola Srilanka)

One day, while looking after the fields, two foolish brother mistake moonlight is sunlight and returned home because they thought it was morning. Ethna Hamy did not open the door at once but first covered her lover the Village Headman with a cloth. Next she covered herself with the cloth to cover up her identity. She pretended to be mad and need an exorcist to sure her sick. A friend of the Village Headman appeared as a Yakkadura (shaman) to drive away the evil spirits. During the ritual the Village Headman appeared disguised as a demon and frightened the two brothers who ran away from the scene then Ethna Hamy and the Village Headman started dancing together later. Audiences get a fully laugh on the stupid brothers, but also blame on the couple relationships that base on  not right and unfair powerful.

In Kolam we see the world through the eyes of the villager. The masks give life to characters from daily life:

    - the village headman, arrogant and vain

    - the tom-tom-beater, poor and oppressed

    - the Muslim, the village butcher

Mask of Drummer (left) and Muslim (right) in UiO collection

    - the returned soldier, wounded and sick from the war against the British

Mask of soldier (Hewaya) in UiO collection

- Lenchana, young beauties, married to an old and lazy man doing laundry, but Lenchana faithful to her husband and absolutely refuse the obsess of fowerfull provincial head (Mudali).

Mask of Lenchana and Jesaya in UiO collection

The story of village surrounding many funny details to criticsize the bad habits of the ruling class. All verses used in the Kolam Dance form are full of sarcasm and punning on words by the characters and the masks worn by them are rich enough to make the audience hilarious throughout the performance.

A funny sence between old coulpe Anabera Kolama and Nobchi Aka .(Picture from Galles Cultural Show 01/2016)

Nonchi Akka: “I went to Moratuwa to collect some green leaves.”

Kariyakaravana Rala : “You went to Moratuwa to collect green leaves?”

“No, went to the koratuwa to collect green leaves.”

Nochchi Akka: “The paula (family) which was hung on the horn was not there.

Kariyakarawana Rala: “How can you hang a paula on a horn? ”

It must be the daula (drum)

”Nochchi Akka: “Yes, yes, the Kadipuka (the back side of Black Ant) was not there.

Kariyakarawana Rala: “You are talking nonsense. How can you beat a drum with a kadipuka? It must be Kadippu (drum stick) and not kadipuka (source: http://www.sundayobserver.lk)

Nocchi Akka, performed by an actor, is a very popular character because she wears traditional costumes, and masks are made very well to show an old typical woman's appearance of Sri Lanka's rural areas.

Kolam, the story of devils and animals

A vast pantheon of gods and demons inhabits the still vital world of Sinhala folk belief. They take part in Kolam as village living naturally. There are many Raksha some of whom are known as Gurulu

Naga, Kava, Ginijal, Kutaka, Maru, Gara etc., whenever Raksha appeared, the stage become noisy by the lound of drumming. Naga Raksha cobra mask appeared on stage as a sacred symbol of royal welcome.

Raksha Kolama (Dance of the Rakshas), Picture from Galles Cultural Show 01/2016

Not same as Raksha, a very limited number of Yaksha characters can be found in Kolam Drama. These include Mahasohon Yakshaya, Kalureeri Yakshaya and Abhimaana Yakshaya. Gara Yaka play the most important role in Kolam, Gara Yaka appeared on stage to dispel the influence of demons mouth and evil eyes to end up a Kolam traditional performances.

Masks of demond in Kolam, Gara Raksha appear on the left corner (Picture from Galles Cultural Show 01/2016)

Animals also present in some stories. Each animal has its own function and its costumes. Some common animals are lions, tigers, cows, dogs, bears... Portrait of village with animal species and wildlife are shown in Kolam enrich content of the story, they add flavor to a little bit boring life of village.

The mask of dog (left) and golf (right) in UiO collection

In an episode called Shinha Kolama, two men wearing masks depicting the faces of lions appear on stage, they performed a beautiful dance to make the Queen happy. King and Queen came on the stage with their Prime Minister, then Kariyakarawana Rala (story teller) invited the royal couple sit on their seats for observation.

The mask of Lion in UiO collection

Singha Kolama is the first animal appear on stage and it was allowed to perform in front of the King and Queen, that means the lion has important position in religious beliefs of the Sinhalese. Lion is a special symbols of this nation.

Kolam, from the art of God to the art of villager

The mask of Queen and King in
Ariyapala & Son mask Museum,

Kolam, now performed at a few locations in the low coutry land of Sri Lanka, it is distinguished by the extensive use of masks. These masks are same as scarify Tovil dance used but tend to be more realistic because many of the characters represented of this world people. A few masks, such as those of the King and the Queen are quite intricately sculptured and heavy. Further, kolam masks are full masks, not designed to amplify of the voice. Going by these features, some scholars have argued that Kolam began as a masked dace ritual, which later become a sung and spoken drama, but did not discard or modify the masks.  

Origin of Kolam masks can not be traced only from an individual perspective. It is a mixture of cultural elements multi-ethnic and multi-religious. While changes its form belong to the up and down of time, the mask is affected by different cultures in the form of expression. Originally from Kolam Thullal dances and drawings express power of the goddess Kali came from India, then followed by combination with the dances and costumes of the local tradition, and then integrated into the ridiculous life of colonial period. Kolam and the masks, inevitably have to change from the service of the exorcism ritual to an art form with humor and improvisation of the village as we are seeing today.

Modern life like a tsunami swept across the delicated base of Sri Lanka cultural. Then there will no longer be the village on this tiny island anymore but the memories of the village that will not go away, they exist in the Kolam and might suit modern tastes, it change as it use to be changed, such as the way village changing for survival inside the swirl of current globalization hurican.

References:

#1. Kolam dance, a genre of satirical comedy by W.T.J.S. Kaviratne Ambalangoda Spl. Cor.. Web: http://www.sundayobserver.lk

#2. Masks for life and death. Web: https://www.khm.uio.no

#3. Kolam, Sokari & Nadagam Theater in Sri Lanka by Dr. A.J. Gunawardana, Web: http://www.lankalibrary.com

#4.  Diachronic approach to social roots of sinhalese mask drama (Kolam) by Jayantha Amarasinghe Professor, Department of Sinhala,University of Ruhuna,Mathara, Sri Lanka. Web: http://www.ijac.org.uk