In the last century and a half there has been a rebirth of Tamil self-consciousness (see Devotion to Murukan). The eclecticism of the Vijayanagar period (1336-1565) encouraged folk religion, which became more important and influenced the more literate forms of religion. However, we can note periods of special significance. Local goddesses such as Mariamman who protect villages and their lands and represent the different castes of their worshippers have always been an important part of the religious landscape of South India. These were replaced with animals and as we have seen, in some villages no animal sacrifices are offered. According to tradition, among the Dravidian mountain tribes as in Coorg in southern Karnataka, human sacrifices were offered to Mariamman. Mariamman is an ancient goddess, whose worship probably originated in the tribal religion of Dravidian India before the arrival of the Aryans and the brahman religion. She was called Mari, meaning 'changed.' Both stories are reported by Whitehead and he remarks that in Mysore he was told that Mari meant sakti, power. The Rishi returned, found her disfigured, and drove her away, declaring she would be born a demon in the next world and cause the spread of a disease which would make people like herself. The gods were offended and cursed her, so her beauty faded and her face became marked like smallpox. Nagavali did not know them and, resenting their intrusion, turned them into little children. One day the Rishi was away and the Trimurti (an image with three heads representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) came to see if her famed beauty and virtue was true. To keep smallpox away they hang nim leaves above the doors of their houses.Īnother story involves the beautiful virtuous Nagavali, wife of Piruhu, one of the Nine Rishis. She recovered and people worshipped her as the goddess of smallpox. She caught smallpox and begged from house to house for food, fanning herself with leaves of the neem or margosa tree to keep the flies off her sores. One story about the origin of Mariamman is she was the wife of Tirunalluvar, the Tamil poet, who was a pariah, outcaste. Sri Thailuramma Devi, Huchamma Devi, Manchamma Devi, Chwodamma Devi or Chowdeshwari are few considered elder sisters of Mariamman. According to some sources, Mariamman is the same as Renuka or Yellamma and even Sri Chowdeshwari Devi. The goddess would have been a local deity, connected to a specific location, close to a certain tree, a rock or a special spot, mostly in rural areas. Māri likely originated as a village goddess related to fertility and rain.
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