The Female-Centric Community as shown in the Songs of Muthin Mullai (a Part that Deals with the Valour of Women in Purathinai)

Abstract

The Purathinai literary tradition is not merely a literary tradition. It is also a social tradition of that period. On this basis, one of the disciplines of the Purathinai literary tradition, the Mullai of Muthin Mullai, has within itself a social life. Muthinmullai songs, which describe the valour of women, also record that it is the duty of women to save the family and society for the family. Through such records, the Muthin mullai songs show pieces of evidence to understand the primacy and supremacy of women's lives in society. The songs are used to explain how women are viewed and to confirm the social identities of women, referred to as a matrilineal society. This article also highlights the need to find more data on why the Tamil community was such a predominantly female community.