Vol. 1 No. 3 (2019): Volume 1, Issue 3, Year 2019
Articles

Life cycle rituals in Sangam Literature

Shanthi K
Department of Tamil, Fatima College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001, India

Published 2019-07-30

Keywords

  • Rituals,
  • Joy,
  • Sangam literature,
  • Raj Gowthaman

How to Cite

K, S. (2019). Life cycle rituals in Sangam Literature. International Research Journal of Tamil, 1(3), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.34256/irjt1934

Plum Analytics

Abstract

The rituals in human life during birth, death etc., are called ‘life cycle rituals’. Rituals are one among many life activities. Performing ceremonies on death anniversaries and rest the soul in heaven are common. Celebration on puberty is referred to as life cycle prosperity ritual. The physical maturity of a girl for motherhood is called puberty and the rituals are called puberty rituals or prosperity ritual. Though the rituals are common to the corresponding cultural communities, they differ from men and women. Particularly, this difference could be seen in Sangam literature.  For a man one who dominates, mostly the rituals are based on his social activities such as war, agriculture, reign and for a woman, who concentrates on the family, the rituals are based on their genital body, that is,  marriage, child birth, widowhood, etc., representing reproduction, or ban on reproduction,’- Raj Gowthaman points out.  Rituals of men imbibe social value whereas that of women are associated with possessions. Most of the life cycle rituals are linked with the reproduction of women.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

  1. Rajgowthaman, Paatum Thokaiyum, Tolkappiyam and Tamil Social Development, p. 79.
  2. Silambu N.Selvarasu, Ancient Tamil Marriages, p.67
  3. VC Sasivalli, Tamil Marriage, p.44
  4. Gloria V. Dhas, Worship of hero stone in the Sangam literature, International Research Journal of Tamil, 1 (2019) 59-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34256/irjt1914