TRANSCENDENTAL INTERSTICES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC EXEGESIS OF SHAMANIC PRAXIS AMONG THE MURAMKULUKKIPATTU MALAYA TRIBE
ShodhGyan-NU: Journal of Literature and Culture Studies October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.29121/shodhgyan.v3.i2.2025.58 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Malaya tribe in Kerala, practitioners of the Muramkulukkipattu ceremony |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key findings | Argues that the Muram Kulukki ceremony embodies shamanistic characteristics and that the shaman's performance enacts the 'call' or initial crisis of his revelation. |
Abstract
All the characteristics of the ‘Muram Kulukki’ song are close to the characteristics of shamanism. Connecting with the spiritual world, reaching a trance state through the repetition of music and dance, spiritual treatment for healing, unity and togetherness of the community, and deep respect for the forces of nature are all reflected in this ceremony. Through this, not only is the spiritual life of a tribal community strengthened, but also their social ties. ‘Muramkulukkipattu’ is unique in both its social and cultural aspects. Since it is a ceremony that brings everyone together in the community, it becomes a symbol of unity and togetherness. Songs have long served as a medium through which tribal histories and stories are handed down across generations. ‘Muramkulukkipattu’ has given confidence and comfort to the people in situations where scientific treatment for healing is not available, and it also has great artistic value. Researchers are studying it today as part of the folk songs of Kerala. In the research article “Transcendental Interstices: An Ethnographic Exegesis of Shamanic Praxis among the Muramkulukkipattu Malaya Tribe,” the shamanistic performance is explained in the context of treating patients; the Shaman also offers his audience a performance. What is this performance? Risking a rash generalisation based on a few observations, we shall say that it always involves the Shaman’s enactment of the ‘call’ or the initial crisis which brought him the revelation of his condition. But we must not be deceived by the word performance.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |