Folk and Farm

The sun has risen and people are walking to the fields. As the rays turn everything on the ground gold, they start plowing. But were there only laborious tasks? Along with it came songs which gave people a rhythm to carry forward their day and work. In this and many ways, farming and folklore has stronger connections from time immemorial. Having volunteered at Ragi Kana, a farmer's rural market, the realization was poignant. From farm-related proverbs to products to practices, folk is ingrained. Such aspects are discussed in the below paragraphs.

Rituals in Kerala, especially the ones in North Malabar embody a blend of magic and religion, reflecting the agrarian community's deep-rooted beliefs in supernatural forces influencing agricultural prosperity. The beliefs aren't always rooted in any particular religion's myth, rather formed as the answer to the curious human minds during ancient times. When agricultural knowledge was limited,  magical rituals were performed to ensure bountiful harvests. Ritualistic sexual intercourse in crop lands during the initial sowing period symbolized the union of human and crop fertility, aiming to enhance agricultural productivity. Fertility festivals like Nira, Puthari, and Kothaammoorippaattu, along with rituals such as Uchaaral velakal, persist in North Malabar, showcasing the interconnectedness of plant fecundity and human well-being.

In Kerala's agrarian landscape, symbolic representations and worship of food grains play a pivotal role in farming rituals. Paddy grains, revered as symbols of prosperity, are imbued with divine significance, with the paddy inflorescence symbolizing Shree Bhagavathi, the Goddess of prosperity. Rice is considered as Annapoorna Devi. The ritual of welcoming the Goddess and dispelling scarcity, where girls collect symbolic materials and offer them to the land beneath the Strychnose tree, epitomizes the reverence for agricultural abundance and the belief in the transformative power of rituals.

Beyond the realm of agricultural practices, Kerala's folklore is enriched with mythical beings associated with farming. The legend of Karimbana Yakshi, a supernatural entity believed to guard coconut plantations lives in blackboard trees. Tales of Yakshis, spirits, and deities inhabiting the natural world evoke a sense of wonder and reverence for the land, shaping agricultural practices and beliefs for generations.

From magico-religious ceremonies to symbolic worship and mythical guardians, Kerala's agrarian heritage is a testament to the enduring influence of culture on farming practices. As modernity advances, these traditions serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted connection between humans and the land, urging us to cherish and preserve our land, which itself is called Bhoomidevi.

Essentially, the intent of folkloristics is to disentangle the multitude of associations that combine people with their cultural heritage. Folkloristics probes extensively into the everyday practices that construct our lives, including the anthropocene event of cultivation in human history. From hymns sung in farms to the rituals practiced during harvest festivals, farming is more than just sowing and ploughing. Farming is about the folklores connected to it. With its countless rituals and customs, folklore creates a collective awareness that goes beyond personal experience. It serves as the link between humans and the environment, their ancestors, and one another. The echoes of our common culture in the melodies of harvest songs and the reflection of age old proverbs formed through folklore are what folkloristics tend to explore. The farming elements in mural arts, the craftsmanship of everyday products like kulhads and the farming rituals in different parts of the world embrace the creative, interconnected, and infinitely varied essence of humanity.