பாட்டும் தொகையும் கூறும் தொன்மச் செய்திகள்: சங்க இலக்கியங்களின் வரலாற்று மற்றும் பண்பாட்டுப் பரிமாணங்கள்

Mythological Accounts in Pathu and Thogai: Historical and Cultural Dimensions of Sangam Literatur

Abstract

The Eight Anthologies (Ettuthogai) and the Ten Idylls (Pathuppattu), collectively known as Sangam literature, serve as historical mirrors reflecting the lifestyle, politics, culture, and worship methods of ancient Tamils. Within these works, a "myth" (thonmam) is not merely a fictional story; it is a medium that transmits historical remnants and values embedded in a society's collective unconscious. This article extensively examines the mythological accounts related to Thirumal, Murugan, Lord Shiva, Indra, Rama, and the Mahabharata embedded in Sangam literature. The study spans from Tolkappiyar's definition of "Thonmai" (antiquity)—which he describes as narratives combined with ancient prose—to the mythological theories of modern psychologists like Carl Jung. Specifically, it analyzes how accounts found in Sanskrit Puranas were internalized within the Sangam Tamil context and transformed according to the Thinaic (landscape-based) theory of the Tamil land. The primary objective of this article is to reveal the worship methods and social changes of ancient Tamil Nadu through the subtle nuances found in Sangam literary verses.