Kuttichathan is a spirit in the folklore of Malabari Hindus, depicted as a portly adolescent boy, sometimes described as having a kutumi.[1] Kuttichathan's tricks (such as turning food into excrement, and beds turning into beds of thorn) cause great trouble to his victims but never do serious harm.[1] He is said to demand food in exchange for freedom from his harassment.[1] Most of the chathan temples in Kerala belong to the Kalari Panicker and Thiyya castes.

Some Hindus in Malabar believe that sacrificing a cockerel on a regular basis with the correct incantations will appease Kuttichathan, and that he will otherwise terrorize their families.[2] Kuttichathan also appears in pop culture, such as in the 1984 Malayalam film My Dear Kuttichathan.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Iyer, L. K. Ananthakrishna (1925). Lectures On Ethnography. pp. 197–198. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ↑ Sohaila Kapur (1983). Witchcraft in western India. Orient Longman. p. 4.


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