Question

This is an excerpt from a poem by Karaikkal Ammaiyar in which she describes herself: The female Pey (demoness) with . . . bulging veins, protruding eyes, white teeth and shrunken stomach, red haired and jutting teeth lengthy shins extending till the ankles, shouts and wails while wandering in the forest. This is the forest of Alankatu, which is the home of our father (Shiva) who dances … with his matted hair thrown in all eight directions, and with cool limbs.

List the ways in which Karaikkal Ammaiyar depicts herself as presenting a contrast to traditional notions of feminine beauty.

Answer 1

Karaikkal Ammaiyar deliberately rejects traditional notions of feminine beauty by adopting an aggressive, skeletal, and terrifying appearance.

• Skeletal Form: She describes herself as a Pey (demoness) with a shrunken stomach and bulging veins, completely overturning the conventional ideal of a well-nourished, soft, or plump female body.
• Terrifying Facial Features: She highlights protruding eyes, jutting teeth, and red hair, which stand in stark opposition to the traditional literary celebrations of gentle eyes, perfect smiles, and long dark hair.
• Distorted Proportions: She notes having lengthy shins extending down to her ankles, choosing to look unnaturally stretched and skeletal rather than graceful.
• Unrefined Behaviour: Instead of being soft-spoken or composed, she shouts and wails loudly.
• Wild Environment: Rather than living in a domestic home or a royal court, she chooses a nomadic existence, wandering in the wild forest of Alankatu.