The Messenger Motif in Tamil Literature

தமிழ் இலக்கியங்களில் தூதுப் பொருண்மை

Abstract

In the lives of the Sangam-age people as well as in the political life of kings, the messenger (tūthu) held an important place. It also found a prominent position in literature. Though the messenger motif appeared only as a minor element in Sangam poetry, it entered into epics and bhakti literature as well. By the fourteenth century, it had established itself as an independent literary genre. Even though announcements during the Sangam age were made publicly by beating drums, the circumstances of that period often required reliance on inanimate objects as instruments of communication. Whether it was everyday information or messages of political importance, they were conveyed either through pigeons or through human messengers. The messenger system was not merely a mode of communication; it also played a significant role in fostering friendship, avoiding hostility, and maintaining harmony between individuals and groups. Since literature reflects the society that creates it, Tamil literature accepted tūthu—which held an important social function—as one of its literary elements. Valuing emotional nuance in interpersonal relationships, Tamil literary tradition viewed it as improper for the inner feelings of the hero and heroine to be known by anyone other than themselves. Therefore, the tūthu literary tradition evolved by sending inanimate objects as messengers to convey their emotions discreetly.