Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/147

Rh tinct from each other; and that both were studied by those who wished to perfect themselves in music.

Dancing was cultivated as a fine art and there were textbooks already composed, in which rules were given in detail for the performance of the several kinds of dancing then in vogue. These books are not now extant; but much information regarding dancing is available in the Chilappathikaram from which it appears that there were two kinds of plays, Aryan and Tamil. Of the Aryan plays eleven are mentioned and they represented the following mythological events :–

(1) Siva burning Tripura.

(2) Siva mounting the chariot, brought by Brahma to take him to Tripura.

(3) Krishna crushing the elephant sent by Kamsa.

(4) Krishna wrestling with and killing Bânâsura.

(5) Skanda defeating the Asura in Lanka.

(6) Skanda fighting with the Asura army.

(7) Krishna destroying the fort of Bânâsura.

(8) Kâmadeva disguised as a eunuch entering the fort of Bânâsnra to save his son Aniruddha.

(9) Durga crushing the Asuras.

(10) Lakshmi deceiving the Asuras.

(11) Ayrani, the wife of Indra, appearing before the northern gate of the fort of Bânâsura.

Of the Tamil plays there were numerous kinds :— Some of them were in praise of the gods or kings and of their achievements; some in mimicry of men or animals ; and some represented love scenes. Besides these the Kuravai dance, in which, seven, eight or nine persons danced together, standing in a ring, and clasping each other’s hands, was a favourite form of amusement. Both men and women joined in this dance and accompanied it with songs of love or war. Most of these plays were acted by dancing girls or actresses. The education of an actress commenced as early as her fifth year and was continued for seven years. The curriculum of her studies, as given in ancient poems would do credit to any accomplished lady of the present day. She was taught to dance and sing and carry herself