ABSTRACT
I begin with three narratives, all from Tamil Nadu. Each belongs to a dif-
ferent context. If we were to use conventional classificatory understandings,
one narrative would be understood as belonging to ‘real life’, another to
‘folk songs’ or perhaps ‘rural theatre’, and only the third to cinema. Initi-
ally, I will deliberately combine contextual references, except to say that the Amman or goddess also goes by many locally known names such as Icakki
Amman, Muttu Mari Amman or Mari Amman.
