Theyyam has a long history. "There can be no doubt", say Bridget and Raymond Alchin, "that a very large part of this modern folk religion is extremely ancient and contains traits which originated during the earliest periods of Neolithic, Chalcolithic settlement and expression".
There are approximately 400 types of Theyyam, including Vettakkorumakan, Kathivanoor Veeran, Vishnumoorthy Theyyam, Muchilot Bhagavathi and Sree Muthappan.
The word Theyyam came from Daivam (God). Theyyam may have its origins from Ancestor worship. It has been observed that a vast majority of the Theyyam deities have their origin from people who were in the backward castes of the Kerala's caste system. The ancestor worship ritual was later evolved into the elaborate dance ritual that is seen nowadays. Incorporating many other local beliefs.
