viRaliyar (Musicians in the Near East)

[N. Ganesan]

Oxford encyclopaedia of Archaeology in the Near East
describes that often times female musicians are portrayed
naked in the ancient Near East, while they have some head
ornaments and wigs.
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-shl/WA.EXE?A2=ind0101&L=indology&P=29933

In Tamil sangam poetry, the viRaliyar, the female minstresses
are often described in erotic terms, and they are said to be
scantily clad.

     entu kOTTu alkul mukiz nakai maTavaral
     kUntal viRaliyar vazagkuka aTuppu E
                                         - pati. 18:5-6

     pANTil viLakku parUu cuTar azala
     nal nutal viRaliyar ATum

                                         - pati. 47:6-7

     aTi varunta neTitu ERiya
     koTi marugkul viRaliyar um E
                                         - puRa. 139:3-4

     vIgku iRai taTaIya amai maruL paNai tOL
     Entu ezil mazai kaN van2aintu varal iLa mulai
     pU tukil alkul tEm pAy kUntal
     min2 izai viRaliyar nin2 maRam pATa

                                          - pati. 54:3-6

     izai aNi polinta Entu kOTTu alkul
     maTavaral uN kaN vAL nutal viRali

                                          - puRa. 89:1-2

All this leads an early translator of pattuppATTu to write:
"The songstress seems to have been quite naked, as otherwise
her whole body could not have been described."
(J. V. Chelliah, Pattupattu, SISS society, Madras, 1962, p. 55)

Regards,
N. Ganesan




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