Korravai
Tamil · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
Ancient Tamil goddess of war and victory, patroness of the arid pālai landscape and mother of Murugan; one of the earliest deities attested in Sangam literature, worshipped with blood sacrifice by semi-nomadic hunter communities. Later syncretized with Durga/Kali.
Children
Domains
- war and victory
- palai arid wasteland
Powers
- Grant victory in battle and cattle-raids
- Receive blood and self-sacrifice of warrior-devotees
Epithets
- கொற்றவை Goddess of victory; patroness of the arid pālai landSilappadikāram (the Veṭṭuvavari hymn to Koṟṟavai); Tolkāppiyam (primary)
- ஆய் The fierce mother; the pālai-tiṇai goddess and mother of MuruganSangam-corpus puṟam poetry; Silappadikāram, Kāḍukāṇ-kāḍai (primary)
Relations
- sibling: MayonIn the hunters' hymn of the Cilappatikaram the war goddess is hailed as the younger sister of dark Māyōn, wearing his emblems beside Shiva's.Silappatikāram, Vēṭṭuva Vari (canto 12) (primary)
- equated with: DurgaThe Sangam war-and-victory goddess of the arid pālai is hymned with Mahiṣamardinī traits already in the Cilappatikāram. The equation keeps battle-fury; Korravai's role as Murugan's mother has no Durgā parallel.Cilappatikāram, canto 12 (Vēṭṭuva Vari), hymning Korravai with Durgā's iconography (primary); Kamil Zvelebil, The Smile of Murugan (1973) (secondary)
Sources
- existence: Tolkāppiyam; Silappatikāram, Vēṭṭuva Vari (primary)