IRULA FOLKLORE 4S The ka:va^i from the pond of mud, oh! gunjinwda And see the splendour of divine ka:vadi, oh! gunjuma:da The divine ka:vadi from the firewood, oh! gunjima:da And see the splendour of the divine ka:va^i oh! gunjima:da.] The Irulas have certain songs on nature as well. These are popular and are usually sung by women on both festive occasions and in joyous moods and are invariably about the trees, herbs, shrubs and flowers all around them. These songs are sometimes set in the forms of addresses by an elder sister to her younger sister. Anyone can note the unmistakable stamp of deep understanding, love and affection and the sense of oneness between the sisters Love Songs Most of the popular songs of the Irulas are centred on love. These songs give insights into private lives and sexual relationships. The chief among them are: 1. songs sung by a younger brother and addressed to the elder brother's wife; 2. her reply to such songs; 3. songs sung by younger brother's wife and addressed to the elder brother; 4. his reply to her songs and 5. the traditional types of romantic songs sung by lovers. One interesting aspect is the occurrence of both Badaga and Irula languages in songs about the relationship involving a Badaga youth and an Irula girl. The liaision between the Badaga youth and Irula girl very often ends in a fiasco. The Badaga youth deserts his Irula companion after a while. The better-off Badaga community thus exploits the women of the weaker Irula community. There are many songs that say how Irula girls have been cheated by the young men of the Badaga tribe. A song that belongs to the first category is given below: i^i dore carakko^e lattige ma:ttu maru^udo lattige na:^umu nammadulo lattige gira:mamu nammadulo lattige Isidore carakku ma:ttu maru}utulo lattige? [Oh isn't from Itti^s distillery oh dear lattige? Do you also get the kick out of it oh dear? Isn't this country ours? Isn't this village ours? Are we not intoxicated thanks to the liquor of Ittidore?] This song expresses the lovers' sentiments for each other. Inspired by liquor prepared by a European called Itti who bad a flourishing business in illict distilling among Nilgiri people, the lovers are in an elated mood. They imagine that the entire village, nay the entire country, is theirs: "the monarchs of all they survey". Just as many of the folk songs proclaim the innermost feelings, these also reflect the social life of the Irulas. madure kere ni:ro: malla ba:va payppu vettu tirukkuko: malla ba:va kariya^i cakkc ka:yipulle ma:di vala:^uko: malla ba:va