The oral epic, performed over a few nights in the 1960s, was about forty hours long and was transcribed into Tamil, much later, and that was 2400 pages. A key source in creating this exhibit is the Tamil Transcription from Brenda Beck’s archive available at the ARCE. The adjoining picture is the first page of the 2400 pages of the transcribed performance. These transcribed pages are useful to understand and contextualize the oral rendition of the performance.

Viratankal, the forest queen, is informed by her maids that Kompan, the boar, hasn’t come for any of his usual three meals that day. She is in agony and sends her maids in all directions to find Kompan.

The concluding wedding sequence serves as a testament to the transformation undergone by Muttupattan, underscored by a juxtaposition with an earlier scene. In the initial scene, Muttupattan, positioned beneath a thatched roof, recites the Ramayana to an assembly of "a thousand Vedic Brahmins." This same setting reemerges during his wedding, but this time, the observers comprise his cakkiliyar in-laws. In a narrative continuum, the inaugural scene sets the stage for Muttupattan's departure from his Brahmin lineage. In contrast, the culminating wedding tableau achieves a narrative full circle, epitomizing Muttupattan's complete assimilation into a cakkiliyar family.

After years of wandering and suffering abuse, Kunnutaiyya is finally adopted by two kind, prosperous, farmer-brothers in the land of Valavandi Nadu. He works for them as their shepherd. One of Kunnutaiyya’s daily duties was to push the swing for Tamarai, the younger sister of the farmer Brothers, who was born of the Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s union.

Seeing Campuka, the first minister of the twins, approaching with his army to capture the parrots, the female parrot cries out in agony. In anticipation of her impending widowhood, she sings about losing auspicious markers of a married woman (turmeric and flowers) and ends her song with a poignant poem on separation.

The Annanmar Katai is performed in the style of Udukkai (Hourglass Drum) Pattu (Song) in which the singers use the Udukkai and a pair of finger cymbals as musical aids to their narration. The lead bard narrates while keeping time with the finger cymbals, and the assistant bard repeats end-phrases or song lines after the lead bard while playing the Udukkai. The songs are accentuated by complex rhythmic patterns played on the Udukkai in addition to introducing dramatic episodes or cinematic pauses as part of the performance. When played together during the performance, the Udukkai and the Jalra create a syncopated effect. This section describes the body of the instruments with audio examples.

Tamarai, the mother of the three twins, to beget a boon for offspring, from Lord Shiva embarks on a long pilgrimage to Kailasa, the abode of Shiva. With the help of Lord Vishnu, she begins her arduous penance as part of which she loses her life seven times after which Shiva grants her a boon for three twins, ‘two boys for the field and one girl for the home.’ The seven deaths and subsequent rebirths of Tamarai are in line with the curse of barrenness for seven generations which the first-generation farmer-migrant, Kollatha got from Shiva for killing innocent cows that grazed on his farm.

Of the seven artisans who were scheming to end the lives of the second-generation farmer couple, parents of the three twins, Kannutaiyya and Tamarai, one survived. With the grace of Vishnu, Kannutaiyya, and Tamarai survived, and six of the seven artisans involved were killed. This poem on bad omens occurs when the seventh artisan conspires with Vettuvas (the community of indigenous hunter-gatherers in the story) to deceive the third-generation farmers, the three twins.

Lord, rari, rari, rararo
You were born of a boon,
Have you come like Bhima with a sword?
You were born as a result of penance
Oh, brave one, have you come?
You were born of Kunnutaiya
Lord, have you come with the strength of an elephant?
Have you come as a murderer
To destroy Kompan, Lord?
Have you come as an avenger to kill the boar, Lord?
You will spear Kompan, oh, Lord
And divide him into seven parts