Ever since human beings settled down as pastoralists deviating slowly from neolithic hunter-gatherer stage they began fabricating stories about the strange phenomenon of nature and the universe. Sun, moon and the stars which twinkle during night and also flood, landslides, volcanic eruptions etc caused dismay and fear in their minds. They have to observe the features of nature to carry on cultivation and select the habitat of wild animals for hunting. All these natural phenomena were inconceivable and un understandable to them. Therefore, they began to develop a kind of veneration to these features which in due course developed into faith and worship. From the neolithic to the iron age developed different forms of worship, incarnated gods, and weaved stories around them which in due course developed into legends and myths. Neolithic agrarian rural life developed into copper age urbanism and as a result organised religions and legends associated with them gained currency. All the bronze age river valley civilisations have these kinds of myths and legends which continued even after the iron age empires.

In ancient Babylonia there is a legend about flood. In India also there is a legend about flood and Lord Vishnu took various incarnations to save mankind from disaster. In Egypt, Palestine, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, Rome etc these legends were incorporated into the  Semitic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc. All countries in North Africa and West Asia adopted Islam as their religion but the ancient legends continued to prevail among the people in the form of stories and confused memories.

In India legend of Lord Vishnu continues to be popular among people even today in different part of the country. But sometimes the incarnation stories contradict each other. One good example is that of the creation of Kerala and the banishment of ruler of the country into the nether world on his failure to fulfil the promise he had given to Lord Vishnu.  Of the ten avatars or incarnations  which Lord Vishnu took in different ages to save mankind from different disasters faced by it two pertained to Kerala. The first which seems to be the oldest and  very popular among the people is one related to the ruler of the land king Mahabali who was banished to the nether world on his failure to redeem a pledge which he had given to Vamana. Vamana was the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu who approached the ruler incognito and requested for three feet of land for his penance. The ruler was very benevolent and readily promised three feet of land. But Vamana captured the whole land by two feet and demanded the remaining land which the ruler failed to provide and on his failure to fulfil the pledge dedicated his head to the sage. Thereupon Vamana condemned him to Pathala the nether world. Before he left for the place of his permanent incarceration Mahabali requested for an annual parole for one day on Thiruvonam in the month of Chingam to reunite with his people.this was approved by Vamana and according to the legend Mahabali used to come every year on the appointed day which the people celebrate as Onam, the festival of plenty and joy.

But this legend contradicts itself  with another one related to the creation of Kerala by another incarnation of Lord Vishnu which gained currency among the people very late in history. Parasurama the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was left with no place on earth which is unpolluted. The legend says the he annihilated the entire Kshatriyas twenty one times and to salvage his sins he decided dedicate unpolluted land to the brahmins which he had to create afresh. He did so by throwing his prime weapon, the axe, into the sea and the land thus reclaimed from the sea was named Parasurama Kshetra, Kerala, and distributed it among the brahmins. Thus the land of Kerala belonged to the brahmins because of this divine donation.

The contradiction in this divine story is that the land of Kerala was created by the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu which was ruled by a king who was banished to the nether world by the fifth incarnation of the same god. The question facing the people is which legend do they believe. History says that all legends and myths are fabricated stories which originated from confused memories of mankind. Therefore, one need not waste much time on enquiring into the historicity of such legends. But what is relevant in these popular stories is the presence of the memory of an agrarian economy which was handed down from generation to generation. In Kerala paddy cultivation is the prime occupation of the people and their culture is centred around sowing the seed and harvesting it. The climate of Kerala is such that at two seasons the land experiences heavy rain, namely , in June-July, south-west monsoon and in October -November, that is, north-east monsoon. In Malayalam they are known as Edavappathi and Thualavarsham, both seasons having preceded by a period of immense summer and heat.

Before the arrival of the monsoon rains in June paddy seeds are sowed which is being celebrated as Vishu. The seedlings thus nurtured are planted in marshy fields and harvested in August-September which is being celebrated as Onam, the festival of harvest. Again in October paddy seedlings are planted for the second time and harvested in January-February. The grain thus harvested would have exhausted much before the next harvest in August and there is a period of scarcity for almost one month. Hence the harvest in August is so dear to the cultivators which they celebrate in every sense as a festival of plenty.

In different states in India where agriculture is the major occupation of the people, these kinds of festivals are celebrated which are very often flavoured with myths and legends. What we have to take into consideration is the agrarian background of these festivals and celebrate them accordingly.