Great Epics of Tamil Literature
According to the great Tamil commentator Atiyarkkunallar (12th-13th century CE), poems were of two kinds - sol-totar-nilai-seyyul (Tamil: சொல் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள், poems connected by virtue of their formal properties) and porul-totar-nilai-seyyul (Tamil: பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள், poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity). Silappatikaram, the Tamil epic is defined by Atiyarkkunallar as iyal-icai-nataka-polur-thodar-nilai-ceyyul (Tamil:இயல் இசை நாடக பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள், poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity having elements of poetry, music and drama). Such stanzas are defined as kavya and kappiyam in Tamil. In Mayilainathar's commentary (14th century CE) on the grammar Nannul, we first hear the mention of aimperumkappiyam, the five great epics of Tamil literature.
Each one of these epics have long cantos, like in Silappatikaram, which has 30 referred as monologues sung by any character in the story or by an outsider as his own monologue often quoting the dialogues he has known or witnessed. It has 25 cantos composed in akaval meter, used in most poems in Sangam literature. The alternative for this meter is called aicirucappu (verse of teachers) associted with verse composed in learned circles. Akaval is a derived form of verb akavu indicating to call or beckon. Silappatikaram is also credited to bring folk songs to literary genre, a proof of the claim that folk songs institutionalised literary culture with the best maintained cultures root back to folk origin. Manimekalai is an epic in Ahaval metre and is noted for its simple and elegant style of description of natural scenery. Civaka Cintamani is one of the earliest works of Tamil literature in long verses called virutha pa.
| No | Name | Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silappatikaram | Ilango Adigal | Non religious work of 1st century CE |
| 2 | Manimegalai | Seethalai Sathanar | Buddhist religious work of 1st or 5th century CE |
| 3 | Civaka Cintamani | Tirutakkatevar | Jain religious work of 10th century CE |
| 4 | Valayapathi | Unknown Jain ascetic | Jain religious work of 9th century CE |
| 5 | Kundalakesi | Nagakuthanar (Nagasena) | Buddhist religious work of 5th century CE |
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