குறியீட்டியல் மற்றும் வாழ்வியல் பின்புலத்தில் சங்க இலக்கிய அன்றில் உருவகங்கள்

Metaphors of the Anril Bird in Sangam Literature: A Semiotic and Life-Centric Perspective

Abstract

Sangam literary poems serve as historical repositories that accurately record the internal (Akam) and external (Puram) lives of ancient Tamils. In particular, poets utilized nature as a primary tool to express the deep emotional states of characters in Akam poetry. Literary devices such as Ullurai Uvamam (Inherent Metaphor) and Iraicchi (Implied Meaning), which reflect human emotions through the behaviors of non-human beings, are predominant in these songs.

This study extensively analyzes the symbolic significance of the Anril bird within the ecological background of the Neithal (coastal) landscape and the psychological states of Akam characters as expressed by Sangam poets through the bird's life. The Anril, a unique bird that nests in palm trees, serves as a powerful metaphor for the heroine's longing and the sorrow of loneliness due to its inseparable nature, its mournful cry, and its behavior during separation. The primary objective of this paper is to approach the biological markers of the Anril’s appearance, its habitat, its vocalizations, and its symbolic status in literature through the lens of modern semiotic theories. Furthermore, using the ornithological research of scholars like P.L. Samy and contemporary biological data, this study substantiates the connection between the Anril bird and the Red-naped Ibis.