Early legends Early Cholas

the inscriptions of medieval cholas replete legends mythical chola kings. cholas looked upon descended sun. these myths speak of chola king kantaman, supposed contemporary of sage agastya, devotion brought river kavery existence. there story of king manu sentenced son death having accidentally killed calf. mahavamasa portrays king elara defeated duttha gamini (c. 3rd century bce) king ..had bell rope attached @ head of bed, sought redress might ring it.. . king sibi rescued dove hawk giving own flesh hungry hawk part of chola legends.

these legends received enormous emphasis in later chola period in long mythical genealogies incorporated copper-plate charters of 10th , 11th centuries. earliest version of found in anbil plates gives fifteen names before vijayalaya cholan including genuinely historical ones of karikala, perunarkilli , kocengannan. thiruvalangadu plate swells list forty-four, , kanyakumari plate runs fifty-two. there other lists gathered literary works such kalingathuparani. no 2 of these lists agree, although names , details common all.