Vettuva Goundan

Vettuva Goundan or Vettuva Gounder is an endogamous social group or caste of indigenous tribal origin and are a Tamil speaking people in the Erode area of West Tamil Nadu state.

In Tamil language the word Vettuvan or Vetan means a hunter. The word is derived from the noun Vettu or to cut. Many hunter gatherer tribes across Tamil nadu and neighboring Kerala are still referred to as Vetan or Vetar. Vettuva Pulayar is a name of a significant caste in Kerala. This term is etymologically related to Sinhalese Vedda and Telugu Bedda for primitive tribes.

Although they are historically considered to be native to the region some consider them to be Vadugans or northerners meaning immigrants from further north in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Today they are found in all walks of life and rarely engaged in hunter gatherer activities.

Apparently the clan divisions between a settled group commonly known as Vellala Gounder and Vettuva Gounder show similarities showing an assimilation of hunting groups into settled agricultural groups. The historical war between Vellala Gounder and Vettuvas is mentioned in the mythical local Annamar-Appachimar story where the latter were defeated.