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48 Translating Medieval Orissametaphysics, but folk and heterodox narrative elements wereamalgamated into its structure. Though Ramayana was initially akavya and Mahabharata was an itihas (history) they came to thepopular imagination in the form of puranas. This composite natureof puranas resulted in its many retellings. After the modern Indianlanguages evolved, these puranas came to be recreated in thoselanguages, retaining their complex intellectual inheritance. Thecomplexity of the field deepened further when various Bhakticults/sects proliferated in response to the teachings of Ramananda,Kabir, Alwars and others during medieval times. The earlierShaiva/Shakti cults had substantially transformed the character ofthe dominant Vaishnav puranas according to their own ideologies.Now the theological formulations of the saints were alsoincorporated into the discourse. Thus towards the later part ofmedieval times Indian society and the cultural practices therein hadbecome truly composite.In Orissa, however, the socio-cultural spectrum had been acomposite phenomenon for a long time. Here the aboriginal andlokayata elements were in close proximity with the heterodoxsystems and had assumed a dominant position. The lokayata iconslike the goddesses and Shaiva deities were worshipped along withLord Jagannath the presiding deity, who was claimed by all thebelief systems i.e. by the Sabara, Jaina, Buddhist and Vaishnav(=Brahmin) faiths. Brahminisation, which began towards the 10 thcentury AD, continued till early 15 th century during Somavanshi andGanga dynasties. Brahmins captured the cultural-political space andassumed a hegemonic position during this period. The multi-culturalcharacter of Lord Jagannath was repressed under Brahminsuzerainty. Lord Jagannath was reduced to a monocultural Vaishnavdeity. Only in the 15 th century, with the advent of Kapilendra Dev asthe king of Orissa, the multi-cultural character of Lord Jagannathwas restored. Hitherto marginalized forces and belief-systems againaspired for ascendancy during Kapilendra’s rule and Kapilendra