Origin story
Kali sprang from the brow of the goddess to defeat the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and her wild dance afterwards threatened to shake the world. Shiva lay beneath her feet to calm her, and the image of Kali standing on the still body of Shiva became the icon of consciousness grounding energy.
Her sword cuts ego, her garland of heads marks the power over time, and her dark form absorbs fear itself. Kerala honours her as Bhadrakali and Karinkali, where the terrifying and the maternal aspects of the goddess are held together in the same shrine.
Source: Wikipedia: Kali — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali
