THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kottarathil Sankunni’s ‘Aithihyamala’ (The Garland of Legends) may be the only work in Malayalam that has ever touched upon the vibrant and rich history of Kerala where fables, fictions and life blend to form a magical and fantastical concoction.
The epic - a collection of century-old stories about ‘godly’ Brahmins, free-hearted rulers, superhuman characters, sorcerers, elephants, magicians and powerful women in a world where fact is as obscure as fiction - gave glimpses of Kerala’s social and cultural ethos besides doubling up as lessons on morality, love, respect, compassion and other myriad human emotions. Nevertheless, the work amounts to a simple read, albeit its old Malayalam usages. And, undoubtedly for many of us, ‘Aithihyamala’ is the first major step to the humongous world of literature.
When the grand-old volume comes in a distilled form in English titled ‘Lore and Legends of Kerala’ with 48 stories from the over 100 tales, it comes as an exciting effort as it helps open up this world to a bigger crowd.
The book, translated by T C Narayan, starts with the tale of Arakkal Beebi, the Hindu princess who went on to build a Islamic dynasty through justice courage and tolerance.
The vast history of the dynasty has been encapsulated in the chapter without compromising on the essence and the vibe of the then social setup.
Even a distilled form of ‘Aithihyamala’ would be incomplete without mentioning Kayamkulam Kochunni, the desi Robin Hood. T C Narayan has introduced the man to the non-Malayali people who are unaware of his noble escapades with a few simple words. Below his title, Narayan sums up Kochunni as “a Kerala version of Robin Hood, seen by many to be a heartless dacoit but who was actually honest and compassionate.”
The same style is evident throughout the book, the crisp, direct and simple language that doesn’t stray much from the characters makes the work an exemplary piece. The translator has opted for specific style and diction for each tale that befits its environment and essence.
Considering the religious nature and fabric of the then Kerala society, it is rather justified that most stories included in the ‘Lore and Legends of Kerala’ deal with faith and god. ‘Fate changed by Faith’ (Pazhur Perumthrikkovil), ‘The Power of Simplicity’ (Mangalath Sankaran) and ‘The Arthmetic of Faith’ (Chankrothamma) are few of the many stories that highlights faith and other qualities in its purest form.
T C Narayan, who has translated the epic work, said it was a challenging and daunting task. “The main challenge was in bringing the spirit and contemporariness of the work. While translating ‘Aithihyamala’, I was adamant that it should reflect the age and environment of the period. The vocabulary should reflect the age and content of the story. So, the feel and narration of every story varies,” he said.
Narayan compares the work he has done to radio commentary and said the struggle was to bring the “feel of the environment in words”. “While writing about a monster, the words used have to convey its monstrosity. I have tried choosing English words that are as close as possible to the Malayalam ones,” he says.
As much as in writing, the glory of ‘Lore and Legends of Kerala’ rests in its exemplary illustrations by stalwarts Namboothiri and the late C N Karunakaran. Those brilliant strokes that run parallel to the narration, make the book a pleasure to aesthetics.
The book has been published by the Oxford University Press and is priced at Rs 325.