She-Calf and Other Quechua Folk Tales

by Johnny Payne

For readers tired of everything postmodern, this collection of folk tales reminds us of the primal power fables and oral tradition hold over the imagination. In these thirty-one stories--told by Quechua speakers in highland Peru--we encounter the voice of an indigenous people on the cusp of modernity. These stories overcome stereotypes of what it means to be traditional. Yet they also entertain, instruct, and reassure us that verities exist. Classical mythology, Aesop's Fables, and Grimm's Fairy Tales have their parallels in the Quechua oral tradition: impossible but true love in "She-Calf" or "The Woman Who Tended Ducks"; the secular and the sacred, the natural and the supernatural coexisting in "The Wand" or "Apparition of a Gloomy Path"; betrayal and redemption in "The Promise" and "The Baker and the Lovers"; and living by one's wits but bearing witness to basic truths in "The River Siren" and "The Hacienda Owner's Daughter." Humorous reversals in "The Chica Seller" or "The Stupid Gringo" suggest the comedy of Chaucer and Shakespeare. This bilingual edition, the first collection of stories from the Cusco region to be published in English, captures a rich but fast disappearing oral tradition. The ethnographic introduction, a poignant re-creation of what living and working with Quechua speakers reveals to a perceptive and appreciative outsider, is conversational, witty, and memorable for its insights.

Genres: Folklore, Fiction

277 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Johnny Payne is a novelist, poet, and dramatist. he is a recent gold medal winner of the Benjamin Franklin IBPA award in Horror. His novels include The Hard Side of the River, the forthcoming Confessions of a Gentleman Killer, Bedfellows, Silver Dagger, Second Chance, La Muerte de Papi, Vampire Girl, North of Patagonia, Kentuckiana. Books of poetry are Heaven of Ashes, and Vassal.

Payne writes novels in various genres. His most recent novels are about slavery and a serial killer. He is currently writing a fantasy novel, Man of Granite. He will be writing a blog on GoodReads.

Follow him on Instagram:
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Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good collection of folk tale stories - the writing style for the introductions was a little odd and at times hard to follow. The author often referenced folktales before the reader had actually encountered them in the book, which was both annoying and confusing.

I was startled and excited to see the original Quechua included in the text alongside the English text, and really enjoyed that aspect of it.

[Mary Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely tales of another culture. The stories really bring to life the lives and culture of the mountain inhabitants. A delightful read.