Tales of Darkness and Light: Soso Tham's The Old Days of the Khasis

by Soso Tham, Janet Hujon

Soso Tham (1873–1940), the acknowledged poet laureate of the Khasis of northeastern India, was one of the first writers to give written poetic form to the rich oral tradition of his people.
Poet of landscape, myth and memory, Soso Tham paid rich and poignant tribute to his tribe in his masterpiece The Old Days of the Khasis . Janet Hujon’s vibrant new translation presents the English reader with Tham’s long poem, which keeps a rich cultural tradition of the Khasi people alive through its retelling of old narratives and acts as a cultural signpost for their literary identity. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Indian literature and culture and in the interplay between oral traditions and written literary forms. This edition
• English translation
• Critical apparatus
• Embedded audio recordings of the original text

Genres: Poetry

83 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dull for the uninitiated, with far too little backstory given in the introduction and long but essential footnotes destroying the flow of the poems, though the footnotes are probably the most interesting part of the book. Also, Soso Than was a Christian, the influence of which runs through his poems, which isn't necessary a problem except for those of us who have far more interest in pre-colonized society. I'd doubtlessly have far more appreciation if I knew anything about the Khasis and the history of northeast India, but such books to fill those lacunae are exceedingly hard to find. This book did not close up any lacunae whatsoever.