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Tales Once Told: Legends of Kerala
Fables and Tales adapted from the Ithihyamala, a treasury of Kerala legends. retold by best-selling author Abraham Eraly. illus. earthy wisdom and sparkling humour.
- GenresFiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2006
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About the author
Abraham Eraly
15 books87 followersAbraham Eraly is an Indian writer. He has written many acclaimed books on Indian history.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 9, 2018
In the first decade of the last century, a scholar named Kottarathil Sankunni made it his business to collect all the legends and folk tales he could and re-tell them in a simple, lucid manner. The mammoth work took him nearly two decades to finish. The 'Aitihyamala' (or Garland of Legends) was a gargantuan 8-volume work, totalling 126 chapters.
Each chapter has many anecdotes, and together, they offer a microcosm of the social, political, religious, cultural views of the time. They are filled with kings and beautiful yakshis, sorcerors and divine interventions, callow Brahmin youth and exorcists. They are tales to delight a child - moral tales (the moral carefully hidden and made palatable by the story), cautionary tales, tales of wonder.
The Aitihyamala has seen many editions since its first appearance, and they have always been very popular. These tales form the cherished memories of many a Keralite, tinged with the nostalgia for more innocent pleasures.
I have the eight-volume work in Malayalam, and its translation in English as well. So why did I pick up this slim volume of 200 pages which is a retelling of these tales? For one, I like Abraham Eraly. I like the way he writes. I have long admired his telling of history, his flair for making what many see as a dry subject into an interesting glimpse of the tapestry of our long-forgotten past.
The original, in Malayalam, sometimes has a lot of repetition, which I think is deliberate because that is how it is in the oral tradition that Sankunni followed in writing his tome. Retelling folk tales in another language also has pitfalls - how do you keep the 'voice' of the original while translating the gist of a story?
So, I was curious to see how these tales would look like in the hands of a skilled raconteur. At the outset, Eraly is clear that he's not translating the stories as is - he's retelling them, condensing them in some cases, restructuring them, and in some cases, adding a brief explanation without taking away the soul of the original.
Has he succeeded? Yes, to a large extent. The 48 tales in this collection are charming vignettes of a Kerala that seems to have long vanished. Happy endings come in unexpected ways, and the flashes of 'knowledge' can make you smack your head in disbelief. Some of these tales are that of naivete and play upon the tropes of the credulous simpleton, but the homespun wisdom in it is hardwon. Some narrate the history of Kerala, and the particularly harmonious social ethos of the state that allowed all religions to co-exist in peace.
Having read it in Malayalam, I can say that the English retelling doesn't have the charm of the original language, or the sing-song way in which Sankunni had written the original, but that's a minor peeve.
Each chapter has many anecdotes, and together, they offer a microcosm of the social, political, religious, cultural views of the time. They are filled with kings and beautiful yakshis, sorcerors and divine interventions, callow Brahmin youth and exorcists. They are tales to delight a child - moral tales (the moral carefully hidden and made palatable by the story), cautionary tales, tales of wonder.
The Aitihyamala has seen many editions since its first appearance, and they have always been very popular. These tales form the cherished memories of many a Keralite, tinged with the nostalgia for more innocent pleasures.
I have the eight-volume work in Malayalam, and its translation in English as well. So why did I pick up this slim volume of 200 pages which is a retelling of these tales? For one, I like Abraham Eraly. I like the way he writes. I have long admired his telling of history, his flair for making what many see as a dry subject into an interesting glimpse of the tapestry of our long-forgotten past.
The original, in Malayalam, sometimes has a lot of repetition, which I think is deliberate because that is how it is in the oral tradition that Sankunni followed in writing his tome. Retelling folk tales in another language also has pitfalls - how do you keep the 'voice' of the original while translating the gist of a story?
So, I was curious to see how these tales would look like in the hands of a skilled raconteur. At the outset, Eraly is clear that he's not translating the stories as is - he's retelling them, condensing them in some cases, restructuring them, and in some cases, adding a brief explanation without taking away the soul of the original.
Has he succeeded? Yes, to a large extent. The 48 tales in this collection are charming vignettes of a Kerala that seems to have long vanished. Happy endings come in unexpected ways, and the flashes of 'knowledge' can make you smack your head in disbelief. Some of these tales are that of naivete and play upon the tropes of the credulous simpleton, but the homespun wisdom in it is hardwon. Some narrate the history of Kerala, and the particularly harmonious social ethos of the state that allowed all religions to co-exist in peace.
Having read it in Malayalam, I can say that the English retelling doesn't have the charm of the original language, or the sing-song way in which Sankunni had written the original, but that's a minor peeve.
November 19, 2020
It has to be one of the quickest and easiest read. Also, it is full of South Indian traditions and practices which may marvel the reader that how much ahead those people were of their times.
This book is your little window in a world unknown.
This book is your little window in a world unknown.
August 22, 2023
Great book
Good collection of stories ...enjoyable to core.....just loved it....need more books like this .........great choice of stories collected from the original.
Good collection of stories ...enjoyable to core.....just loved it....need more books like this .........great choice of stories collected from the original.
March 5, 2016
Splendid stories, well told, and fascinating when they have a 'happy ending' quite different from the Western mode. Highly recommended.
I would recommend this book to, among others, many fantasy writers who set characters just like their Californian neighbours in a world where magic works. In a world where people cast real spells (or just believe in real spells), motivations are very different. There is still love, lust, envy and ambition, but people are _not_ the same everywhere.
I would recommend this book to, among others, many fantasy writers who set characters just like their Californian neighbours in a world where magic works. In a world where people cast real spells (or just believe in real spells), motivations are very different. There is still love, lust, envy and ambition, but people are _not_ the same everywhere.
July 22, 2015
The book 'Tales Once Told: Legends of Kerala' is a wonderful collection of folklore from Kerala. Abraham Eraly has done a wonderful job in selecting the stories from the classical compilation of 'Ithihyamala' by Kottarathil Sankunni. A happy break from all the intense and heavy tomes. Witty tales, scary tales, astonishing humour, emotional bits - this book will really entertain you well. You can also pick some nice stories to tell your little ones at home. :-)
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June 2, 2009Interesting. Selections condensed and translated from a ~100 year old compilation of Keralan legends, folklore, and history.
March 29, 2011
Quite fascinating stories of Kerala. Got to know lot about their culture.
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October 26, 2017A Selection Of Stories Adapted From The Ithihyamala, A Marvellous Treasury Of Legends Of Kerala These Vibrant Fables Evoke A Long-Lost, Never-Never Land: An Enchanted World Of Sorcerers, Exorcists And Yakshis; Eccentric Rajas And Haughty Poets; Martial-Arts Prodigies And Peerless Physicians; Wily Wits And Devious Gadflies; Clever Elephants, Sly Crooks, Gallant Brigands And A Motley Bunch Of Uncommon Common People. Retold By Best-Selling Author Abraham Eraly And Superbly Illustrated By Jayachandran, Tales Once Told Is An Engaging Blend Of Earthy Wisdom And Sparkling Humour.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews