Dakshin - South Indian Myths and Fables Retold

 

Aren't folktales like rivers, crossing the barriers of borders and languages, flowing for years down generations? As a spring in the mountains, gushing down gorges, cascading down cliffs, flowing steadily and nurturing life, eventually draining into the wide sea; at times swelling in a blinding rage, and at others meekly vanishing into a thin stream, a river assumes many forms, quite like a folktale that comes in different versions. For instance, 'The Tale of the Singing Drum' from the Pattole Palame compilation (Kodava folklore) in this book loosely reminded me of the tale of Tejimola (from Assam).

The similarity between rivers & folktales struck me as I read the last story 'The Sage and the River'. It's not just a tale of Sage Agastya and the River Kaveri but a testimony to the valour of Kodava women (Kodava is the language spoken in Coorg & name of community too), also one that explains why Kodava women drape their saree in a unique way.

Why do Kodava men carry Piche Kaththi (an ornate sheathed knife with a crescent moon mark) during traditional ceremonies? 

What does their war cry 'Iggi Bokki' mean? 

Why is the Varaha (wild boar incarnation of Vishnu) revered in many places in Western ghats? Other than simple life lessons that folktales offer, it's interesting how they tell us the how, why and what kindling our imagination, in a way so unlike chunky encyclopedias.

Dakshin, a collection of 15 folktales, feels wholesome for the regions and languages it represents. Tales translated from Badaga (language & community in Nilgiris), Tamil (set in Kongunadu), Malayalam and one from Telugu (Tale of Bala Nagamma & Evil Sorcerer that has inspired movies) apart from many tales set in Karnataka feature here. Though the author clearly focuses on folklore from Coorg (from where he hails), he stretches the book's coverage by including a tale from Odisha (from Munda community). 

In storytelling that is lucid and engaging, Dakshin - South Indian Myths and Fables Retold is every bit enjoyable. One aspect that clearly stood out for me in the book is how the author has included a story (consisting of three stories - The Tale of the Jungle River) narrated by his primary school teacher. My love for reading and stories is largely due to me middle school English teacher, I cannot thank her enough. The stories are adequately supported by Pari Satarkar's lovely illustrations. The beautiful cover design is by Isha Nagar. 

For children and for 'hungry-for-stories child' alive in us grown ups, Dakshin by MP Nitin Kushalappa is a very beautiful treat.

Marquez, EMS, Gulam and others

 

This splendid collection of 15 stories let me travel to Doha, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Dublin, Djibouti, Ethiopia, America, Nainital, Solapur and of course, to a few towns in Kerala.

In the author’s note, Benyamin writes ‘stories cannot be pulled out of thin air like magicians and sanyasis pull out vibhuti. They are deeply rooted in life’. He explains how stories here are inspired by his experiences. Rather than report them in a matter of fact style, he wraps them intelligently with his opinions, beliefs, fears without pontificating even once. In every story, he highlights how we human beings view each other with spite and skepticism, through a myriad of filters - race, colour, religion, caste, class, nationality missing out the most rudimentary link - of humanity. The poor and marginalized, denotified nomadic tribes, immigrants from third world nations eking out a living in rich, developed countries find a place in these stories.

What happens when a young journalist in Kerala, Gregory George Mathews, wakes up one morning and believes he has transformed into the great writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez? The similarities between Mathews and Marquez that convince him the transformation is real, how Mathews’ wife ends his madness by deploying ‘a thorn to remove a thorn’ strategy tickle a funny bone. Missing animals from a zoo in Doha and princes fleeing Saudi, the Hmongs in America and EMS Namboodiripad are puzzle pieces the author connects with brilliant storytelling in ‘Gulam Hussain’ and ‘EMS and the Girl’. The shortest story ‘The Enemy’ packs a punch showing how for one standing in the path of extreme hatred & violence, the choice is to either be a victim or a perpetrator, never a mute spectator. While there is a man who cannot begin thieving, his scruples wouldn’t let him, there’s another who cannot quit thieving for his caste wouldn’t allow him.

Sharing a few favorite lines from the stories here - 

No matter which story I say is true, you will still believe only the version that you choose to. It applies not just to stories - life too, has this limitation. (from the story - Alice in Wonderland) 

Life has a way of settling into a routine, which, in no time, effortlessly sweeps away friends, edging you  into a personal pit, making you abandon everyone who anchored you and gave you a sense of rootedness until then. (from the story - Javed the Mujahideen) 

From sailing on ancient trade routes from Alexandria eastwards to Muziris to learning about ethnic clashes between Hadiyas, Amhara & Oromo in Ethiopia, there’s never a dull moment in this collection that dazzles with nested stories and stories with luscious open endings. The Harper Perennial editions are known for elaborate end-notes that mostly include an author's interview, notes from the author and translator. However, this book has only an introduction by the author, and the stories more than make up for the lack of insights section at the end. Though I enjoyed every story, those that left a deep imprint are - The Stones of Gazan, Addis Ababa, EMS and the Girl, Alice in Wonderland, Solapur, A Chapter from my Red Sea Book. 

Translated well by BR Swarup, Marquez, EMS, Gulam and others - selected short stories by Benyamin is a fulfilling smorgasbord!