Kottarathil Sankunni’s Aithihyamaala in its richness, lucidity and variety is the Malayalam equivalent to Kathasaritsagara, Arabian Nights and Popol Vuh. This compilation of folklore, a perfect counterpoint to Kerala’s history, transports the reader into a fascinating world of kings and chieftains, elephants and mahouts, temples and deities, priests and wizards, nymphs and sirens. Penned by Kottarathil Sankunni in his inspiring and delightful language, this cherished collection combining a heightened sense of the real and the unreal is considered a classic.
Kerala, on the south-western coast of India, was described as late as 1838, as 'God's Garden' by German missionary and scholar, Hermann Gundert. Even as this land continues to sustain its reputation, little is known about its social and cultural ethos. Lore and Legends of Kerala is adistillation of 48 of the most sparkling of the 800 or so stories that form Aithihyamala, the definitive collection of the myths and social history of Kerala.Aithihyamala, which was first published in 1909, is a compilation of narratives that were recorded by Kottarathil Sankunni and published by the Malayala Manorama newspaper and its literary journal Bhashaposhini. Peopled by sorcerers, spirits, dynamic women, and snakes and elephants, the stories ofthis grand collection explore universal human values like faith, commitment to spirituality, respect for elders, reverence for parents and mentors, love for the young, and compassion for dependants. Significantly, the stories range across all the religious groups of Kerala.A representative selection of the themes and stories of this classic work, this book includes illustrations by leading Malayalee artists C.N. Karunakaran and Namboodiri. This book has been designed to appeal to young readers who will find the stories interesting and the illustrations delightful, asalso for enthusiasts of Indian literature and culture and general readers.
Ithihyamala Is A Collection Of Legends In Malayalam, Numbering Over A Hundred Written By Kottarathil Sankunni, A Versatile Scholar. The Stories Cover A Vast Spectrum Of Life, Personalities, Events And Skills, Including Magic, Medicine, Illusion, And So On. The Stories Are Remarkable For Their Simplicity, Lucid Style, Richness Of Humour And Charm. The Stories Give A Deep Insight Into The Customs And Traditions Of Kerala. This Volume Contains Select Stories From The Original Classic. Highly Recommended For Children Of All Ages.
A 2022 Choice Reviews Outstanding Academic Title Environmental Postcolonialism: A Literary Response is an academic investigation of the environmental repercussions of colonial destruction. This volume addresses the complex interplay between postcolonialism and environmental discourse through literature produced in the ex-colonies. This literature is read from the standpoint of ex-colonies within their human and non-human context. The primary objective of this volume is to scrutinize environmental concerns in the light of postcolonial theory, and so it examines works of art from the twin perspective of eco-criticism and postcolonialism which illuminates and underscores how colonizers destroyed and interfered with both nature and culture. Through discussing the intersecting layers of ecocriticism and postcolonial criticism, the volume gestures to new directions and generates a hopeful vision of a decolonized world.
This volume, an important contribution to dialogic and Bakhtin studies, shows the natural fit between Bakhtin’s ideas and the pluralistic culture of India to a global academic audience. It is premised on the fact that long before principles of dialogism took shape in the Western world, these ideas, though not labelled as such, were an integral part of intellectual histories in India. Bakhtin’s ideas and intellectual traditions of India stand under the same banner of plurality, open-endedness and diversity of languages and social speech types and, therefore, the affinity between the thinker and the culture seems natural. Rather than being a mechanical import of Bakhtin’s ideas, it is an occasion to reclaim, reactivate and reenergize inherent dialogicality in the Indian cultural, historical and philosophical histories. Bakhtin is not an incidental figure, for he offers precise analytical tools to make sense of the incredibly complex differences at every level in the cultural life of India. Indian heterodoxy lends well to a Bakhtinian reading and analysis and the papers herein attest to this. The papers range from how ideas from Indo-European philology reached Bakhtin through a circuitous route, to responses to Bakhtin’s thought on the carnival from the philosophical perspectives of Abhinavagupta, to a Bakhtinian reading of literary texts from India. The volume also includes an essay on ‘translation as dialogue’ – an issue central to multilingual cultures – and on inherent dialogicality in the long intellectual traditions in India.
THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. But while Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the ÔunconquerableÕ Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of IndiaÕs most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen Ð Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. And in the wings: Parashurama, the enigmatic Guru of the powerful Southern Confederate, bides his time to take over and impose his will from mountains to ocean. Ekalavya, a young Nishada, yearns to break free of caste restrictions and become a warrior. Karna, son of a humble charioteer, travels to the South to study under the foremost Guru of the day and become the greatest archer in the land. Balarama, the charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building the perfect city by the sea and seeing his people prosperous and proud once more. Takshaka, guerilla leader of the Nagas, foments a revolution by the downtrodden as he lies in wait in the jungles of India, where survival is the only dharma. Jara, the beggar, and his blind dog Dharma, walk the dusty streets of India, witness to people and events far greater than they, as the Pandavas and the Kauravas confront their searing destinies. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny Ð or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. And the dice fallsÉ
This special e-edition combines all three print volumes of the collected enduring legends of Kerala in the Aithihyamaala, the garland of legends. Yakshis, gandharvas, gods and demi-gods. Famous poets and learned Ayurvedic doctors. Magicians, conceited kings and Kalari gurus. Faithful, intelligent elephants and their fatherly mahouts. A vibrant and diverse cast of characters brings to life the ancient stories. The original collection of 126 tales, were documented over 25 years and written in the 1900s by Kottaaraththil Sankunni. These stories of well-known figures in Kerala folklore were first published in Bhashaposhini, the renowned Malayalam literary magazine. This edition of 50 stories, meticulously curated and translated by Leela James, transports you to the magical world of history, myth and fantasy of more than 100 years ago. Wisdom and vice, revenge and loyalty, imagination and fact, faith and superstition are intricately intertwined to create a collector’s edition for lovers of legends, Malayalam folklore and Indian literature.
HE CAME FROM THE PAST TO SAVE THE FUTURE Brandon Masters is a vampire. A vampire who has no memory of his life prior to 1978. Fronting L.A.'s hottest metal band, The Thorned Angels, Brandon's un-dead life takes a dramatic turn when he collapses on stage one night. He discovers his ''soul'' had split into two different centuries. One part resides in Medieval England, and the other in present day America. Longing to find out what his purpose is, he eventually discovers that the government has plans to experiment on humans with the vampire gene taken from Vlad Tepes. His Father. It is a race against time to save the present from
