Aithihyamaala (Volume 1)

Aalaththur Nambis, divine healers known to 'cure the incurable'. Mangalaththu Swaamiyar, blessed with the power of seeing God. Bhattathiri, the extraordinary astrologer, rumoured to have Mercury and Venus living in his outhouse. The deep bond between Kesavan and his mahout that lasted for sixty years. A vibrant and diverse cast of characters brings to life the ancient, enduring legends of Kerala in the Aithihyamaala, the garland of legends.Originally documented over 25 years and written in the 1900s by the famous Malayalam scholar, Kottarathil Sankunni, the Aithihyamaala was a collection of 126 tales, some based on real events and others a meld of fact and fiction. These stories of famous figures in Kerala folklore, including the honest thief Kayamkulam Kochchunni and the powerful king Shaktan Thampuraan, were first published in Bhashaposhini, the renowned Malayalam literary magazine. This volume of 15 stories, meticulously curated and translated by Leela James, transports you to the magical world of history, myth and fantasy of more than a hundred 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. See more