A Hero's ( and Trickster's ) Worldwide Journey

As I’ve noted a few times in the last couple of posts in the fairy tale and folklore category, one good thing about starting here with this project is that this type of tale is universal and common story lines, tropes and themes can be seen in variations of what is essentially the same story told around the world. Another element they all share is the type of characters that commonly make an appearance. These types of characters are known as archetypes, or what my friend Webster defines as “a very typical example of a certain person or thing”

Without diving too deeply into some of the various methods of literary critique and analysis (because to this day I am still scarred by Bettelheim’s interpretation of the elements in Hansel and Gretel) in this specific instance it’s worth mentioning American mythologist Joseph Campbell and his work The Hero With A Thousand Faces. His work largely influenced what is commonly referred to as The Hero’s Journey a twelve-step pattern that is seen throughout storytelling, mythology and works of literature (It’s worth noting that Maureen Murdock is responsible for proving us with a blueprint for The Heroine’s Journey, a contemporary response to address the feminine aspects of being a heroine). The ins, outs and relevance of Campbell’s works is another blog for another day, but it’s relative to the works I’m highlighting today because Campbell notes the importance of certain archetypes in mythology, suggesting that these types of characters exist around the world. While lots of stories could potentially fit in this category, I wanted to highlight two specific archetypes in a couple of books I found; the trickster and the hero.

Love the Weasley twins from Harry Potter? Familiar with the Br’er Rabbit stories from the Southern United States? Ever heard of Anansi the spider from Western Africa? What about the Chinese Monkey King? (mad love shout out for Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese!) All of these are well-known examples of a trickster, or as mythology.net says, “a character who uses wits, rather than strength or authority, to accomplish his goals” As can be seen in all the examples I listed, there is no shortage of trickster figures from around the world, but unless you’re well-versed in mythology I’d say that there’s a chance that the average American may not be familiar with Kanchil, (Kristi’s note, there are multiple spellings, Kancil is also common if you want to look into it further, but I am using the spelling that appears in the books herein), the central character in the books Mangoes and Bananas and The Great Race by Nathan Kumar Scott.

 

Mangoes and Bananas by Nathan Kumar Scott

Illustrated by Theertham Balaji

The Great Race by Nathan Kumar Scott

Illustrated by Jagdish Chitara

Published by Tara Books in India, the reason that I wanted to include Scott’s works is because he uses traditional tales of the mouse-deer Kanchil, a figure that has origins in Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, and presents them with traditional styles of art from India. These books are beautiful and the care and effort that went into their creation is evident, each featuring a different illustrator/artist and the style they work in. (Kristi’s note, there is a third book, The Sacred Banana Leaf, but I was unable to track down a copy.)

Mangoes and Bananas is the story of Kanchil and his friend Monyet the Monkey and Scott’s version was illustrated by Theertham Balaji. The artwork is Kalamkari, a style of art that is entirely worked by hand, that is printed on cotton textiles. An interesting note on Scott’s website states Balaji “did the original illustrations for Mangoes and Bananas on fabric. These then had to be transferred paper in order to be published, but if you look carefully you can see the weave of the cloth in the book’s illustration.” 

  Additionally, in the back of the book there is a two page spread with more information on Kanchil and Kalamkari art, including instructions on how to create your own!

The Great Race, without spoiling the story, finds Kanchil being the recipient of the trick instead of the trickster.  The art in this is a stark contrast to Mangoes and Bananas¸ as the entire book is in shades of reds, browns and blacks a feature of the art of the Waghari people of Gujarat province in India, the home of illustrator Jagdish Chitara.  (That link will give you information on his other book from Tara Books “Cloth of the Mother Goddess” – the first textile book from an Indian publisher!)  

While the artwork is different styles the quality of the printing, the attentive attention to detail and the character of Kanchil (even though his appearance varies in both texts) links the books together, an idea that is fortified by featuring the trickster in both.

Similar to what I felt about John Kilaka’s work, I am most excited about the preservation of these stories/art for the people they originate from and then the ability to have them shared globally. (Further information about the art style of Chitara is included at the end of this book as well.)  The unique idea of blending the folklore of one culture with the art of another adds a layer to these books that made them a “must” on my share list. Scott’s website indicates that he’s been collecting materials from South America for his next work and I’ll be excited to see what comes of it!

(Kristi’s disclaimer: In full disclosure, Mr. Scott is American though he was born and raised in India.  He is currently living in Colorado, but if you check out his bio you’ll see that he’s lived and traveled extensively globally his entire life.  Considering the books were published in India and the inclusion of Indonesian, Malaysian and Indian cultures I felt that I was justified in including them.)

For my second archetype think Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Hercules, Matilda, Superman, Bilbo Baggins, Katniss Everdeen, Beowulf, Paul Bunyan…

That’s right, heroes! If you buy into Campbell’s theory, there are some common traits that our heroes tend to share; unusual circumstance surrounding their birth, they often leave their families to live with others, a traumatic event usually leads to their quest, they have some type of special weapon and they receive supernatural help. Go ahead, I’ll give you a minute to think about your favorite hero and see if they fit the archetype 😊

While it could be argued that quite a large percentage of the books I’ve already mentioned have a hero figure (heroes are all around us!) I decided to focus on just one translated book that I found in this category based on a beloved Japanese folk tale, The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy.

The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy

As retold by Ralph E. McCarthy

The story is a retelling by author Ralph E. McCarthy and the inside cover clearly states that the English text (the Japanese also appears) is not a direct translation of the Japanese, but rather a retelling of the same story in verse form. McCarthy goes so far to include extensive notes in the back to explain the changes in the versions, something that I found honest and open in the world of translated literature.

As someone who doesn’t read or speak the language the text originally appeared in, we as readers are completely at the mercy of the translator in some regards. (A point I will get back to as this project goes on, trust me) It’s also worth noting that the illustrations were not created for the text, but according to the book were selections from volume 203 of Kodansha no ehon (Kodansha Picture Books) series. (Including two full frontal nude images of young Momotaro, something not often seen in American picture books)

  

The openness of the translation process, the inclusion of actual artwork that was used in Japanese picture books to tell Momotaro’s tale and the popularity of Momotaro as a character in Japan were the driving factors behind my desire to share this book. It seems that Momotaro is one of the most well-known heroes in all of Japanese folklore, inspiring songs, films and countless tales. According to our friends at Wikipedia, “Momotarō is one of the most famous characters in Japan, as an ideal model for young kids for his kind-heartedness, bravery, power, and care for his parents.” Sounds like a hero to me!

(The fact that he eventually, with the help of his friends the pheasant, dog and monkey, defeats the Demon King doesn’t hurt, either).

Additionally, he shares the spotlight with another well-known hero in Japanese folklore, our friend from the other day, Issun Boshi! Like with others in this category, I think the true power of these books is two fold; in the preservation of the tale and the ability share it both in the place it originated and now globally through translation. See, I told you fairy tales and folklore were the best place to start!

And while I can’t include them all, here’s a few more of my favorite translated titles that I would place in this category if you’re interested:

A Well-Mannered Young Wolf by Jean Leroy (especially if you’re a fan of Jan Klassen) 

Mamy Wata and the Monster by Veronique Tadjo (this has been translated into a TON of different languages) 

 

One Stormy Night and One Sunny Day by Yuichi Kimura (this is two books, read One Stormy Night first! Personally I would only “recommend” the first one, but would love to chat about this if anyone else is familiar with them.) 

Silly Mammo: An Ethiopian Tale by Gebregeorgis Yohannes 

The Dance of the Eagle and the Fish by Aziz Nesin (oh my goodness, the artwork!!)

Alright, I think that I’ve hopefully covered plenty of information to flesh out the world of fairy tales and folk lore beyond what we’re so often exposed to. I think one of the reasons that it’s easiest to appreciate these books is because we can see how important they are to the culture they stem from because we have our own versions that are important to us. The use of art and pictures in these books takes that cultural influence one step further, an attribute unique to the picture book genre.

If you’re still with me so far, don’t worry we’re not going to jump right in too far outside of anyone’s comfort zone with our next category. Next up is what I refer to as “The Hits” – stories that have been successful in their originating country and here in the United States via translation. We’ll take a look at both series and individual stand alone books and try determine why some books do better than others. I’ll be back Tuesday to launch a whole new category!