Everyone of you must’ve heard of the small Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives. It had a plethora of folklore, full of odis (fishing boats) and fanditha (black magic).
This one that I tried out was one such short and fascinating folktale. Originally, it was sung across and through generations, in the traditional Maldivian format called Raivaru. Abdulla Sadiq, edited and wrote down this saga of love or rather, the ill luck of two lovers. It reminded me a bit of Romeo and Juliet.
Most of the beginning of the story talks of Ali Fulhu’s ancestors going back two generations, and only after about one half of the story do we get introduced to the main love story itself. But the first half does a good job of setting the whole tone and lets us get into the Maldivian life in the atolls.
It was fun to read something so different. It was a bit weird and hilarious at times. Also informative.
booksandtheopenroad.travel.blog 