The Polyphony That Echoes in The Varthamanappusthakam

Authors: Dr. Jose George, Dr. Thomas Joseph Parathara

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6ZCUV

Short DOI: https://doi.org/ggkv7s

Country: India

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Abstract: The Varthamanappusthakam is the description of the travel to Rome performed by Paremmackal Thoma Kathanar and Kariyattil Joseph Malpan both of whom were members of the Kerala Nazrani Church. This is one of the early travelogues in the Indian languages and the first one in Malayalam. This book is considered from different angles in the history of literature. This work is not to be confined to the limits of the literary branch of travelogue; instead, it is a work that embraces literature, language, history and religion with its emphasis on difference of opinions. In other words, it is a narration that extends to different spheres of knowledge. It represents an important stage in the standardization of language. The basis of the historical importance of the Varthamanappusthakam is that it is the first Malayalam work in which the national feeling of India and the Indians was manifested. For the appreciators of travelogue, it is a historical document that gives in a picturesque manner the life styles and particulars of Europe and America which two Malayalis visited at a time when distant lands were a nightmare.

Keywords: prototype, polyphony, collective authorship, marthoma nazrani, syrian christians,

Paper Id: 257

Published On: 2018-08-01

Published In: Volume 6, Issue 4, July-August 2018

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