The cold blasts of the northern winds and the sudden drop of the temperature in the highlands comes with memories of cuddling at the foot of Lola’s rattan chair, a bowl of steaming milled corn, curling my toes under her wide shawl, as we start with the habitual evening storytelling. She was and will always be the best storyteller for me as she had this uncanny talent of captivating me with heroes and heroines that spring to vivid life in her versions of numerous tales and local lore.
My personal favorites were that of two different stories of orphaned children who despite their tragic fates were able to survive the cruel circumstances thrown at them. These young hapless souls namely, “Sadsadyokana” and “Dongdongyapitan” had quite similar fortunes of being orphaned, entrusted under the guardianship of evil relatives and locked in dismal places like the “gungo” (makeshift shed where pig feed and poultry are shacked) and entombed in a large “lusongan” (mortar for pounding rice). Both characters, though scared, exemplified the resiliency of strong-hearted children who were ravenous for survival and life. To keep themselves alive in their little prisons, they had to make do with eating roaches and other crawling insects while braving the cold that bit their puny bodies. Like in any traditional folk tale, a twist of good fate arrives in the form of a guardian angel or mortal who will thwart the evil aunt or stepmom and rescue these poor lasses from their suffering.
My personal favorites were that of two different stories of orphaned children who despite their tragic fates were able to survive the cruel circumstances thrown at them. These young hapless souls namely, “Sadsadyokana” and “Dongdongyapitan” had quite similar fortunes of being orphaned, entrusted under the guardianship of evil relatives and locked in dismal places like the “gungo” (makeshift shed where pig feed and poultry are shacked) and entombed in a large “lusongan” (mortar for pounding rice). Both characters, though scared, exemplified the resiliency of strong-hearted children who were ravenous for survival and life. To keep themselves alive in their little prisons, they had to make do with eating roaches and other crawling insects while braving the cold that bit their puny bodies. Like in any traditional folk tale, a twist of good fate arrives in the form of a guardian angel or mortal who will thwart the evil aunt or stepmom and rescue these poor lasses from their suffering.