Compiling grandma’s stories into text for future generation

The Hornbill Dance, a collection of Tangkhul folklore released

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 13

For generations, grandparents have stood as embodiment of bedtime stories for children. The children go on to become grandparents themselves, retelling the stories to their grandchildren. 

It is also that not all people get to have grandparents. But for Ngathingkhui Jagoi, he had the privilege of listening to his grandmother’s captivating stories as a child and also the foresight to jot down the stories and compiling the stories into book form. 

Grandma’s Treasure-I, The Hornbill Dance – the first of a series of Tangkhul Naga folk tales, compiled and written by him and published by Heritage Publishing House, was launched on November 13 in Dimapur. 

Abu Metha, Advisor to the Nagaland Chief Minister, did the honour of releasing the compilation at a programme held at the DBIDL, Don Bosco Higher Secondary School. 

“I consider myself fortunate that I had the opportunity to interact with those precious old folks, including my grandmother, who are now long departed. They couldn't read or write but they retold the stories to me. In that manner, I could compile this book… retelling the stories to the younger generation and generations to come,” said Jagoi. 

A senior journalist, based in Dimapur as a correspondent for the ANI, he had a long stint in the print medium before taking to the electronic medium. During his print years, he was behind two popular weekly columns— Morung Gossip in Nagaland Post and Face to Face in Eastern Mirror. 

While stating that other communities would relate to the stories, he said that the book was the result of his love for bedtime stories narrated by her late grandmother, J Makatunla. “A bedtime story was a compulsory item for me every day. I pestered my grandma to tell me stories every night,” he said. 

According to him, the stories are about “man possessing the spirit of animals and vice versa, mythical heroes who performed great feats of valour, broken homes, creation and so on.” Quoting one of his uncles, he said, “Such stories had greatly influenced our culture and beliefs.”

He also fondly recalled a time when parents would leave children under the care of elderly folks “when they went to the fields during the day.” He recalled how the children would help elderly women to stand vigil over paddy spread out under the sun to dry and in exchange, hear stories. 

Decades later, the painstaking process of compiling the stories in English was completed in 2006 with the National Book Trust of India agreeing to publish a book. There was a setback however as the publishing house flagged certain parts considered violent. 

“I was disappointed and told the editor that I can't change our oral tales and history,” he said.  

More than a decade later, in 2018, at the behest of his uncle, he reconsidered pushing the book for publication. Citing the financial condition of journalists in this part of the world, he said that it took three more years. He especially thanked Dr Lanusangla (Publisher), who he said took up the challenge to bring it into fruition. 

Abu Metha, in his remark, said that the Naga society must be thankful to people like Jagoi. According to Metha, more Naga writers should come forward and tell the stories of “thousands of grandmas for the millions of our future children. While stating that stories written/compiled today would “become history books of the future,” he added that this is the responsibility of the present generation.

He said that it is time Nagas are known for good things like the arts, science, education, sports and more.

He added that public servants serving in the remote corners of the state should also take the effort to document the stories of the place and the people as it would serve as valuable insight for the future generation.  

As for Heritage Publishing House, he assured his support and government intervention, if needed.