Parker’s folktales of Ceylon in Sinhala
 An irrigation engineer named Henry Parker had come to Sri Lanka, then
Ceylon, in 1873. Though by profession an engineer, he was quite
interested in history, culture and archeology of the country. The
culminating result was the publication of a three volume book of
folktales titled as Village Folktales of Ceylon. His study of Sinhala
and Tamil had enabled him to bring out another work titled as Ancient
Ceylon (1909).
Though the three-volume folktales were read by common readers and
scholars over the years, no one had paid any special attention to
translate into Sinhala perhaps with the after thought that most tales
are popularly and widely known by the masses.
True enough, the folktales embedded have appeared in many Sinhala
works from time to time not as directly translated or culled from
parker’s works, but as found by word of mouth.
The well known Sinhala scholar and translator A P Gunaratne, in late
fifties and early sixties, made an effort to bring out a series of
Sinhala folktales titled as Rankakira, Nagulmunna, Kaputu Beth, Ranmuthu
Duwa and Sinhala Katandara. Gunaratne often stated he had been
influenced by Parker’s collection. But as Gunaratne had a special
interest as a researcher into the area of folklore, he had the chance of
bringing out his own series of Sinhala folktales. From time to time
reference had been made to the Parker collection of Sinhala folktales.
 Now we encounter a systematic beginning by the scholar and translator
Chandra Sri Ranasinghe, who had been consistently translating folk
literature more closely and systematically. Ranasinghe’s latest venture
is the translation of the long felt need of making the volume one
available. The title given is Lankave Gami Janakatha, published by Fast
Publishers. The project looks lofty and the two companion volumes, it is
stated, will follow.
On reading the volume one of Parker I felt that the long preface to
the seventy five tales included in the collection gives various
colourful insights to not only the particular subject of folklore, but
also to other interlinked subject areas such as history, culture, art,
archeology, religion, language and storytelling techniques.
Ranasinghe has taken pains to supplement his translation which
brightens the original writing in a multi-toned nature. As found in the
original, Parker as an investigative scientist lays down his material
from the human sources as a sensitive interlocutor. He is in the process
of getting to know from the common villagers such as farmers and
peasants who lived in Wayamba and North Central provinces. This I felt
is the only reliable method of oral transmission of folklore.
Parker states, and as he translated the original Sinhala to the
English reader, the technique of presentation is significant. It goes
generally as ‘once upon a time in a certain village…’ This is the
technique of presentation all over the world cultures. The tales in the
volume one are classified as source material according to human
relations of various castes and creeds in the country.
They include in the first classification as drawn from the farmer or
peasant group of villagers tehn followed by drummer tales or tales
pertaining to drummer groups. There are tales related to Rodiya people,
or the outcast generation of people. All in all they are of common human
value. In turn there are gypsy tales and tales related to animals
commonly known as fox, jackal, lion, crocodile, monkey etc.
One other bright feature in the introduction is the comparison of
folk motifs and experiences with interrelated tales as found in Jatakas
and historical chronicles such as Mahavamsa and Indian sources. These
may be pioneer insights given to a wider area now known as inter
cultural studies.
A keen reader could follow the traits of originality in the
storytelling forms in indigenous folktale teller. A panoramic vision of
the trials and tribulations in various walks of life could be visualised
via these folktales. It may have been a duty-minded function of the
original compiler to bring out this work, but today it is of immense
value.
As such, Chandra Sri Ranasinghe deserves praise and gratitude.
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