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of Malabar translated into German, especially those of Malabar-
Nayers. More insight into Gundert's way of handling folk literature
was attained through his diary and letters. In his diary Gundert noted
down in 1861: "Kelappen versprochen" ([1] promised [to translate]
Kelappen).2 Ten years later Gundert wrote to his son Samuel who
was then a missionary at Palakkad: "Eine Uebersetzung von
Kelappas Lied sandte ich an Stolz" (a [German] translation of
Kelappa's song I sent to [Missionary] Stolz [at Mangalore]),3 Samuel
Gundert also suggested to translate the song into English, but
Gundert advised him to leave this to someone else. Because of this
letter and Frohnmeyer's remark mentioned above, it is almost sure
that the German version of"Kelappen vom Garten" was also printed
in Mangalore.
Within a series of four narrations, of which "Kelappan vom
Garten" is the third one, Gundert himself published the ballads in
the Jugendblaetter (Youth Magazine) 1868 (2.half-vol.):
Derjunge Chandu von Njalikara (Young Chandu of Njalikara),
col. 225-236,
Kannen von Kaideri (Kannen of Kaideri), col. 297-312,
Kelappen vom Garten (Kelappen of the garden), col. 369-384,
and 1869 (1. half-vol.):
Dairu von Ebereck (Dairu of Boar-Quoin), Col. 61-66.4
From the very beginning of his stay in Malabar Gundert had
in mind the idea to translate Malayalam songs, ballads and epics into
German. Yet, as we know, Gundert was almost completely occupied
with composing Malayalam works, with looking after school and
carrying out missionary undertakings. So he could hardly spare the
time for the translation of Malayalam works into German. When he
was back in Germany and had become the head of a publishing
house at Calw he was involved in many activities. Nevertheless he
translated some wonderful examples of Malayalam folk literature
into German. This category contains not only the four narrations of
the Life of Nayers mentioned above, but also the German translation
of Nala Charitha saram, first published in Missions-Magazin, Basel,
1853, p. 49-65, and 1854, p. 66-93.5
Gundert's folk literature carries a lot of epic, puranic,
historical and biblical material as well as native Malayalam literature
and history. This not only demonstrates that Gundert was familiar
