The Pattole Palame is a precious collection of the oral heritage of the Kodava community, compiled and published by Nadikerianda Chinnappa in 1924. It is known to be one of the earliest and most extensive collections of the folklore of a community in any Indian language. The Kodavas are inhabitants of Kodagu (Coorg), a scenic district of Karnataka in South India. They are a small community whose origins are unknown. Living in a remote, hilly, thickly forested area they are a highly structured and close-knit community, with a unique culture and an immensely practical outlook on life. In the Pattole Palame the songs, lullabies, proverbs and riddles in the Kodava language are transcribed using the Kannada script and the traditions related to Kodava customs and festivals are described in the Kannada language. The author himself had felt the need for an English translation and started work on it in the early 1920s. The need for an English translation is even greater now, for the younger generation of Kodavas who may not know the Kannada script and for all those interested in Dravidian languages and folk culture. This translation serves to acquaint the reader with the ancient wisdom and myths in a culture and language that may not survive the changes that are sweeping the world today.
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