Myth Maker

Galore begins with a man being cut out of the body of a whale,and as the author admits candidly,the plot gets “stranger from there”. The storyline captures the history of Newfoundland through the lives of two families — one Irish Catholic and the other English Protestant—and the animosity between them. “Over the generations,several boys and girls of the two families fall in love but it is never requited. The story plays out almost like a metaphor of life—something we all love,but which eventually gives up on us,” says Crummey.

The narrative is woven with anecdotes and ancient folklore,which still finds willing believers — there are “recent” accounts of a girl whose body was covered with warts since the time she was born,who was miraculously cured by an old village woman when all other doctors had failed,the story of a man who stood up during his funeral and walked home. “He lived for several years before dying for the second time. I heard this story from more than one source,proving that even the dead cannot be written off,” says Crummey,who spent a year researching the book and collecting such tales from friends,storytellers and acquaintances.

Folklore,says Crummey,is crucial to the place he comes from— Newfoundland might have transformed radically,especially after becoming a province of Canada in 1949,but its roots go deeper,to the time,when it was still an inhospitable land where nothing would grow except root vegetable and almost the entire population of a few thousand relied on fishing. “Despite the flurry of healthcare and modern amenities now,people still listen to old stories and believe in old rituals,” says Crummey.

In Delhi,he looks around at the speeding cars and the glitzy malls and says,“Scratch the surface,and you’ll find that many Indians still hold on to the old beliefs of their forefathers,” he says. He’s heard stories of how many Indians,despite modern healthcare,still believe in traditional potions to cure them. “These beliefs define us. Galore is an effort to keep alive similar stories from Newfoundland,” says Crummey,whose first work,a book of poetry,was published in 1996. His previous works,including two novels,have won several regional awards and Crummey is keeping his fingers crossed for the big prize this time.