New Books Network Gil Ben-Herut, "Stories of Shiva's Saints: Selections from Harihara's Ragales" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Jan 1, 2026
Gil Ben-Herut, a Religious Studies professor and expert in medieval Kannada literature, discusses his groundbreaking English translation of a 13th-century text, illuminating the devotion to Shiva and its historical context. He shares insights on the challenges of translating poetic meter while preserving emotional depth. As they explore diverse narratives, including women and marginalized figures, Ben-Herut highlights the literary innovations of Harihara and reflects on the lasting impact of these stories within South Indian devotion.
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Decapitation As Devotional Dramatic Device
- Decapitation recurs as a potent literary and ritual motif in South Indian Shaivism with local resonances.
- Harihara uses violent self-decapitation stories to dramatize religious wagers and sectarian conflict.
Match Form To Register In Translation
- When translating rare meters, balance narrative prose with register-sensitive formatting to convey shifts in tone.
- Use short verse lines for emotional or ritual outpourings while keeping prose for narrative flow.
Keep Local Names, Add Brief Glosses
- Preserve local deity names and supply brief glosses instead of full Anglicization to respect cultural meaning.
- Pair original names with a parenthetical translation to aid unfamiliar readers.