Anna Liberata de Souza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anna Liberata de Souza | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Maid |
| Known for | Narrator of Indian Folktales |
| Notable work | Narrator of Old Deccan Days |
Anna Liberata de Souza (born c. 1819–1823[1]) was the Indian maid of the Anglo-Indian writer Mary Frere. The stories she told were the basis for Frere's book Old Deccan Days or Hindoo Fairy Legends, Current in Southern India, Collected From Oral Tradition.[2]
De Souza's grandfather's family belonged to the Lingayat caste. They were originally from Calicut (today also known as Kozhikode). They later moved near Goa. During this time her grandfather, along with his family, converted to Christianity and, as a result, his father broke all ties. Her grandfather was a havildar and her father a tent pitcher in the British army. Both won medals.[3]
De Souza had seven brothers and one sister, none of whom attended school. Their mother often worked as a coolie, and therefore their grandmother used to take care of them. She was a Christian but still respected Hindu temples. It is from her that de Souza and her siblings heard the stories and Hindu fairy legends that she later narrated to Mary Frere.[4]