Syed Miyan Sheik Thangal - the founder of the Rawthar community in Khasak. Pulinkompile Pothi - a spirit, village goddess living on a tree Nallamma - the goddess of smallpox Thithibi Umma - Allappicha Mollakka's first wife Chukra Rawthar "Mungankozhi" - husband of Maimuna Malikakkal Attar - owner of a cigarette factory in Kumankavu Zohrabi - Malikakkal Attar's wife Narayani Amma - Sivaraman Nair's wife Kelan Master - manages a primary school in Kumankavu Gopalu Panikkar - the traditional village teacher, later a healer Lakshmi – wife of Gopalu Panikkar Ramachar – cattle broker, the apprentice of Gopalu Panicker Abida - daughter of Chukra Rawthar from his first marriage Neeli - mother of Appukkili Nachi, Kochi and Kali - sisters of Neeli Kuttappu Nari - husband of Kali Chanthumma - daughter of the wandering mystic Thangal Pakkiri, a widow Kunhu-Noor and Chanthumuthu - Chanthumma's children Kalyani - wife of Kuppu Achan Kesi – daughter-in-law of Kuppu Achan Mayandi - the village bootlegger/pub owner Cholayumma – mother of Kunha-Amina Ossan Annan – the Muslim barber (the ossan) One-Teacher School students Kunn-Amina Karuvu Unipparadi Kochu-Zohara Kholusu Alam Khan Vavar Nurjihan Unipparathi Kinnari Publication history The novel was serialised in Mathrubhumi Weekly in 28 parts, between 28 January 1968 and 4 August 1968. It was published in a single edition (Malayalam) by Current Books in 1969. The first DC Books edition (Malayalam) was published in 1990. The English version was published in 1994 (Penguin Books). The novel (Malayalam) has been reprinted more than fifty times. Reception O.V. Vijayan rose to prominence in Kerala with his first novel Khasakkinte Itihasam. The novel became an instant hit with the young Kerala people. Such was the influence of the novel on the people of Kerala that the whole of modern Malayalam fiction came to be defined in terms of a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ in relation to it. At the time of publishing, the novel 'infuriated' some of the Kerala conservatives and the progressives alike (for different reasons). It was criticised by both for its depiction of 'sexual anarchy'. Orthodox readers charged it with 'obscurity', 'partly because of its new idiom and partly its play with space and time' (which contrasted with the familiar, chronological narration). English version O. V. Vijayan published his English version of Khasakkinte Itihasam in 1994 (under the title 'The Legends of Khasak'). The English version has had a pan-Indian appeal. This