Emeka Walter Dinjos's Blog, page 6
November 30, 2012
The Unfading Heiress (Soul Switch Trilogy, #1)
In a land where death transcends time and space, a Ghostly War is being raged against the living. Late King Eldorman has the power to end this war, but he wants justice for his beautiful murdered daughter Arengel. However, Arengel’s destiny lies once again with the living, when she falls in love with Adel, a [...]
June 15, 2012
Ancient Masquerades versus Modern Masquerades
Ancient Masquerades versus Modern Masquerades I remember my father and other older relations telling me fascinating tales about spirits (masquerades) of the olden days. The stories, while filled with some abominable practices, spoke highly of the mysteries, excitement, and respect the spirit fraternity commanded. Now, I’m aggrieved at the lawlessness that governs the fraternity. In [...]
May 14, 2012
Iba Mmuo: The Ordeal of Becoming a Masquerade in Juju Land
Iba Mmuo, meaning ‘initiation into the spirit’, is mostly practiced in Igbo land in south-eastern Nigeria, the term ‘spirit’, in – and only in – this particular instance, implying ‘masquerade’. Not that masquerades are spirits, but Igbo folk prefer to delude themselves with the lie to preserve the mysteries and excitement surrounding the culture prior [...]
May 12, 2012
Handling the Disappointment of Rejections
Along the road to becoming a successful novelist, every writer bumps into a set of unavoidable potholes, one of the most devastating being rejections. Of course, those depressing replies will always come – worse, in dozens. It doesn’t matter how many months or years it took you to write and polish your manuscript. And sometimes [...]
February 23, 2012
Walter Dinjos, Author of “Beyond Bermuda” and “The Forbidden Sea”
I just had a wonderful interview with Pat Betram. Follow the link below. Walter Dinjos, Author of “Beyond Bermuda” and “The Forbidden Sea”. By the way, did you know that in many parts of Nigeria Town Criers are still very much active? They roam the night striking their ogene(s) or ekwe(s) and crying out their [...]
February 5, 2012
My Eyes Have Seen My Ears
I must point out that at the time it happened I had no mirror or a picture of myself with me. Neither was I near anything glassy. I was girdled by village elders who sit on carved stones, drink wine – palm wine, by the way – from cattle horns, and are as addicted to [...]
January 30, 2012
Bush Babies: Facts and Fictions
When I was little, my village elders would fascinate and frighten my peers and I with fables about bush babies at moonlight gatherings. Back then, we thought the tales were true, and I used to picture bush babies as dollish creatures the size of a three-year-old, but now, I scoff and shake my head wistfully [...]
January 24, 2012
Thou Shall Not Eat Monkey Meat
That is an easy tradition to follow, I once thought. I mean, who eats monkey meat? After making the list below, however, I discovered that even dog shit is eatable. It all depends on your origin and nurture. If a mother is from a tribe that eats dog shit and fed her baby the nasty [...]
January 18, 2012
The Do-As-I-Say Charm
You have probably read (or watched) one of those paranormal books (or movies) with characters possessing magical powers of persuasion, and you have probably dismissed such powers as imaginary while wondering how cool it would be to have them. I have two things to say to you. One, such powers do exist – we call [...]
January 11, 2012
Thou Shall Not Kill With Juju
Isn’t that the best of commandments? Juju, like any other form of magic, has rules. The rules vary from village to village, and when broken, come with dire retribution like blindness, paralysis, the pox, madness etc. These penalties can come because one failed to keep his/her charms secret when necessary, said the wrong incantation, or [...]
