So I decided to offer an early glimpse into a novel I've been working on for some time. This excerpt takes us to Ningi of the 1800s, located in present-day Bauchi State, north-east Nigeria. Here, two Muslim women—one seasoned, the other a novice—delicately craft an amulet. The artistry of amulet-making, particularly within the Muslim traditions of northern Nigeria, has always intrigued me. The novel itself explores the seldom-discussed knowledge transfer between generations of women in Hausaland and the Sokoto Caliphate, set against the backdrop of internal political dissent led by Kano scholars. At its heart is Hamza, a figure who, parting ways with Kano, established the quasi-independent town of Ningi. I hope you enjoy this snippet about amulets.
****
Today, Atta crafts an amulet for a man of considerable wealth, a man who possesses all but one desire: a woman. This woman, in her youth, had once rebuffed him, choosing instead a rival who, by what he deems fate, suffered a fall from a horse, met with a shattered hip, and succumbed mere weeks later. Six months of mourning had passed before he dared approach her again, undeterred by the children — a daughter and a son — she had with the deceased. His desire now was as fervent as it was before she married. While her rejection wasn’t as vehement this time around, it was still a rejection. In his heart, he didn’t see it as an aversion to him, but rather her pride, as if she reveled in the fact that the man she once refused was still so besotted. “This is how they are in their family, proud like turkeys,” he confided in Atta
Atta motions for Nana to ignite another lamp, the darkness outside revealing that the fajr prayer still lingers in the horizon. Assembled before Nana are the tools for the amulet's crafting—two reed pens, a freshly-prepared tin of ink, scraps of paper, and worn strips of sheepskin. She feels her heart take on a frantic tempo, thudding so pronounced she imagines Atta can feel each beat. It isn’t merely the task of number memorization that makes her tremble, it is the arithmetic that always leaves her heady and heated up. She has recited the numeric values of the Arabic letters, pacing back and forth, murmuring the figures until their imprint settled firmly in her mind.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Elnathan’s Corner to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.