OVERVIEWIn this creative writing assignment, you must travel back in time and imagine what life was like for an individual in the past. This process helps develop an understanding of the impact of tim

John Smith

You may elect to use a journal format, in which case you need at least 10 journal entries, usually delineated by date.

HIST 111

May 30, 2017

Personal Historical Narrative

My Life in Songhai

February 5, 1491

Today was quite like any other. It begin with waking up in my house to the sounds of my younger siblings laughing and playing outside with the goats. I very much enjoy waking up in my humble home made of mud brick and thatched roof in my small little town next to the Niger River. I walked down to the water and collected some for bathing so I could start the day fresh and clean. The cold water feels soothing in the harsh sun that beats down on us all day as we go about our work. I run my fingers through my long thick braided hair and twist it up so it is out of the way and pull on my colorful boubou robe. Before I go back outside I eat doonut (porridge) and afterwards quietly whisper my first prayer of the day, then off to work I go.

- Amara

April 18, 1491

As I walk through the small and crowded town, I notice the boats floating in the river and men on camels and horses trotting about the town. I never thought our military would be as strong as it is today, and luckily we push all of our enemies out thanks to our strong government. Other civilizations are not as lucky as me, some places in Western Africa are being overtaken by drought and disease as well as other larger societies that send my people away and trade them into slavery. I am sometimes scared that I too will be taken against my will and made a slave that is only good for sex and hard work that people will demand me to do. However, I am lucky to have a husband and a small fortune that allows me to keep this comfortable life.

- Amara

June 3, 1491

I like to sit and talk with my girl friends and ask deep questions about Allah, our god. We are not allowed to talk to other men, only our husbands. Today we talked about how curious it is that Islam was such an influence on our culture and helped develop writing techniques and language for us. I particularly like worshipping Islamic faith because it gives me hope everyday by doing the five prayers and fasting it gives me a sense of control and willpower in my life. My friends and I sing and dance together as we worship Allah and talk to younger kids about these ideas so that they may be passed down to the next generation.

- Amara

May 5, 1492

After I left my friends I went and sat by the Niger River on my own and began weaving this beautiful basket that will carry fish and vegetables for family to eat. I thought of a poem and wrote it down as I listened to the soothing water rush by and the wind brush through the leaves peacefully. I wrote about the sun and moon and stars and how small I feel on this great vast African land and how much I miss my husband because he is off fighting to keep our territory free from outsiders. I write about how heavenly it is to live on this oasis of green trees and fresh water in Songhai in the middle of this harsh environment. I write about how I miss my brother who was sold into slavery at 15 years old in exchange for salt, textiles, horses, and luxurious things. My heart yearns to see him again and for his body to heal from the scars on his back from being beaten.

- Amara

July 20, 1492

The sun is at its hottest now. I mumble my prayers in front of a big mosque that is made of mud and brick and listen to the soft beats of a sacred drum being played in the distance. I run my hand through the grass and feel each one tickle my arm as I walk towards a local place to eat outside. I enjoy some haini maaosa, a pancake made out of millet along with some fresh okra and baobab leaves with ginger. My friends talk about going to a bon chebe next month to witness our friend reveal her child after keeping away from men when she gave birth. This is a big event for our people, and there will be dancing and singing rituals to celebrate this new child in our community. I am excited to see this new baby because there is something wrong with my body because my husband and I have tried to have a child but cannot, so I enjoy watching after my friends’ babies.

- Amara

August 7, 1492

I have always like my name “Amara” because it means grace. My parents named me this because they must’ve guessed I would have a kind heart. It is true, the people of Songhai are very generous and are family-oriented because we have such large families and everyone knows of one another. We always greet each other “Manti ni kaani?” meaning “How did you sleep?” and always give each other colorful gifts with geometric patterns and pottery and crafted amulets as gifts. My gift for the bon chebe tonight is a basket with the poem I wrote about new life and fresh beginnings for my friend with the baby. I arrive to the hut and everyone is cheerful and laughing and singing songs that have been passed through many generations in our language. We share a feast of howru, hot peppers, onion flour and sweet fruit for dessert.

- Amara

August 13, 1492

I finish in the field and I go and watch some men fish in the river and hear them talking to some sohancitary (sorcerers), sorkotary (praise-singers to spirits), and zimatareys (spirit-possession priests) that are nearby. These men are wise with knowledge of history, plants, words, and spiritual practices that make our culture rich. They will all be at the bon chebe later tonight for the social and religious activities. While I am sitting at the river I watch a boat slowly cruise by with gold, kola nuts, and ivory that are being imported from somewhere. I myself need to trade some woven baskets for some kola nuts to prepare for the ceremony tonight, so I start jogging towards the shore to collect some. While I ran I tripped on a fallen log and scraped my leg up bad and my blood soaked my boubou, so I will have to find something else to wear for the occasion.

- Amara

August 14, 1492

As the sun goes down after the bon chebe when everyone has seen the new child and goes back home into their little quaint mud homes, I stay outside and watch the sun drip behind the horizon. The sky is full of shades of pink and lavender, and the beauty reminds me of when I first saw my husband walking towards me in a grass field and our eyes met and everything in the world seemed to be ok. I wish he could hold me and I could massage him and praise him for being so strong and brave in the army to keep our empire strong. I pray one last time to Allah, hoping he will return soon and we can try to have a child again and raise a family so I can teach my children how to cook, weave, hunt, fish, and write. After my final prayer I sink into my straw bed and close my eyes, dreaming of my husband and I riding horses to Mecca with a baby and smiling to myself because I know I have hope for that day to come.

- Amara

September 4, 1493

After lunch I go help gather vegetables and grain in the field and strain my back and arms all day by pulling and plucking the food. Oh how I wish I had a camel to load all of my food and make this easier, but all the animals are being used for transportation for the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. I am waiting until next year to make the journey, because I hear rumors of people getting abducted in the middle of their journey and sold into slavery like my poor dear brother.

- Amara

April 14, 1493

I hear rumors that the great Muhammad al Turi is becoming king soon, which means a great deal to my people because he is a fervent Muslim who preaches our beliefs all throughout West Africa. I am excited to hear this news because it means he might possibly visit our empire and I will maybe get to meet this wise man and ask him to talk about his Islamic beliefs and answer some of my questions about life. For instance, I do not understand why we must avoid pork and alcohol for the sake of our religion? Why are pigs a sacred animal? They are so cute when they are young and when they oink but we have plenty of pork so I must know the reason why we can’t feast on them? Maybe Muhammad will know.

- Amara

Works Cited

Include a properly formatted bibliography of at least three sources. This is in APA format, but you may also use MLA or Chicago style for Humanities.

Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. (2000). The empires of the Western

Sudan: Songhai Empire. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan

Museum of Art, 2000-. Retrieved from

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sghi/hd_sghi.htm.

Campbell, M. (n.d.) Western African names: Amara. Behind the Name. Retrieved from

https://www.behindthename.com/name/amara.

Tesfu, J. (n.d.). Songhai Empire (ca. 1375-1591). Black Past. Retrieved from

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/songhai-empire-ca-1375-1591.

The Story of Africa: Songhay. (n.d.) BBC News. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/4chapter4.shtml.