Frivolous Friday: Things I Love About Africa

It's weekend! And it couldn't come soon enough!

As promised in my last Frivolous Friday post, I'm focusing on an African positive today. 

One of the things I love about this continent are the legends. Trust me, there is a supernatural explanation for just about everything. 

I also love African trees, especially when they come with a legend attached. 

So my all-time favourite tree happens to the incredible Baobab. 

Andrew took this on the Makadikgadi Salt Pan in Botswana

The San people (used to be called Bushmen, but that's now politically incorrect) have a wonderful story about how the Baobab came to be. It goes like this . . . 

Long, long ago when the Creator made the Kalahari, he planted the Baobab tree in a prime spot next to a lake. At first the tree was very happy, at least until the incessant wind stopped and it caught a glimpse of itself in the water.

Shocked by its obese trunk, insignificant flowers and lack of foliage, it immediately demanded that The Creator get back on the job and it give it a makeover.

The Creator poked his head out from behind a cloud and asked if the hippo was beautiful? (No) Or if the hyena had a pretty voice? (Definitely not) So why then should the Baobab be worried about something as shallow as looks?

Still the the Baobab whinged. And whinged.

Finally, in a fit of pique, The Creator grabbed it by the trunk, ripped it out the ground and flung it into the most desolate corner of the Kalahari. It landed on its head with its roots in the air and there it has stayed forever.

Looking at the tree you can see where the San got that idea from.

Another story has it that The Creator gave each animal its own tree. The Baobab was given to the hyena. Disgusted with the fat, ugly offering, the hyena yanked it out the ground and turned it on its head.

Fun, these stories, aren't they?

But for all that the Baobab may look a bit odd, it's a very valuable tree. The bark is used for making cloth and rope, the locals eat the leaves and the seed pods, which are stuffed with Vitamin C. A bit like a camel, the fleshy pulp in the trunk also carries water, which can be bled in times of drought. There is even a huge Baobab that has been hollowed out and is used for a pub!

However, none of these explain my love for this tree. My reason are more simple. Baobab trees are always found in desolate locations, far from human settlement, and I love being in the wilderness.

 

I will definitely miss Baobabs when I arrive in England. So, to fill the gap, I asked a friend to make me my very own tree to take with me. He's a street artist and he makes and sell objects like this . . .

This wire tree will occupy pride of place in my new home in Oxford, reminding me always of what I left behind in Africa.

Enjoy your weekend. Be safe. Have fun. And read lots. I know I plan to.

cheers
Gwynn
As usual drop by an see what Elisa has up for her FF.

Across The wall - Review

To be honest, I bought this book because I wanted to read Across The Wall, the final novella in the Abhorsen series. Imagine my delight then, when I discovered twelve other wonderful short stories, almost all with Nix’s characteristic fantastical twist! Enchanted, that’s what I was.

Let me deal with the shorties first before I review Across The Wall.

I really am hard-pressed to choose a favourite, but I think the joint award goes to Hope Chest, Under the Lake, Heart’s Desire and Hansel’s Eyes.

What’s so intriguing about this book, is that Nix explains how each story came to be written, giving such insight into him as an author. Anyway, Hope Chest grew out of his love for spaghetti Westerns. This magical story shows us what happens when a Hitler-like figure arrives in a small town, where the enigmatic ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ Alice May lives. The result is both bloody and compelling. It has an almost dystopian feel. Wonderful.

Although Nix claims to hate the Arthurian legend, there are two stories based on that mythology. Under the Lake  - a twist on the Lady of the Lake - and Heart’s Desire – the story of Merlin and Nimue. Both feature Merlin, but in very different guises. And trust me, there is definitely be something lurking at the bottom of that lake, but she’s no lady!

Hansel’s Eyes is a modern-day retelling of the Grimm’s classic, complete with a ‘Hagmum’. A fantastic page-turner filled with equal parts of humour and terror.

Finally, Across The Wall . . . In this action-packed novella, Nicholas Sayre – one of my favourite fictional characters – makes his way from Ancelstierre to the Old Kingdom – and Lirael. The story ends with all the implied love left hanging at the end of the Abhorsen series. And hopefully with room for more books seen from Nicholas and Lirael’s POV. Please, Garth Nix, please! Because this story is set in Ancelstierre, Nix had to create a new world, and he drew heavily on the writing of another favourite author of mine, PG Wodehouse, for his country house setting. It worked very well. Still, I was sad when the book ended. I for one am just not ready to leave the Old Kingdom yet.

As an author, I find great inspiration in Garth Nix's books, so if you choose to follow my blog, beware, you will be hearing more about his brilliant work.

I give this book four stars. Across The Wall gets a full five.

cheers
Gwynneth