Wednesday 23 March 2011

An after dark tale


Warning: to be read in a dramatic story tale tone - in the style of "the Lord of the Rings"

Once there was, once there wasn’t….a great old story tells of the djins that roam the streets at night, as the last ray of sunshine dims behind the horizon and the muezzin calls for Maghreb prayers, creatures unseen by human eyes rise to roam the earth, some look for sinners, some for the pious, and some observe, peeking into our hearts to see what lies within; our loves, our thoughts, our desires, our dreams and dark secrets but some of these djins seek to harm us, to drag us into sin and into harms path.

And so this story was told, from mother to daughter to granddaughter, women of the house do not go outside after dark dear, for who knows what lies in the darkness and in the dead of the night, Ins or Djin (1), friend or foe, and so from mother to daughter to granddaughter, women across the land of ElDjazair (2) grew fearful of the dark and became house bound after sunset.

Years and years later, a man came into the house “women are to stay indoors” he said, he professed gods commandment, Allah ordered men to be mindful of the women on this earth, for women are defenceless creatures, weak of body and mind; so from father to son to grandson, men forbad their wives, sisters and daughters from leaving the house for fear of the unknown and to protect the family, the clan and with it the kingdoms honour.  Women grew tired of these invisible shackles but could not break the mighty rule, for all the men of the kingdom would gather against any women who dares break the rules and venture out at night, she who dared was branded a women of the night and would remain unmarried and cast out of society.
But as women started to break the rules, and winter approached, as the daylight diminished and the nights grew longer, evil spread throughout the Kingdom, an evil seen by no one but men, heard of any old tales transmitted from mother to daughter to granddaughter, for who knows what evil lies in the dark.

Hundreds of years had passed, came the era of the fanaticism, man grew beards, they died with henna,  wore kamisses(3), women and girls wore veils and a new Islam spread like a new age religion, The masters of the land did not take kindly to this new power spreading across their kingdom; they called it terrorism; it spread across the lands and ignited the beacons of war, a civil war erupted, tearing this beautiful land apart, the Masters of the land fought a long and bloody battle to end the horrific curse that was upon them, this was at the great sorcerers’ hand, they called him Israel. A curfew was imposed on the kingdom, and father to daughter to son to granddaughter, were not to step outside after dark, for who knows who lies in the dark; militia or terrorist, djin or inns? Friend or foe?

Years have passed and the war has ended, the masters of the land regained control of their kingdom, people were content to resume their lives, peace was once again and the kingdoms dwellers ventured out into the open once more, walking and working the fields, swimming the warm lakes of this beautiful land, but upon the last ray of sunshine in the sky, the streets were barren again, the fields deserted, shops were shut and the lights dimmed, but a movement was rising within the kingdom, people started to brave the darkness and marvel the starry night skies, others were too afraid to break their ancestral traditions and went indoors in time with the chickens,  gathered around the fires telling the tale of the djins that roam the streets at night but  what lies in the dark but men himself.

The end.
---------------------------------------------
(1) Human or genie
(2) Algeria
(3) Kamiss –A traditional Islamic dress men traditionally wear to mosque or in religious days

25 comments:

  1. what's this about?

    ReplyDelete
  2. About the behaviour or Algerian with the dark, why women aren’t allowed out after dark and the night is always synonymous with evil...its all between the lines.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great creative writing, well done dz-chick. I like how you tell the story of Algeria's war and going out at night taboo. FANTASTIC.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you Constantinoise! I am glad the message was clear in the story.

    ReplyDelete
  5. yakhi fergha chgoul!

    ReplyDelete
  6. we'll miss your blog when your marital status has changed ;)
    Delboy

    ReplyDelete
  7. Don't you worry Delboy, I will be around for years...

    ReplyDelete
  8. oh you're not old, just more mature ;)

    how accurate is your information though? are you really aware of what goes on back home now? (back home: where is home after spending almost half your life abroad?)

    i know from my own experience that as time goes by I am starting to lose touch/track of cultural norms in my home country although i visit regularly.

    life as a teenager in those places is probably very different nowadays to what it was when you were a teenager there.
    i may not have got it but i thought the post was well-written and did have a mystical feel to it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am very aware of the norms and VERY up to date with what goes on back in Algeria, I ask a lot of questions, I have younger siblings who report back and I am still young so I do mingle with all ages and observe. so in answer to your question: VERY ACCURATE :)

    My post want mystical, it was just written in the style of an old fairy tale...

    ReplyDelete
  10. oh well definitely didn't get it then lol

    you know so many people, no one you know that can help you out in your marital status change quest :p ?

    ReplyDelete
  11. How do you know how many people I know...speculating are we? and no, no one of note or to "help"

    ReplyDelete
  12. that's the impression i have but i might be wrong. you have to speculate from time to time.

    well that's a shame ... i'll be on the lookout for someone who can help you out lol

    you got any younger sisters btw? (héhé joking)

    perhaps you should consider deleting some of our exchanges, it is getting a bit much.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Somebody said: "get a room you too ewwww" as though we're talking on his private space!! I deleted his comment along with our non blog related exchanges.

    ReplyDelete
  14. vous etes peu loquace aujourd'hui mamzelle. have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello tonton dw: en effet je suis pas tres bavarde today, mais have you heard of busy fridays? :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. i've only heard of TFI Fridays

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is just lovley. Really well written. The night time curfew is obtuse. For example, In summer, you finish work at six and the homecoming passes without a comment. Yet for the whole winter you can be chastised for being out after Maghrib when you come home at the same time as the summer! AGggraaahhh

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks Anonymous, yes the point of this “text” is to shed a light on the phenomenon of the after dark restrictions and what the reasons and reasoning behind it are. Very obtuse indeed, I think the Algerian simply got stuck in their ways and the Civil war imposed curfew left its very clear effect, but of course du to the backward attitude towards women (in general) the rules always apply more to women than to men.

    ReplyDelete
  19. i've got an interesting question actually.

    is it common/normal/acceptable to ask for a medical certificate of some sort in the pre-nup phase? yes, with regards to STDs and such :P .

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hello Tonton dw: Ur question is more related to my next blog...I will publish it shortly. And with it your answer hopefully

    ReplyDelete
  21. suspense suspense ... voyage voyage

    ReplyDelete
  22. salam
    What a story! ^_^ I knew you had that Urban Fantasy style. I read this in broad daylight and still, I could see the the darkness and the hovering shadows.
    As for women going out after sunset, it is still frowned upon but not as it used to in the past. What with the rise of 'Feminism' and women calling for their 'freedom', that rule no longer applies and if you look from the window after the dark you'd see women scurrying back home in fear she's gonna be scolded or others taking their time as if they don't care, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you Allola for the compliment and for your input, good to hear feedback on your (readers) take on the "going out after dark" phenomenon and their own experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  24. @DZ-chick, as an Algerian female I grew up with the notion that a woman ought to remain virgin until her wedding night. Growing up in France that concept was quite backwards but common within our community. Nonetheless I refused to preserve my virginity for a man that probably would have lost his at 14 or 15. I had sex when I wanted to, it is as essential as eating and drinking when you reached a certain age. Don't get me wrong I am not promiscuous but I will never feel guilty for having sex outside wedlock. I wouldn't want to marry a virgin because I wouldn't want to have to train him although he will have to undergo a customised training! The little membrane is not responsible for men's narrow-mindedness, hypocrisy and insecurity, they are responsible for it!! Vive le sex et damn I miss it!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. *Sorry comment posted on the wrong blog. Although while I am here I might as well comment on this one! @DZ-chick, lovely style of writing, this piece tackles two serious issues: the confinement of females at home after dark in our community and the civil war. The parallel was well thought out! Women are in detention at night in fear that they might behave like men, God forbid, have fun, enjoy life and yes maybe have sex too!!
    What is good for the goose is good for the gander!

    ReplyDelete

Most popular ramblings!