The story of King Wazalion in the Wazalvilles Kingdom, a novel by Wazal Ayissi
Between the scissors and the pen, Wazal Ayissi makes no difference. His overflowing inspiration led him to writing, telling us the story of King Wazalion in the Wazalvilles Kingdom.
The extracts:
“Once upon a time, in the far north of Cameroon, King Wazalion lived in the Wazalvilles Kingdom. Wazalvilles was a calm, peaceful village where the wisdom of its elders made it possible to ensure the perenniality of the village. For any outside visitor, it gave the impression of a sturdy village, difficult to conquer. Its ancient walls revealed the many and many battles already waged, and reflected a majestic force indescribable. King Wazalion was a man of great wisdom, patience, and intelligence. Gentle in his actions and words, he possessed a formidable power and maturity which compelled respect. Loved by all, he did not hesitate to go to battle to protect his lands and meet the needs of his people. It was during an ambush that the good King Wazalion found death: the village had been taken by assault. Wazalion hid his wife and son in a secret cellar to shelter them. Then he united his armies to protect the village. With his armor and his sword Wazall’âme, King Wazalion accompanied by his soldiers and his faithful friend Bantoutator launched a bloody battle in which the king lost his life. Bantoutator, who had escaped death, promised to avenge the death of his friend Wazallion.
At his death he left behind him a son, Wazal, who means “lion, king of the jungle.”
One day the wazalcians and wazalgeois of the village gathered to name the new chief of the village.
As predicted by prophecy, the courageous warrior who bears this title would be assigned to the heavy and honorable task of protecting the land of the ancestors and the secret of his “treasure” THE WAZALIANE, named after the grandmother of Wazal. Wazaliane was the wife of Wazalking, faithful and always at his side. She was a wise woman, born of the tribe Margeritator, alone of this tribe born without daisy on her head. After his death, King Wazalking, out of respect and love for his wife, wished to pay him homage. He decided to plant a daisy on his grave. Six months later, surprised to discover a subterranean flowerbed, he asked the villagers to harvest them. The flowers were mixed with the queen’s blood. They then created a fiber transformed into woven yarn, used to manufacture the fabric that kings and wazalcians wear today.
In tribute to Wazalking’s wife, this fabric was called WAZALIANE: very precious magic fabric, which means “richer”, sought after and coveted by all the neighboring villages. This fabric provided wisdom and protection to those who clothed it. To decorate it, it was enough to pronounce a magic word “wazalkaliflagilistik” that King Wazal knew: geometric and coded messages of Peace, Modernity, Fertility appeared then…”
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