LECTURE 11

THE SACRED SEED 2

The unit engages in a critically analysis of the novel: The Sacred Seed by Rebeka Njau.
Specific objectives
By the end of the unit, the student should be able to:
(i) Assess the various skills used by Rebeka Njau in the novel The Sacred Seed
(ii) Examine the various themes examined in the The Sacred Seed
(iii) Critically analyse the novel: The Sacred Seed by Rebeka Njau

In most African communities there are meanings attached to names. Names are not just given
but they reflect something important in the person’s life. For instance, Gikuyu people give
names to mark the occasion of the child's birth, while some names describe the personality of
the individual, his/her character or significant events in his/her life. We should also note that
giving of names in many African societies does not stop such that a person can acquire a
sizeable collection of names, mostly based on the character traits, by the time he/she becomes
an old man or woman. John S. Mbiti acknowledges the importance, meaning and acquiring of
new names when he posits that ‘the name is the person, and many names are often descriptive
of the individual, particularly names acquired as the person grows.’ (119).

Africans have myths attached to people's names. Njau explores these beliefs when she depicts
a character, Chinusi, whose name is descriptive of his personality traits. Chinusi ‘drags and
drowns’ into a world of evil and misery all who come into contact with him. The author
portrays Tesa, the protagonist, as a character who Chinusi ‘drags and drowns’ in a world of
misery, worthlessness and hate. Tesa enjoyed an existence untroubled by demands and
stresses. She is a talented music teacher, who enjoys her work and fame. She is not only
endowed with physical and intellectual beauty but also with moral beauty and the talent for
leadership. However, the author depicts the drastic change in her life when she comes into
contact with Chinusi; the sea spirit that drags her down. When Chinusi rapes Tesa:

She felt angry, exasperated at the way she had been treated. She felt physically
and spiritually humiliated. In the twinkling of an eye she had lost what she
valued most. She felt worthless (5).

As a woman writer, Njau is sensitive to the plight of women. She describes the rape as a
devastating ordeal for Tesa. It drives the protagonist into psychological turmoil. Tesa loses
faith in humanity and can trust no one. All she sees is evil in the society:

animosity and antagonism in human beings. She perceives life pessimistically

and with a lot of suspicion: ‘behind your back there was always someone with
a hidden dagger’ (6).

Tesa, who a while ago had been successful, ambitious, optimistic and full of life, is now a
downcast, hopeless creature who finds life uninteresting and not worth living. Njau portrays
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Chinusi as a very evil person who destroys the very good in society. She creates a character,
Tesa, comparable to the village beauty in African oral narratives that are always victims of
destructive ogres. The author creates a character who like the village beauty wins love and
compassion from the people around her. People empathise and wish her well as she fights
against the destructive forces. The heroine's success is the success of the entire village; the
success for all.
Tesa's situation is worsened when she receives no justice from the system. Ironically, she is
charged with assaulting a guard at the castle, and she is fined two thousand shillings or three
months jail in default.

Njau's sentiments are that women have been dehumanized and inferiorized by patriarchal
attitudes towards them. They are regarded as sex objects and receive no justice from the
patriarchal system. The chauvinistic nature of men is explored through Chinusi who exploits
his social, economic and political power to dominate and manipulate women. Njau seems to
be saying that women suffer double tragedy for being under a corrupt system and corrupt
leaders. Chinusi rapes and then attempts to bribe Tesa. When she turns him down he uses his
power to subject her to more physical and psychological torture. Tesa's character portrayal is
examined in greater detail at the end of the discussion of The Sacred Seed since she takes over from
Mumbi as the leader of the oppressed.

In mythology evil characters sometimes destroy their victims. Njau depicts Sabina as a
character, who Chinusi has not only ‘dragged’ but has ‘drowned’ beyond regeneration. As his
name suggests, Chinusi is a spirit that ‘drags’ everyone into evil. Chinusi has a calculating
personality. He manipulates Sabina so as to use her for his selfish gains. Though Sabina is
aware that she has been trapped and turned into a slave, despair and helplessness makes her
resign to her fate. She becomes the president's confidant and spies for him. Through the
character of Sabina, Njau portrays how women collude with men to exploit and oppress
fellow women.

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In mythology, a female ogre or what may be termed as an ogress is a personification of the
‘terrible mother’. In Gikuyu oral narratives ogresses symbolise forces of destruction and evil;
they are symbols of death. Njau depicts Sabina as a character who resembles the village
ogress that destroys all those in its way. She portrays Sabina as an agent of Chinusi, by
analogy an agent of evil. Sabina is portrayed as an evil woman who does all evil possible.
She does not only spy on Tesa, but she assists in detaining her in the cottage. Sabina tries to
dissuade Tesa from fighting Chinusi, and takes advantage of her desperate situation to enrich
herself with the money given to Tesa after the rape. Sabina also brings other women to the
castle to be sexually exploited by Chinusi.

Through the evil character of Chinusi the author explores the dehumanizing and corruptive
nature of money and power. It is not only Chinusi who suffers from these defects, but also all
those who associate with him. Sabina is the private secretary of the influential and powerful
politician who has been appointed president. Ironically, she feels confident, self-satisfied, and
with a sense of importance, and a sense of superiority to others despite the fact that she is
sexually exploited. She, like many other women, does not mind being used and abused by the
president so long as she thinks she can use him to her advantage. Money and the feel of
power have also corrupted and dehumanised the guards at the cottage who have to be bribed
to allow Tesa's escape. Ironically, Maiko who had railed against the lust for money is not
immune to the disease. Njau's sentiment is that even the most innocent in a society can be
corrupted through money. From this perspective, it would appear that Njau sees money as a
curse capable of corrupting even the most innocent.

The author presents the church, the symbol of morality, as having fallen under Chinusi's evil
spell. As suggested earlier, Chinusi is an evil spirit that defiles everything it comes into
contact with. The president uses Jonah, the pastor, as a stooge in the church to perpetuate
ignorance in the members, and hence carry out corrupt deals. Njau portrays a society that is
not blameless for the evil that afflicts it. The society is depicted as having created a monster it
can no longer tame; a monster that seems to tarnish all it associates with. To use Maiko's
words: ‘Chinusi has been allowed too much latitude’ (17).

The Gikuyu people also have myths attached to physical features of a person. The writer
exploits such myths in her character portrayal. According to Gikuyu customs, children are
typically named after the parents' relatives. Sometimes a child is believed to physically
resemble the person he/she is named after. In some instances, such a child is also believed to
adopt the person's personality especially if the person had certain unique characteristics.
Physical characteristics are sometimes associated with the personality of the person. From the
physical features of a child, conclusions are usually drawn on what a child is or might
become. Strange features are normally believed to be shrouded in mystery. They are
generally believed to symbolize mysterious powers that are either good or evil. For instance,
diviners, medicine men and medicine women are usually believed to possess unique physical
characteristics. This could be a birthmark or even a limp. Witches and wizards are believed to
have black tongues.
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The author explores myths attached to strange physical features to depict Chinusi's evil
nature. His physical appearance is different from other children which portrays him as a
mysterious being. Chinusi had a broad and oval shaped head with deep-set eyes and a thick
line along each eyelid that gives him the look of a puppy. Njau presents a child whose unique
physical features symbolise evil. Chinusi had eyes of an owl and therefore the villagers
nicknamed him ‘Ndundu.’ In The Sacred Seed the author uses this concept in the portrayal of
Chinusi. Njau presents a president who may be perceived as a spell of bad omen. He destroys
everyone he interacts with.

Njau depicts Chinusi as half human and half animal. He resembles the village ogre or
monster that destroys and feeds on the weaker characters, be it human or other weaker
animals. Chinusi, like the ogres in African Oral Narratives, symbolises the forces of
destruction and evil: He is a symbol of death. On a political plane, the motif of the monster
ravaging a country is symbolic of the ill-fated reign of a wicked, tyrannical or impotent ruler.
From a psychological level, the fight against a monster may be seen to signify the struggle to
free consciousness from the grip of unconscious. On a social and moral plane the ogre may
be viewed as the adversary of the heroine (the heroine represents the values of society).
Therefore, the heroine's deliverance corresponds to the sunrise, the triumph of light over
darkness. Psychologically, the ogre represents the danger of being devoured by the
destructive forces that may affect the more noble parts of the human being, such as the moral
sense or her reason. Like the ogre, Chinusi seems to be a personification of the ‘Terrible
Father.’ His reign is shrouded in evil and destruction.

The author confronts her reader with a peculiar child. The sadistic nature of so young a child
leaves us with no doubt that he is an evil being. The child begins to show signs of a disturbed
and destructive person at the age of six. He looks for birds' nests, dismantles them and
destroys any living creatures inside. In Gikuyu mythology, birds are messengers of hope;
they symbolize optimism of a society in the midst of destructive forces. Therefore, by
destroying birds, Chinusi is perceived to be an evil force that destroys the aspirations of a
people. Chinusi enjoys tormenting and killing small creatures. He would grin and break into
hysterical laughter whenever he saw little birds fall dead on the ground, after flinging stones
at them with his catapult, killing them instantly. Sometimes he would get hold of a chick and
would twist its neck until it died a slow painful death. He would then throw it into the
stinking pit-latrine behind his mother's hut. Mistreatment of helpless creatures is symbolic of
his oppressive attitude towards the powerless, especially women, when he becomes president.
As a child, Chinusi also ‘messes up’ his grandmother's beddings and soils her drinking water
with goats' droppings. The child’s wicked behaviour acts as a pointer of an evil president who
would ill-treat and destroy his subjects.

Njau exploits the mythical world of the spirits when she depicts Chinusi as a character who
has been initiated into the spiritual world. Chinusi's father, Mulefu, makes it a habit to take
his son every morning to the foothills of a monstrous layer of rock beside the Karenge river,
and holding Chinusi by the hand, Mulefu would ascend the rock, stand on top of it still
holding his son, then he would stare into the horizon and chant:

There is home, sweet home

there is the land of Chinusi
the unbeatable giant of the sea'" (117).
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The crazy antics, performed at the rock, change both father and son. It is during these
episodes that Mulefu teaches his son, Chinusi, the patriarchal attitude towards women.
Mulefu asks his son to keep all they did as a secret since: ‘women are foolish. They cannot
keep secrets.’ (117). Njau's sentiments are that chauvinism is passed on from fathers to sons,
hence from one generation to another, whereby Chinusi's father teaches him to look down
upon women.
Mulefu becomes a changed man. The antics convert him into a cold and frigid person. He is
no longer kind and gentle as Nasia had known him. He stops communicating with her and
would not eat her food. Mulefu is most of the time lost in thought and often stands for hours
at the village crossroad, staring into space with eyes that express sadness and gloom. At other
times he loiters up and down the village paths like ‘a homeless dog lost in the wilderness’
(118). This prompts rumours from the villagers that he could be mad. In the Gikuyu
community, there are myths attached to insanity. A mad person is believed to be habouring
‘ngoma’ (evil spirits). A person possessed, by evil spirits, is associated with wicked
tendencies.

The author depicts Mulefu as a character obsessed and controlled by evil spirits. Mulefu’s
strange behaviour troubles Nasia and she finds her son unsafe with the father. Mulefu's sanity
becomes even more questionable when he gets up about dawn, stealthily walks to his son's
bedside, lifts him up while he is still asleep, walks out with him and heads for the river
oblivious of the drizzle, and the fact that the river has swollen its banks and was too
dangerous to perform his acts holding his little son. Mulefu acts as one under a spell; he
seems to be controlled by a kind of power that he cannot resist. When asked by the father
whether he likes the acts, the son, who has been initiated into this strange world, nods his
head in agreement:

It is not dangerous. He likes it. Don't you, my son?

The boy nodded (118).

It is at the top of this rock that Murefu shouts obscenities at not only his wife, but also his
mother-in-law. It should be noted that among the Gikuyu people, great respect is accorded the
in-laws. Kenyatta acknowledges that after a marriage contract is ‘signed’ between two
families all clan members of both sides become united. They regard one another as ‘muthoni’
(relative by marriage). The behaviour towards one's relatives- in-laws is bound up with the
word ‘muthoni’ which means one who is polite and respected (18). In the community, a man
must show politeness and great respect to his mother-in-law or any other member of her age -
group. For instance, he must give up his seat to her and get out of the way while she is
passing. He must also cover his body properly in her presence and not use any vulgar
language while speaking to her or within her hearing. Njau depicts Mulefu's strange
behaviour and wickedness that is beyond limits when she portrays his audacity to abuse his
mother-in-law in the presence of the whole village.

In Gikuyu community, misfortunes are sometimes associated with curses. When a person acts
against a parents’ wish or the accepted customary norms he/she is believed to fall under a
curse. The portrayal of Nasia and the development of her character are enhanced by the curse.
Nasia seems to have been affected by the curse. She goes against her mother’s wise counsel
and the customs of the people when she adamantly marries a stranger against everyone’s
caution. However, the villager’s advice to make her repent and seek forgiveness in order to
live in peace bears no fruits. Instead, she becomes more hardened and more unreasonable,
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and blames everyone for the breakdown of her marriage. Eventually, Nasia becomes bitter
and unpleasant because of the people’s criticism. She vents her anger and bitterness on her
son and would scold and flog him even for the slightest mistake.

---------Gikuyu community has myths attached to extra-ordinary characters. For instance,

specialists are not only believed to possess exceptional characteristics, but also distinctive
physical features. Njau borrows this concept when she depicts her characters not only with
superhuman powers, but also with unusual physical characteristics. Mumbi walks with a
limp, which she acquires from her contact with supernatural powers at an early age, while
Tesa, like Mumbi's grandmother, has strange birthmarks around the navel and thighs. Tesa
also has a black tongue.
The writer contrasts her two women characters, Mumbi and Tesa, with Chinusi. Through her
characters she explores the duality of good and evil and the triumph of good over evil; a
concept found in Gikuyu mythology. Mumbi and Tesa symbolise the hopes of society: hopes
of good health, protection and security from evil forces, prosperity and good fortune, and
ritual cleansing when harm or impurities have been contracted.

The writer derives the character Mumbi from the Gikuyu myth of creation, whereby, Mumbi
is the mother of the Gikuyu community. In the community, the name Mumbi means creator
or moulder. This is an attribute given only to God since creation is the acknowledged work of
God. Also, the metaphor of the potter, that is associated with the name Mumbi, is commonly
used to describe ‘Ngai, the Gikuyu God, since he is believed to be the father of all creation,
and the fact that he shapes children in the mother's womb. This probably explains the
supernatural qualities bequeathed on Mumbi. Nini says Mumbi is like a spirit, and one cannot
possess her or pin her down to a particular place.

In The Sacred Seed, Njau presents Mumbi as a mother figure in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a
place where a new 'seed' of generation will spring; an ideal society filled with goodness. Njau
bestows Mumbi with the power to create a generation that is free from evil. The writer
depicts the sanctuary as one which ‘no evil forces will ever possess’ (171). Like Mumbi, in
the Gikuyu myth, Njau presents a mythical mother for the community.

Mumbi, like many other mythical characters, exhibits extraordinary qualities at an early age.
Her attachment to nature puzzles her teachers who find her a strange child. Teachers describe
her as quite mysterious, and her unusual questions and behaviour surprise them. Her ability to
guess correctly the thoughts and the desires of other children, before they had been spoken,
baffled the children and their teachers. While the ability to find out where stolen things have
been hidden, and sometimes track down the culprit, brings fear amongst her classmates who
then avoid her company. This portrays Mumbi, from an early age, as a mythical character
with special powers to fight immorality. The author presents Mumbi as a supernatural being
who is ready to fight all evil in society.

Njau depicts Mumbi as an exceptional character. She is born of a lineage of traditional

healers. Mumbi's mother, Ngonyo, who plays a vital role in the upbringing of her daughter, is
a seer. Ngonyo has a gift of predicting the future events and correctly offering remedies
against various ailments and misfortunes. Through listening to her mother's tales and songs of
ages gone by, Mumbi had gained knowledge and understanding of her people which initiates
her into traditional healing. She learns to observe her surroundings and communicate with
nature.
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Njau also explores the life of her mythological heroine, Tesa, who after metaphorically
descending into darkness of fear and despair, experiences the terrible loneliness and terror
that are symbolically captured in movements toward the dark centre of the unknown. Njau
describes the starless night Chinusi has Tesa under surveillance as pitch dark. In Gikuyu
mythology darkness is associated with evil since evil spirits are believed to reign in darkness.
Therefore, darkness epitomizes danger, calamity, loneliness, terror and despair. The shadowy
figures of men, Tesa manages a glimpse at, and the black robe reminds us of the shadow of
death. Therefore, it is not a wonder that Tesa is puzzled by the haunting spectacle. Njau also
uses the symbol of a poisonous spider whose sting could be fatal, to symbolise the dangerous
and precarious string from which Tesa's life hangs. However, the smashing and dismantling
of its web foreshadows Tesa's destruction of the evil powers symbolised by Chinusi.

The achievements of the mythical heroine establish positive, believable, and possibly
attainable goals that influence individual targets that persuade society. The qualities depicted
by the heroine: determination, morality, courage and other virtues are highly prized in the
community. Hence, individuals tend to work towards such goals. The author, therefore,
presents her protagonist, as a character who ventures where ordinary people cannot dare. For
instance, Sabina, who represents many others, finds it idiotic not heroic to fight the president.
This notion is contrasted with Tesa's determination: ‘I shall not let him destroy me. I will
resist him with all the strength I have’ (12). Tesa suffers spiritual solitude as she moves
deeper into the unknown. But she must overcome the weaknesses and temptations human
beings give in to or her quest is doomed to failure. Human beings tend to identify with heroes
and heroines. Therefore, the heroine's venture is our venture too. How we view the heroine is
how we, metaphorically, perceive ourselves, determine our goals, and conceptualize our
passage in life.

Tesa is an extra-ordinary character. She belongs to the same lineage with Mumbi. By
choosing women with supernatural powers, Njau seems to suggest that it takes more than just
ordinary human beings and measures, and at times supernatural intervention to change a
corrupt and oppressive society. The Sacred Seed is a myth that we may call the vision quest. Tesa,
the mythic heroine, sacrifices all she has and leaves her familiar world in search of her lost
identity. She goes in search of a new way of life, in quest of the seed idea, the germinal idea,
that will have the potentiality of bringing forth the new ‘world’.

The author parallels her characters with mythical characters in other mythologies. Tesa may
be likened to founders of religions who have gone on quests: The Buddha goes into solitude
and then sits beneath the tree of immortal knowledge where the solution to life's problems
comes to him. He receives spiritual understanding, and from then henceforth becomes the
Buddha or the enlightened one. Jesus, after baptism by John the Baptist, goes into the desert
for forty days, and it is from the wilderness, that he comes with the message of salvation.
Moses goes to the top of the mountain and comes down with the tablets of the law. Just like
other heroes, Tesa goes on quest. She goes to the sanctuary where she rediscovers herself and
a new world. This marks a new beginning in her life and the life of others. Njau seems to
suggest that it is only through sacrifice that a society can be assured of a renewal of its
highest aspirations and ideals as embodied in its heroines.

Tesa's descent is viewed as a metaphor for death and rebirth: as a sacrificial rite in which her
suffering will renew the vigour of society. This is a rite she will transcend as one state of life
and enter a higher exalted state. The new state is symbolised by the seed that Mumbi places
in Tesa's hand and requests her to plant behind the awesome sanctuary to be a symbol of
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eternal seed:

The seed of wisdom, hope and courage

The seed of freedom, justice and peace
The seed which grows in the midst of weeds and thorn bushes.
The sacred seed from which the dreams of love and hope are created (105).
Tesa is not the same after emerging from her descent. She has gained wisdom, maturity, and
spiritual enlightenment. Hence, she attains an exalted state. Through her metaphorical death
will come the rebirth; a convincing proof that we are destined to continue in ever - stronger
ways. Njau utilizes myths to inspire, empower and emancipate women.

African people believe in a spiritual world that is populated with spiritual beings and the
living dead. Mbiti acknowledges the existence of the living dead in African communities. In
Gikuyu society, the living dead are believed to be the invisible ‘police’ of the families and
communities. They enquire about family affairs, traditions, ethics and activities. On the other
hand, people experience a sense of psychological relief when they pour out their hearts’
troubles before their seniors who have a foot in both worlds. C. Ondiek acknowledges that
communion and communication are possible between the living and the dead, whereby, the
latter have the power to influence or molest the former (67).
In myths the supernatural powers are seen to work in favour of the heroine. Njau
demonstrates this African belief when the voice of Tesa’s dead mother comes at a time when
Tesa is terrified and unsure of the future. Chinusi has abducted and detained her and the
future seems bleak. However, the voice of her dead mother consoles and inspires her to fight
on. The flash of lightning, and the loud clash of thunder that appears at the time, are a sign
that the deities are in her favour. The lightning that pierces through the darkness epitomises a
new dawn, a new beginning; it is a symbol of hope.

Tesa’s refusal to join the ‘revivalists’ because she loves privacy and likes to keep her
personal affairs to herself prepares the readers for a changed Tesa who is ready not only to
confide and disclose her most painful experience that she would have otherwise kept secret to
the other women in the sanctuary, but also to expose Chinusi’s immorality knowing very well
to do so she has to tell her story. A flash of lightening that is followed by thunder
accompanies this revelation; this is symbolic of the onset of change. Njau seems to express
the need for women to speak out on crisis that afflict them no matter how painful or shameful
they might consider them to be.

The past is encompassed in myths to serve as a lesson to the living. The author exploits the
concept when she employs the flashback of Tesa's childhood friend's rape ordeal, the silence
that had deteriorated to depression, suicidal and eventual death. The flashback serves not only
as a lesson to the heroine, but it also renews her determination to fight and expose Chinusi's
wickedness. Tesa's chant about Chinusi's immorality is evident of her determination to fight
and destroy evil. The heroine is ready to shout about her ordeal in order to expose the
president’s evil acts. Njau articulates that immorality of whatever nature should not he kept in
secrecy or condoned.

It is necessary at this point to mention that in most African communities a morally upright
woman is believed to be one who suffers in silence. Traditionally, in the Gikuyu community,
women are taught reticence especially in sexual matters and issues to do with taboos. Njau
criticizes caginess in women when she portrays
83 Waema as having been killed not by the act
of rape but by her silence and unwillingness to share her painful experience. The silence
hinders her from seeking help, and she consequently succumbs to mental torture and eventual
death. The author contrasts Waema's reaction with the manner in which Tesa handles her rape
ordeal. Waema decides to keep quiet and this thwarts her chances to get help, and probably
the chance to punish the rapist. Silence and failure to seek help acts against Waema and
destroys her.

Contrary to what Waema does, Tesa after the rape ordeal embarks on a mission to cultivate
back her self - confidence and revive her personality. She joins other abused women in the
sanctuary and shares her tribulations with them. She even gets a way of destroying her
tormentor (Chinusi). This redeems her and she emerges a more powerful and respectable
person. Njau's choice of Waema as a student, and Tesa as a mature, professional woman,
portrays maturity not only of age, but also mental maturity and the manner in which a person
handles challenges in life. The writer points out the need to handle crisis in life in a mature
and logical manner.

The presence of guides in mythology suggests the supernatural power’s use of mortals to
assist the heroes and heroines in their noble quest. Tesa is assisted by guides to accomplish
her quest though not without challenges. The difficulties she faces in tracing Kanoni
sanctuary symbolises the challenges she will face in overcoming her own predicaments, and
in establishing herself as the leader of the oppressed. The old women she enquires from offer
no help while the narrow foot - path she is finally directed through, by an elderly woman,
ends in a complex network of winding causeways: ‘

Every path came to a dead end and it seemed as though she was walking in a
maze. The hills were so steep to ascend and she could not go on (27).

Tesa struggles laboriously for a long time. But just when she is terrified and hopeless, she
discovers an old man standing behind her. It is important to note that redemption of heroines
just when they are on the verge of despair is typical in Gikuyu myths. In The Sacred Seed,
Mzee Chuma directs Tesa to Nini's home at a time when she appears desperate. However,
this does not immediately end her journey since she has to spend unknown time before she
meets Mumbi.

In The Sacred Seed, mortals, nature and supernatural powers play significant roles that assist the
heroine to accomplish her mission. Njau demonstrates this when Tesa is assisted by Mzee
Petrol to escape from the evil clutch of Chinusi, and an elderly woman makes her aware that
she has to pass through Nini to access Mumbi. Mzee Chuma directs the heroine to Nini's
home and also discloses to her that she belongs to the same lineage with Mumbi which
becomes paramount in her new task. Nini plays an important role in preparing Tesa to meet
her guide and godmother - Mumbi. The vital information Nini reveals about Mumbi creates
significant faith in Tesa. Nini also teaches Tesa the power of confiding with fellow women:
‘You will feel better when you have told the whole story’ (31). Hence, she allays Tesa's fear
and assures her of women's confidentiality. This enables Tesa to open up and hence marks
the beginning of her healing process, and preparation of the task ahead.

Njau articulates the idea that women are bound by the common denominator of pain and
suffering. This is a recurrent theme in women's creative writings. For instance, Alice walker
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expresses the same notion in The Color Purple, whereby just as in T he Sacred Seed, it takes women
characters to liberate others. Njau explores the concept of sisterhood and the power that lies
in women's united force. Tesa's metamorphosis comes through other women, particularly
Mumbi. By listening to stories about other women who have suffered and by taking note of
their narration of painful experiences in the hands of men, Tesa gets encouraged and
empowered to fight for her rights. She hopes to liberate women and by analogy other
oppressed people.

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Through her character Nini, Njau exposes the cruelty and brutality of men which cause great
suffering to women. Nini tells Tesa of women who are raped and their sex organs mutilated,
of a woman whose eyes are gouged out by her husband, wives who have died of Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome after being infected by their husband, and of young girls who
go to the sanctuary to escape circumcision rites.

Among the Gikuyu the word ‘Nini’ means small. As mentioned in our discourse, the Gikuyu
have myths and beliefs surrounding characters that may be viewed as unworthy or who under
normal circumstances are looked down upon. In oral narratives, human characters like a
small boy or a small girl are endowed with the ability to save an entire community. Njau
exploits this mythological aspect when she gives ‘Nini’ a major role in the empowerment and
liberation of women. Women who go to the sanctuary have to pass through Nini, who
prepares them for the task ahead before meeting Mumbi.

Mythical heroines are unusual beings with exceptional qualities that enable them to
accomplish what ordinary beings cannot. As mentioned earlier, they may even have physical
characteristics that distinguish them from ordinary human beings. The birthmarks on the
inside parts of Tesa's thighs resembles a cobweb. A cobweb is associated with a spider.
Therefore, death and destruction lurk at the centre. Consequently, the web with the spider in
the middle symbolizes the consuming whirlwind. It is by these birthmarks that Mumbi
recognises Tesa as her successor. Mumbi recalls her grandmother's words: ‘One day you will
meet a woman of my kind. When you do, tie the beads around her waist’ (54).

Njau borrows the concept of deadly birthmarks from Gikuyu mythology. In the Gikuyu
community there are women believed to have ‘ciero ndune’ (these are red birthmarks found
on the thighs of particular women). The birthmarks are deadly, and women who have them
are believed to possess mystical powers, and are predestined to live celibate lives. Any man
who has sexual contact or marries such a woman dies of unfathomable ailments or in
mysterious circumstances within a certain span of lime.
In The Sacred Seed, men, who had sexual contact with women believed to possess such
birthmarks, died of various inexplicable ailments: some just wasted away, others developed
incurable ulcers and rashes all over their bodies, while others became insane. Only men with
special powers survived. Njau endows Tesa with such powers so as to reach and punish the
president who is otherwise beyond the reach of an ordinary person in society. After having
sexual contact with Tesa, Chinusi desires no other woman. He is haunted by her image
almost to the verge of psychosis. He now despises Sabina whom he treats as a slave and not
as a queen as he had once done. He makes her eat while squatting in the room she once
dinned in luxury.

The author endows her heroine with mythical powers to encourage human beings to fight evil
even when it appears to be beyond their ability. Her message is that it is possible to destroy
wickedness even in the highest institutions 86of society. Evil, at whatever level, should not be
condoned. However, she seems to caution us that at times it requires superhuman qualities to
fight very strong evil forces.

Njau's concept of mythical women with super human perfection is comparable with other
African writers. For instance, Amadi Elechi in The Concubine creates a mythical character Ihuoma
who is a sea goddess. Ihuoma is a respectable, dignified and attractive woman. Chinua
Achebe in No Longer at Ease also creates a mythical character; Clara. Clara is an Osu. She is
the property of the gods. Men are captivated by the mythical characters’ charms and would
like to possess them. However, any man who falls prey to their charms is doomed, and dies in
inexplicable circumstances. Mumbi and Tesa in The Sacred Seed, may be likened to Ihuoma in The
Concubine and Clara in No Longer at Ease. They are extra-ordinary women who are beyond

ordinary human qualities and hence ordinary life. Men love and long to possess them in
marriage, but they are predestined to live celibate lives. Just like Ihuoma, the sea goddess,
and Clara, the property of the gods, to court Tesa is to court death. Such women are destined
to serve society but are a standing fate to any man who lusts for them.

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