The Place of Romantic Warriors

The author decided to use Jenne, Mali as the basis for the story.  The conflict between Mali and Jenne gave the romance of the story added flavor.  Therefore, the site of the fictional story of Romantic Warriors is in West Africa were Jenne, Mali is located.  The people in the mythical Jenne of Romantic Warriors retain more of the ancient Egyptian/Kush/Nubian characteristics of the merger.

The People of Romantic Warriors

Ancient people from the time period used were both ebony skinned and brown skinned.  African-Americans used the one racial reference of Black.  It was important to note that the overwhelming majority of the Africans from the time used in the story were ebony in their complexion with a few brown complexions.  The story reflects ancient Africans were often referred to as “tall”.  The Hamitic family line of the Christian Bible often contains “giants”.  So, since Romantic Warriors is fiction, Romantic Warriors reflects the characteristic of “tall” to “giants” in the story. 

Here is a quote from National Geographic's article on "Black Pharoahs":

"The ancient world was devoid of racism. At the time of Piye’s historic conquest, the fact that his skin was dark was irrelevant. Artwork from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome shows a clear awareness of racial features and skin tone, but there is little evidence that darker skin was seen as a sign of inferiority. Only after the European powers colonized Africa in the 19th century did Western scholars pay attention to the color of the Nubians’ skin, to uncharitable effect." - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/02/black-pharaohs/robert-draper-text/3

The Religions of Romantic Warriors

History notes polytheism (plural god worship) and monotheism (one God worship) existing peacefully in Africa for thousands of years.  The female protagonist is from monotheism.  She is not depicted as an “Ethiopian Jewish Proselyte”.  However, elements from this history are weighed into the female protagonist’s character.  The male protagonist is from polytheism.  People today would refer to him as a “pagan”.

The War in Romantic Warriors

The war in Romantic Warriors is a fictional creation of the conflicts between Jenne and the Malian country in which Jenne exists.  The weapons are mergers from various African countries: Sword, Mace, Spear, Lance, Bow & Arrows, Metallic Shields, Metallic Armor, horses etc.  Romantic Warriors is special in allowing the warriors of the book the freedom to create their own weapons.  The new armor that appears later in the book is incredibly brilliant.  Readers of Fantasy are in for a treat.  The armor’s design is kept contemporary with the time but incredibly ingenious.  You have simply never seen the like.  

One of the weapons included is the rounded, smooth mace.  The warriors in Romantic Warriors use this weapon.  It is metallic.  It is iron or steel.  The mace could be a brutal weapon.  In Romantic Warriors, the mace is not a brutal weapon.  Monsters should beware but not people.  The mace is used to render an enemy unconscious versus impaling an enemy with a spear or sword.  

The War Dance

The War Dance in the book is based on a Angolan (African) ritual dance. The ritual dance migrated to Brazil by means of slavery. In the book, The War Dance is the most dangerous form of combat. You have simply never seen the like.

The Romance of Romantic Warriors

How to depict romance between an ancient African man and an ancient African woman?  What was ancient African fantasy about romance like?  Research shows the romance in ancient Africa would be free of any of the negative sexual repression forced on Africa through various conquests of the lands. The fantasy about romance for ancient Africans was incredibly fantastic. 

Therefore, the Africa in Romantic Warriors should be absent any of the psychologically damaging sexual repression introduced into Africa during Colonialism and slavery.  We are all heartbreakingly aware of violence to women due to Muslim extremism's introduction into Africa. Here is a quote from a researcher on Sex and the Church, Middle Ages of Europe:

“Women were considered a disruptive influence on men and sexually predatory by both Church and state;…Thus 'ladies' (dames) and 'maidens' (pucelles) were sharply distinguished from peasant women (vilaines), whom the men of the court could treat as brutally as they pleased’…There was considerable hesitation about the moral assessment of sexual pleasure. … Accounts of the legitimacy of intercourse for pleasure emphasizes that ethical problems arise not from the pleasure itself but from the disorder in reason, resulting from pleasure, that is characteristic of intercourse in this fallen state.”

Ancient African cultures were not sexually repressed.  Even after Colonialism, one researcher stated,

“1.2 Sexual expression with enjoyment as the primary goal:

Emecheta’s narrative however also encompasses sexual enjoyment outside marriage, in a

relationship between a respected polygamous chief and a young woman, in a passion which,

according to the chief’s friend ‘…woke the very dead…' Although this relationship was not

primarily reproductive in its intent but was aimed at sexual enjoyment, its reproductive outcome

was welcomed without trepidation, both by the parties, as well as by wider society. Sexual

expression in that context was based on mutual affection, consent and enjoyment.”- italics and bold added

Also, you can go to Youtube.com and search for a video on "Sex In The Ancient World:Egypt".

One of the most romantic expressions of African love is the conception of the mythical god Horus of Egyptian mythology.  In this myth, the god Seth kills the god Osiris.  The goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris, resurrects Osiris with her powers to mate with Osiris.  The god Horus is born from this union. 

In this tale of Isis/Osiris, an African woman brings her husband back to life with the power of her love with the purpose of making love.  Some versions of the story depict Isis as using a “phallus made of gold” to represent Osiris’ reproductive organ before bringing Osiris to life.  It is noteworthy that Isis does not use stone, iron, steel or even wood to represent Osiris’ phallus.  She uses gold.  Gold, of course, is considered one of the most precious metals.  

The Warriors of Romantic Warriors

What can we say an ancient African warrior was like in general?

Culture makes a major impact on the personality of the culture’s warrior class. Two examples of masculinity in ancient Africa was the Egyptian/Nubian reproduction god Min and the deified King Shango originally from the West African culture. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Egyptian/Nubian god Min was,

“…the embodiment of the masculine principle….”

Another article written for thekeep.org stated,

            “Min wasn't just a fertility god, such as Hapi or Osiris, who only presided over the fields - he was also a god of male fertility who could give the pharaoh (and other men) the power to father a child. He also presided over the sed (jubilee) festival of the pharaoh (where the pharaoh had to run around a course set by the priests, carrying different objects), symbolically rejuvenating the pharaoh to give him long life... and the fertility of his youth.”

“Shango is historically a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alafin (king) of the Oyo Kingdom prior to his posthumous deification.” – Wikipedia

“He is the god of lightning, thunder, fire, war, Bata drums, dance, music, and masculine beauty. He is the patron of warriors.” - http://www.en.santeria.fr/

It was necessary for Romantic Warriors to reflect African romance lifted to heights of religious devotion. 

So, why create Ardent Warrior? Ardent Warrior and Romantic Warriors are essentially the same story. In Romantic Warriors, description of sexuality is removed. Why? It is the 21st century. There are those that object to sexual descriptions no matter the artistic value. Romantic Warriors is written for those readers like married Christian couples.

What is the artistic value lost choosing Romantic Warriors versus Ardent Warrior? Consider a movie about slavery. A movie maker can certainly state slavery was cruel without any depictions of cruelty. Certainly, the audience will understand. Tastefully showing the cruelty of slavery adds historical perspective on why slavery was abolished.

Romantic Warriors compared to Ardent Warrior is similar. Romantic Warriors has a “fade to black” quality. Eventually, Romantic Warriors will be more poetic about love in subsequent books. Ardent Warrior will be a more genuine depiction of beliefs of ancient Africans regarding procreation. To understand where a culture was brought to, where the culture was should be understood as much as possible.  

Agriculture, Manufacturing, Textiles of Romantic Warrior

Romantic Warriors depicts people capable of being the genius behind the building of pyramids of Africa.  The ancient people of Romantic Warriors are not tribal savages.  The engineering of the book reflects this idea.  The agriculture is lifted to fantastical heights.