MUSE MAGAZINE FINAL 2

MUSE

Faculty of Arts & Humanities magazine

Think  ISSUE NO.1 MARCH 2017

Write

Inspire

Joy Arrives  ART MEETS
LITERATURE
a short story
Dali & Caroll
Highlights

Muses: Queens of inspiration

Poetry
Preachers OR

Deceivers

Quotes of the
month

MUSE

a magazine published by

THE FACULTY OF ARTS
AND HUMANITIES

THE BRITISH UNIVERSITY IN EGYPT

Editors

SALMA ALSAADY
FATMA ATEF IBRAHIM

ENGY HELMY

uses sciences. A muse is a person or personified
force who is the source of inspiration for a
Queens of creative artist.” With the rise of the
Renaissance Era, belief in muses had
MInspiration declined and creative artists started
Fatma Atef Ibrahim believing in their individual capabilities,
negating any divine intervention.
Did you ever have sudden inspiration to
write a story or compose a piece of music? However, many contemporary writers are
Did you ever wonder where this inspiration calling for the reemergence of muses as a
came from? Well, you must have been source of installing creative genius. Eat,
visited by a muse! Pray, Love writer Elizabeth Gilbert held a
TED talk in 2009 to emphasize the
importance of believing again in the
power of muses. “On the one hand [the
modern view] places too much
responsibility on the individual, who feels a
constant pressure to reach or live up to
impossibly high standards; and on the
other, it leads to the temptation of
narcissism, of taking too much credit for
success,” she said.

Unleash your creative powers and let us
help you show your potential to a wide
audience. We certainly hope that Muse,
our newly-initiated magazine inspires you!

’

Clio, Euterpe and Thalia, by Eustache Le Sueur, 1652-55.

The ‘muse’ was an essential part of Greek
mythology. The ancient Greeks believed
that any artistic inspiration or creativity they
had was bestowed upon them by
goddesses of inspiration. The Oxford
Dictionary defines the muse as “Each of
nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and

hort _______________________________
Story
Chantal Kurdy
S Joy arrives!
A slow breeze comes across Nia’s sweaty,
dark skin, covered with pain and frustration
face as she’s delivering Dayo into the world
on a sunny, breezy day.

Zuri, Nia’s mother in law, softly pulls out
baby Dayo with a warm smile and says and
we shall call you Dayo as she looks at Nia
with loving eyes.

Five years later, French men captured

Oluchi swiftly enters Oluchi’s family and other Negros to be their
the room with excitement all over his face slaves. They were thrown into French ships
to finally pull his baby into his arms. like animals and were locked down in a
small dark room in the ship that all you can

“What’s his name ma*?” Oluchi joyfully hear across is pure pain, screams, sorrow

asks, Zuri replies with a steady response as and achiness to be set free.

if she knows something that they don’t Nia was a strong woman; she knew from
“we’ll call him Dayo”. Zuri (who was a seer and a hoodoo

Zuri goes off to her room that is filled up with priestess) that they may be kidnapped or

spells written on the wall, dead animals captured to be sold into slavery. But it

hanging upside down, spilling blood into wasn’t until she saw the broken spirit and

her sacred jars and hoodoo* books in sadness in Oluchi’s eyes that she started

every corner. tearing up. Oluchi’s a protective, loving

She goes to pick up her messed up version man of his small family, but that wasn’t the
of a dairy, it was dusty with blood droplets main reason for his sadness as Nia thinks.

on it, which contained her secret recipes

for spells, blessings, and often she’d write It’s because he knew he could do so
important events like that day. She writes much, overcome so much with his past
01/10/1675, Nigeria. My beautiful Dayo is powers, but it is only because of his sturdy
finally here to avenge me affection for Nia that he decides not to use

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic

voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief

Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

them. He knew how much Nia hated that A quite laughter escapes Oluchi’s chained
he was a hoodoo priest in the past, even lips that were only chained to frown, as he
though he had so much power. However tries to hug his wife and baby through his
he knows now that this kind of power tied up arms, while whispering, “Ek is
doesn’t mean well and that it always jammer”*
comes with a price, subsequently he
thought it wasn’t so bad to quit his past Five more years go by, as ten year old
practices and is in the safety of the loas*. Dayo roams Félix’s fancy house in France.

A few days go by and the ship arrives to Félix wasn’t as haughty or arrogant like
France, where each family kept as other slave owners were; he treated
captives were thrown into multiple carts to Oluchi’s family with respect.
go to their assigned owners.

Luckily Oluchi’s family was thrown together Same thing for his classy and dressy wife
in the same cart. As the cart is smoothly Claudette, she even let Dayo take music
hopping up and down Oluchi and his and reading lessons with their son Élie, who
family were starving, tired and helpless. was also ten years old and so it happens he
They were tied down with chains into the was Dayo’s best-friend.
cart’s floor and their hands with rough and
tight ropes. Élie and Dayo were much alike in their
kindness, playfulness, and smartness. They
Of course Nia wasn’t cheerful at the time only had each other and they very much
at all, even though she was known for her appreciated each other’s existence.
light mood and decent smile at hard times,
but that wasn’t the day. She remembers Everything was taking its course peacefully
the day Zuri sat her down and told her that until Louise the great, France’s king
her son will bring us joy and happiness, and announced the code noir*; which stated
for that we shall call him Dayo; joy arrives. that slaves can’t practice anything of their
Nia shakes the memory off with a smirk as own, limited their movements and
she looks over at Oluchi and whispers, “so banished any practices of African religions
much for your ma with her accurate other than Roman Catholicism. King Louise
prophesy about your son! Bringer of joy? announced that baptism should occur
Ha! I wouldn’t dare to live to see what he after eight days within the announcement.
could’ve been if he were bringer of
disasters”. It broke Félix’s heart that he had to force
this religion down their throats but he had

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

to. Meanwhile Zuri had a meeting with her there. As his search continues he notices
family, she sat them down in a small circle that no one’s home and as he crosses the
which was formed with lightened candles humongous, clean windows of the house
on the ground in a dark room and said “We he sees his family and others outside
shall fool them with trickery, we have to be cheering for the king while he passes the
cunning and careful of what we’re about street.
to do. We’ll pretend to be what they want
us to be, but will protect our roots and keep Dayo hated such events, but it was a must
on practicing voodoo* in secret. I shall seal that everyone should cheer for the king
our promise with the blood of my beating what could they do..
heart.”
As Dayo leaves the house he notices Zuri
Nia did not approve of the whole chanting and holding candles up high as a
gathering and did not want Dayo to take form of prayer and suddenly a cold, icy
part in it but what other choice did she feeling crashes Dayo’s heart. Something
have.. Dayo, on the other hand was bad is about to happen. He urgently runs
amused by the whole arrangement, towards his grandma to warn her! Stop her!
however as soon as he felt his blood He rushes to stop the madness otherwise
running in his veins with excitement and she’ll be murdered, as he runs as fast as the
curiously, he felt his guilt stabbing his heart, wind and the words are about to spill from
he knew how much his mother hated his mouth he suddenly stops as he sees the
hoodoo along with the magic that his knives coming, crashing through the
grandma practices and how many times windows into Zuri’s body. He sees and smell
his parents sat him down warning him the blood splatter all over the room with
about these kind of practices. Dayo quickly French men yelling in the background
brushes his thoughts away, and exits the “Traitor““Kill her!” “Satan’s child!” Dayo
room to sweep the floor as Claudette couldn’t take what he just witnessed and
nicely asked him. started running aimlessly.

Two weeks later after the baptism, Dayo Dayo kept running as fast as he can, while
wakes up excitedly, and rushes out of his tears are blurring up his vision, his tears were
bed. It’s his birthday! so intense that he couldn’t really make up
a logical explanation for what he has just
Dayo runs towards Zuri’s room to give him seen so he decides to rest by a tree in the
once again the best gift of all; he rushes woods. As one breath goes in and another
into her room but exits just as fast, she isn’t comes out, his thoughts were tearing him

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

apart, confusion is filling up his soul, torn As emptiness and rage fills Dayo’s heart he
between sadness and wrath towards these walks back home, which was a small house
French men. next to Félix’s villa. Dayo enters his Zuri’s
Dayo spends the next few hours yelling, room and randomly starts throwing
crying and muttering to him-self; Dayo punches into everything in the room, it
looks at the dark sky filled with bright stars wasn’t until he heard the sound of the hole
with his sad, teary and tired eyes and says he just made into the wall then he stopped.
He starts breaking more pieces of the wall,
“Deprived from you since birth he thinks he sees something hidden inside.
Buried away from me into earth
I knew your true meaning from books He lights up one of Zuri’s witchcraft candle
And from the way my life looks to see through the hole, he sees a stack of
You’ll stay my forever, impossible dream books into a box along with different herbs
in containers and bizarre ornaments. Dayo
Oh, freedom. curiously gets the box out of the hole to
I’m self-governed. So used to heteronomy reveal more of what’s in there.

I faced the beast of monstrosity! Dayo realizes that these are hoodoo
As he slipped you away from me. books, and starts wondering why did Zuri
hide them? She had everything out in Her
Oh, Ouma* room already?
I saw him brutally, mercilessly
Suck the life from your face However his wondering mind was satisfied
I saw him furiously with his cruelty when Dayo sees handwriting in the form of
Steal the light from your face. small notes and immediately recognizes it.
But for my word is my bond It’s his mother’s handwriting! But how could
Forever you’re living in my heart it be? He knew how much his mother hated
I’ll avenge your blood from him hoodoo and black magic in general. He
I’ll unclench your soul from him!” felt betrayed! And in the spirit of everything
that went through this day he starts looking
for a spell to avenge his grandma!

Dayo had an idea about how a ritual
usually preformed, he turns all lights off
except for the candles and starts muttering
un-familiar words for him as he reads from

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

the spell book. He was trying to summon his says “Your Bible Élie. Your bible! Not ours. I
grandma’s spirit to help. was not like you and I never will be”

Suddenly the temperature of the room Dayo rushes out of the room, unaware that
drops dramatically down, its freezing cold his body pushed Claudette’s against the
and Dayo feels this empty, evil vibe in the wall. Which she thought was rude and
room, his heart starts pounding so fast that unacceptable, but it wasn’t until she knew
he could hear his heart-beating through his what Dayo wants to do that her anger
ears and fear running through his veins. reached it limits and decides to tell Oluchi
Eventually Zuri appeared to him in her form that his son is no longer welcomed in her
when she was killed, except she was talking house!
to him. Zuri holds Dayo’s face between her
palms and says “My grandchild! I’m so Dayo packs up his books, few of his clothes
proud of you! I was waiting for that day. and mysteriously disappears.
The day you’d avenge me and free our
family” Nia cried herself to sleep every day, ever
since her son left, the thought of his death
Dayo agreed with what she said but he cripples to her at night and she keeps on
couldn’t shake the feeling of that wondering if he’s still alive.
something was off, that Zuri didn’t feel like
Zuri his grandma. Maybe it was her dead One year later, the two families wake up to
eyes or her thirst for revenge or her a loud noise and people running around,
constant encouragement to him that he nearly covering up the streets, as a French
should kill Louis, the king. But he soldier announced King Louise’s mysterious
immediately shook the idea off and death. And based upon his death all slaves
thought he was reading too much into it. are free to go since the code noir does not
apply anymore.
A few months go by as Élie notices that his
best friend is different and acting weird, he Few hours and Nia hears a knock on the
finally decides to break his silence and door, it’s her twelve-year-old son!
starts talking to Dayo. They kept bickering
and yelling at each other until Claudette As Nia un-believingly takes Dayo between
hears Élie yelling at Dayo saying, “Hatred her arms he softly whispers to her “I fulfilled
Stirs up conflict, but love covers over all my role ma, I made Ouma proud ma, but
wrongs! We read this in out Bible together” it’s too late for me ma, goodbye ma, a life
Dayo gives an inconsiderable look and for a life ma.”

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

And these were Dayo’s last words as he best friend has given him. This joy that
falls between Nia’s arms. made them brothers, as he lays white
flowers on his grave with a smile, a teary
Through her tears she whispers to her dead eye and a wave goodbye to his long gone
son “sure you freed us son, but not this way! joy.
Not your life honey not your life, you were
my joy my happiness my reason to live, that
wasn’t what your name meant”.

Few years go by, Élie goes to Dayo’s grave, The End
which had “Joy arrives” written on it. Élie
stops to think about this joy. This joy that his

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

Highlights
TEDx is coming to BUE!
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities got the license to
organise TEDx events on campus!

Students and Staff with the
Dean and The Head of
Department Successfully
participated in the Nile
TESOL professional
development event
organised by the Faculty of

Arts and Humanities.

From left to right: Dr. Hend Khalil, Ms. Eman Samir, Ms. Nabila Nakhla, Dr. Mervat
Shukry, Dr. Shadia Fahim (Dean), Dr. Sherine Mazloum (Head of English
Department), Aya, Mariam, Mirna, Passant, Ms. Salma AlSaady and Ms. Rania
Salem.

Department of English Language
and Literature students’
presentation day

From left to right: Salma, Noor, Chantal, Mariam, Ms.Shaimaa Saeed, Merna, Passant,
Aya & Menna; Centre: Ahmed & Hesham
Center: Ahmed & Hesham

Some of the work of English
Language and Literature students
displayed in the Faculty halls.

Psychology Students held a
Secret Santa contest last

Christmas!

Psychology
students visited
Abo Alazayem
Hospital in an
excursion.

Psychology Students with Dr.Mohamed Saad, Head of the Psychology Department and Ms.Engy Helmy

Psychology
students in the
Department Hall
with The Head of
Psychology
Department
Dr.Mohamed
Saad

Psychology Students with Dr.Mohamed Saad, Head of Psychology Department and Ms.Engy Helmy, Ms.Salma
Fathy , Ms.Mona Ibrahim , Ms.Farah Hossam & Ms.Reem Hashem

English Language and Literature students with the Dean, Professor Shadia Fahim, Head of
English Department, Dr. Sherine Mazloum and actor Mohamed Sobhi. Sobhi held a seminar
on the effective role of art and education in enhancing Egyptian values. The seminar was
held in Dusit Thani hotel.

PoetryPreachers or deceivers? God is kind; he blessed you with spice.
Chantal KurdyColors all around you,
Amen, amen Dancing between the clouds above you.
To the holy scripts
To the holy tips Following orders
For they make one kind. Like the fools you are.
Or do they make one blind? Damning fragile believers
To be like the tools you are.
All hail and bow down Oh isn’t that gone too far?
To thee up above
For he created one Put the rights and wrongs
Within dusk to dawn. Over pity.
Commanded one to be kind. Put do’s and don’ts
Commanded one to find, Over being witty.
Goodness within their heart.
Does it satisfy you?
But have you, you To make people feel guilty?
Manipulating, hypocrite, Or does it make you feel nifty?
Selfish religion preachers
Find goodness within you? Oh, won’t you do
Or are you too busy Humanity a favor
Planning to infringe And take back your lies
On holy laws For a chance to change lives?
Pointing out flaws? Like a leaf that dies,
Blown away by the wind.
You confused goodness with kindness So will be your lies.
Demanded blindness over wisdom
God is good; he blessed you with sight.

Quotes

“There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery,

and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter.
Which, luckily, I am.”

Lewis Carroll

RT meets
Literature

ASalvador Dali’s illustrations of
Alice in Wonderlands
Salma ALSaady

In 1969, New York’s Maecenas
Press-Random House published a
colourful edition of Louis Carroll’s
Alice in Wonderlands illustrated
by one of the most famous artists
in history; the Spanish surrealist
artist Salvador Dali. The book has
an illustration for each chapter.
Here are some of them!

Down the rabbit hole

The Caucus Race & a long tale Advice from a Caterpillar

The Queen's Croquet Ground Alice's Evidence