Linda Kamau

Wira: The Oath Stone

Project Site

The Oath Stone is a graphic novel inspired by the creation/origin story of the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya. I was inspired to create this project by the gap in fantasy-fiction based in African countries. Growing up, I loved to read about vampires and Greek mythology, and I never once questioned why there were no mythological tales based in Kenya. During the pandemic, I read quite a lot of fiction by Kenyan writers like Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, and I discovered a world of myths and supernatural superstitions that I would have loved to read at an earlier age. My goal is to contribute to the African narrative; by making this graphic novel, I want to inspire readers to wonder what else was going on in Kenya or Ghana, or Zimbabwe and discover their pre-colonial histories. Now more than ever, representation is so important in popular culture, and it would be a disservice not to tell a story about my home: fiction or otherwise.

Story Synopsis:
On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Nyawira (Wira) receives a mysterious stone that connects her to the spirit of her ancestor Wamuyu. Wamuyu warns her of an ancient witch who is plotting her return to the land of the living. With her new powers, the ghost of her ancestor, and her sassy twin Wangui (Kui), Wira embarks on a journey to understand the history of her tribe, solve the mystery of her mother’s death and defeat the witch.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA

• Project Plan